Exodus 13:5

ESV And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.

NIV When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ceremony in this month:

NASB And it shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall perform this rite in this month.

CSB When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers that he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you must carry out this ceremony in this month.

NLT You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. (He swore to your ancestors that he would give you this land — a land flowing with milk and honey.)

KJV And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

NKJV And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

What does Exodus 13:5 mean?

God's covenant with Abraham included a promise that his descendants would take possession of a certain territory (Genesis 12:5–7). This would only come after centuries of oppression (Genesis 15:13). In the book of Exodus, we read the story of Israel's enslavement (Exodus 1:8–11) and liberation (Exodus 12:40–41). To remember this great event, the people are to celebrate certain holidays every year (Exodus 12:2, 14; 13:3–4). They are also given instructions for when they finally arrive in this land (Exodus 13:11). In part, this means observing the festivals the Lord has already described.

References to those living in this Promised Land vary depending on context. When the Lord described it to Abraham—then called Abram (Genesis 17:5)—ten nations were mentioned (Genesis 15:18–21). When calling Moses, God mentioned six (Exodus 3:17). Here, Scripture records five. Later in this same passage, it simply says "Canaanites" (Exodus 13:11). This last term is the most consistent and is used both for culture and geography. In each case, the groups mentioned live in the territory of Canaan (Genesis 12:5–7).

Moses describes the Promised Land as fertile and rich in resources. The famous phrase "flowing with milk and honey" is also often in this book (Exodus 3:8, 17; 33:3). When Israel reaches the border, scouts will confirm this description (Numbers 13:27).

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