Exodus 3:8
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Study Note
Study Note
'I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey' — the burning bush theophany produces not only a divine name but a divine program: descent, liberation, and gift of land. The formula 'land flowing with milk and honey' (zevat chalav udevash) appears forty-four times in the Hebrew Bible and became the primary shorthand for the covenant land's abundance and fertility. The divine 'coming down' (yaradti) is theologically important: it establishes that liberation is not human achievement but divine initiative — a pattern the New Testament applies to the Incarnation. The list of Canaanite peoples to be displaced (verse 8b) sets the Exodus narrative within the complex framework of conquest theology that has been the subject of sustained ethical reflection throughout the tradition.
Other Translations
and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
and I go down to deliver it out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to cause it to go up out of the land, unto a land good and broad, unto a land flowing with milk and honey--unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
And I have come down to take them out of the hands of the Egyptians, guiding them out of that land into a good land and wide, into a land flowing with milk and honey; into the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.
Cross References
And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.
And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look …
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, …
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is …
And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this …
And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the …