Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
Parallel translations
- WEB Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and inherit the land.
- KJV By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
- NKJV Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.
- NASB I will drive them out from you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land.
- NLT I will drive them out a little at a time until your population has increased enough to take possession of the land.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God would drive out the nations gradually as Israel grew strong enough to possess the land. God's blessings often unfold progressively, not instantly.
Overview
The 'little by little' principle shows God matching the conquest to Israel's increase and capacity. This gradual inheritance teaches patience and ongoing dependence on God rather than expecting everything at once. It mirrors the spiritual life, where God works progressively to mature His people. The full inheritance is certain, yet given in God's wise time, a pattern echoed in the believer's growth in grace.
Cross-references & the web
No cross-references recorded for this verse.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 23:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.