What bounds does God set for Israel in Exodus 23:31?
God sets Israel’s bounds from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, identified as the Mediterranean, and from the desert, understood as the Judean desert, to the river, which Scripture identifies as the Euphrates. This matches the Abrahamic promise encompassing the whole Middle East.
Les explains that Exodus 23:31 connects back to the promise given to Abraham concerning how much Israel would inherit. He notes that the promised territory was to be all the way from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates River on the east, northern Lebanon or Mount Hermon on the north, and the Red Sea on the south—the whole Middle East had been promised to the nation of Israel. In the verse itself, God says He will set Israel’s bounds from the Red Sea even to the Sea of the Philistines, which is the Mediterranean, and from the desert, which Les takes as the Judean desert, to the river, which he identifies as the Euphrates, “the river” in Scripture. Les also ties this to God’s promise to drive out the inhabitants gradually, not in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field multiply, but little by little until Israel increased and inherited the land. God further warns that Israel must make no covenant with the inhabitants, lest they cause Israel to sin against Him.
And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.