Promised Land.html

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For other uses, see Promised Land (disambiguation).

Map showing one interpretation of the borders of the Promised Land, based on God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 15).

The Promised Land (Hebrew: הארץ המובטחת‎, translit.: ha-Aretz ha-Muvtachat) is a term used to describe the land promised by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites. The promise is made to Abraham and the descendants of his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, Abraham's grandson as they are all given promise that their decendants will be given a territory from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates river.

Although historically inaccurate, the term has also been used at times for the Land of Israel as well as Palestine.

1 Divine promise
- 1.1 Definition
2 References
3 See also

Divine promise

The promise that is the basis of the term is contained in Genesis 15:18-21 of the Hebrew Bible:

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates - the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

The verse is said to describe what are known as "Borders of the Land" (Gevulot Ha-aretz).¹ In Jewish tradition these borders define the maximum extent of the land promised to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob.²

Definition

Disregarding the Who is a Jew? question, mainstream Jewish tradition regard the promise as having been given to all Jews, including converts and their descendants.

References

^ Kol Torah, vol. 13, no. 9, Torah Academy of Bergen County, Nov 8, 2003
^ See 6th and 7th portion commentaries by Rashi

Promised Land.html

Contents

Divine promise

Definition

References

See also