Genesis 13:17 Meaning: Why God Told Abram to Walk the Land
Arise, walk through the land in its length and in its width; for I will give it to you.”
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
rise, go up and down through the land, to its length, and to its breadth, for to thee I give it.'
Arise, walk through the land according to the length of it and according to the breadth of it; for I will give it to thee.
Meaning in one sentence
God commands Abram to walk the length and breadth of the land he would never own. This surprising act of faith still speaks to us today.
Context
This verse comes just after Abram and Lot have separated. Abram had generously let Lot choose the best land, and Lot settled near Sodom. Now God speaks to Abram alone, renewing the promise He first made back in chapter 12. He tells Abram to lift his eyes and look in every direction, north, south, east, west, and see the land He will give to his descendants forever. Then comes this unusual command: get up and walk through it. Not just look, but walk. Abram was a sojourner, a wanderer who would never own a single field in Canaan. Yet God tells him to pace out the territory as if taking possession. It is an act of faith before the fact, a living picture of trusting a promise not yet fulfilled.
Key Words
Three words carry the weight. The first is kum (“arise”). It is a call to action, not a suggestion. God is not asking Abram to think about it; He is inviting him to move. The second word, hithalek (“walk through”), is the reflexive form of halak, meaning to go or walk. It suggests a deliberate, back-and-forth pacing, the kind of walking you do when you are claiming something as your own. In ancient Near Eastern culture, walking the boundary of a property was a legal way to take possession. The third word is natan (“I will give”). That verb is in the perfect tense in Hebrew, as if the giving were already done. God speaks of the future with such certainty that He uses the grammar of the past. Abram is to walk because the gift is already sure.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen something important in this walking. Matthew Henry described it as a confirmation of the promise after the quarrel with Lot was settled, God rewards peace with a clearer vision of His goodness. Wesley saw it as an invitation to survey the gift and let it grow more precious up close. Keil and Delitzsch pointed to the spiritual seed: the land is promised to those who hold the promise in faith, not merely to the physical descendants of Abraham. In Catholic tradition, this passage has been read as a type of the Christian’s pilgrimage, walking the land of promise while waiting for the full inheritance in heaven. All agree that the walking itself is an act of trust, not of ownership.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
You may have a promise from God that feels far off, maybe for a loved one’s return, a healed relationship, or provision that hasn’t shown up yet. Abram’s walk invites you to do something concrete. Take a literal walk through the situation. Pray as you go. Name the parts you see, the length and breadth of what God has said. It won’t make the promise come any faster, but it changes your heart. You stop looking from a distance and start walking the ground of trust. The promise is already sure. Your walk is your “yes” to that.
Main takeaway: Walking the land of promise is the posture of faith: trusting God for what you cannot yet hold.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told Abraham to get up and walk across the whole land. Abraham didn’t own it yet, but he walked it anyway because he trusted God’s promise. You can trust God’s promises even when you can’t see them yet.
For ages 9, 12
Why would God ask Abraham to walk the land if he wasn’t going to own it himself? Because the walking was an act of faith. Abraham was saying, “I trust that You will give this to my family someday.” When you believe a promise from God, you can act like it’s true, even before you see it happen. Your actions show your trust.
Questions People Ask
Why did God tell Abram to walk the land if he wasn't going to own it himself?
Walking the land was a way of claiming it by faith. In the ancient world, walking the boundaries of a property was a legal way to take possession. God wanted Abram to trust that the land would one day belong to his descendants, even though he himself would only live there as a sojourner.
Did Abram ever actually own any part of Canaan?
Only a burial plot he bought from Ephron the Hittite (Genesis 23). For the rest of his life, Abram lived in tents and moved from place to place. He never possessed the land, but he died believing God would give it to his offspring.
How does this verse apply to Christians today?
Many Christians see in Abram’s walk a picture of faith itself. We have promises from God, eternal life, a place in His kingdom, His provision, that we do not yet fully possess. Like Abram, we are called to act on those promises now, trusting that they are as good as done.
Is the promise of the land still valid for the Jewish people?
Christians disagree on this. Some see the land promise as fulfilled spiritually through Christ and the Church. Others believe God still has a future plan for the nation of Israel and the physical land. Both views take seriously that God’s promise to Abraham was unbreakable.
What is the significance of Abram building an altar in verse 18 right after walking?
The altar shows Abram’s response. After walking the land in faith, he worshiped. The walking was not the end; it led him to a deeper connection with God. He built the altar as a marker of trust, a place to meet with the One who keeps His promises.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study