John Calvin Commentary Exodus 3:17

"and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." — Exodus 3:17 (ASV)

And I have said. By this expression, God reminds us that He, in His secret counsel, determines what He will do. Therefore, we must restrain our desires, which otherwise rush ahead too quickly, and allow Him freely and voluntarily to appoint what He knows is best to be done. This is not because He needs time to deliberate, but so that we may learn to depend on His providence.

By this decree, the children of Israel were assured that the end of their troubles was near, because nothing can prevent God from performing His work.

But He speaks briefly, as of something well known, because what had been passed down through the patriarchs concerning their future deliverance was not entirely forgotten.

He lists several nations whose lands He would give them, so that He might thereby more strongly attract them to come out.

With the same objective, He affirms that the whole country flows with milk and honey, so that its barrenness would not alarm them, because famine had driven their fathers out from there.

But although the land of Canaan was naturally fertile, there is no doubt that its fruitfulness primarily arose from the blessing of God.

The conclusion is that a spacious dwelling place is prepared for them, since for their sake God will drive out many nations so that they may possess the homes of them all. Finally, they need not fear lack, because God will abundantly supply them with food, as if the whole of that land were filled with rivers of milk and honey.