In the Bible, what does “a land flowing with milk and honey” mean?

God promised to rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and bring them into Canaan, “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex. 3:8NIV). He also called it “a good and spacious land”. According to the NET Bible, this means that it was good (in terms of quality) and spacious (in terms of size). Also see the Appendices.

The promise that the land would overflow with “milk” suggests abundant pastureland for goats and cows, while the mention of “honey” implies that the land was abounding in flowers for bees to draw nectar from. The word ‘flowing’ implies the abundance of something. If a land is fertile enough in grass and flowers to support cattle and bees, it is a good land for humans too. According to the NIV Study Bible, “the Hebrew word for honey refers to both bees honey and the sweet, syrupy juice of grapes”. Milk and honey are signs of a fertile land. Together they imply fertile soils and agricultural prosperity, which was important to an agricultural society.

Moses told the Israelites, “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.” (Dt. 8:7-9).

When the Israelites arrived at the border of Canaan, they sent spies to gather information about the land they were to conquer. Moses sent 12 men to explore Canaan and report if the land was “good or bad”, whether the soil was “fertile or poor” and “bring back some of the fruit of the land” (Num. 13:17-20). When the spies explored the Valley of Eshkol, “they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs” (Num. 13:23). The “single cluster of grapes” was too large for one man to carry!  When they returned they said, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit” (Num. 13:27). So, the soil was indeed fertile as it produced grapes, pomegranates and figs.

In the time of Nehemiah, the conquest of Canaan was described as the capture of “fertile land” with “vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance” (Neh. 9:24-25). And Ezekiel called Canaan “the most beautiful of all lands” (Ezek. 20:6, 15).

So, “a land flowing with milk and honey” is a poetic description of the fertility of the soil in Canaan and a metaphor of the sustenance and prosperity that it would provide for God’s people, the Israelites. God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt to a prosperous land of freedom and blessing. It was their promised land (Dt. 6:3; 26:15; 27:3; 31:20; Josh. 5:6).

Application today

Our time in history, situation, and culture are different to then. We are not Israelites travelling to Canaan with God living in a tent; we are Christians with God living in us as the Holy Spirit. Today the people of God are Christians who have trusted in Jesus Christ for their salvation from sin. And the Bible says that they are given spiritual (not physical) promises (Eph. 1:3).

Through trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God brought His people out of slavery to sin to find contentment, peace, and joy in their relationship with Him. Their sins are forgiven and they are saved from the penalty of sin – they change from spiritual death to spiritual life. And they can look forward to being saved from the presence of sin and the salvation of their bodies when Jesus returns again (Heb. 9:27-28).

God wants us to learn from the persistent sins of the Israelites (1 Cor. 10:11). Are we wandering in a spiritual desert, or are we living in our spiritual promised land? The Israelites did not enter the promised land straight away because they were not willing to live by faith; they were only living by sight.

The same is true for us today. God wants us to be willing to trust Him. He doesn’t ask us to live the Christian life in our own strength. He wants to do it through us. It’s not what we do for God that’s important; it’s what we allow God to do through us. Then God will meet all our needs and sustain us in our spiritual promised land (Ps. 23:1; 2 Cor. 12:9; Phil. 4:19).

Appendix A: NET Bible

The term “a land flowing with milk and honey” occurs 21 times in the Old Testament. According to the NET Bible, Gesenius (a Hebrew scholar, 1786-1842) classifies “milk and honey” as epexegetical genitives because they provide more precise description following a verbal adjective in the construct state. The land is modified by “flowing,” and “flowing” is explained by the genitives “milk and honey.” These two products will be in abundance in the land, and they therefore exemplify what a desirable land it is. The language is hyperbolic, as if the land were streaming with these products.

Appendix B: Is it an idiom?

An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words, conveying a figurative or non-literal meaning. Idioms often use metaphor or other figures of speech, so the meaning is not what you would expect from the literal words. For example, “It’s raining cats and dogs” means it’s raining heavily, not literally raining animals. To “spill the beans” means to reveal a secret, not to literally spill beans. And a “piece of cake” means something is easy, not that you’re eating cake.

The term “a land flowing with milk and honey” is now an idiom. But was it a Hebrew idiom when it was written, or only afterwards?

Appendix C: Is it a cultural script?

A cultural script is a recurring, socially significant phrase that reflects the values, worldview, or expectations of a culture. It often carries deeper cultural and historical meanings beyond just metaphorical language. Cultural scripts are also shared understandings and expectations within a cultural group that guide behavior, communication, and social interactions. For example, how we greet someone, or how we celebrate occasions. “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down” is a Japanese proverb that emphasizes the cultural value of conformity over individuality, reflecting a societal script that discourages standing out. Whereas the American saying, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, highlights the importance of self-advocacy and assertiveness, indicating a cultural script that encourages individuals to voice their needs to receive attention or assistance.

“A land flowing with milk and honey” is a foundational concept in the Hebrew worldview that appears multiple times in the Torah as part of God’s covenantal promise to the Israelites (e.g., Ex. 3:8, Dt. 31:20). But it is not a cultural script because it does not “guide behavior, communication, and social interactions”.

Written, March 2025