בראשית, פרק ט״ו, פסוק י״ח

God's promise to Abraham reaches its ultimate peak in this moment, firmly establishing the eternal, legal, and historical right of the Israelites to the entire Land of Israel. The act of making a covenant represents an absolute, unbreakable commitment. The very concept of cutting a covenant implies separating this specific obligation from all other ordinary agreements, elevating it into a unique and binding pact between God and Abraham [הכתב והקבלה]. This pact functions as a definitive oath, guaranteeing that even if the Israelites happen to sin in the future, the gift of the land will never be revoked [רמב״ן, גור אריה, רבנו בחיי].

God speaks of giving the land as an event that has already happened, even though it had not yet been physically conquered. The primary approach among commentators is that God’s word is so absolute that it is considered a completed action [רש״י, מזרחי]. On a deeper spiritual and legal level, the land was immediately transferred into Abraham's possession and passed directly to his descendants [אור החיים, תורה תמימה]. This profound level of ownership does not rely on military victories, human treaties, or even a continuous physical presence in the land. Even if the Israelites are forced into exile, the land remains theirs forever by the power of this divine promise [העמק דבר, חומש קה״ת].

The borders outlined in this divine promise hold specific geographic and spiritual significance. The southwestern boundary is marked by the river of Egypt. Commentators agree this does not refer to the well-known Nile River, but rather to the Brook of Egypt, which forms the natural edge of the land [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר, מחוקקי יהודה, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. On the northeastern side lies the Euphrates, which is described as the great river. A question arises as to why it is called great, considering earlier biblical accounts list it as the smallest of the rivers flowing from Eden. The accepted answer is that its greatness does not come from its physical size, but from its proximity to the Land of Israel. Based on the ancient proverb that the servant of a king is like a king, the river absorbs importance simply by being attached to the holy land, earning it its grand title [רש״י, רד״ק, רבנו בחיי, תורה תמימה].

The full scope of the promise includes the territory of ten different nations, yet throughout history, the Israelites only conquered seven. Commentators explain that the fulfillment of this covenant is actually divided into two distinct stages. The first stage was realized during the time of Joshua with the conquest of the initial seven nations. The second stage, which includes the remaining three nations—identified as Edom, Ammon, and Moab—is destined to be fulfilled at the end of days. Therefore, the complete vision of this promise looks forward to the future, anticipating the final and ultimate expansion of the land's borders during the Messianic era [אור החיים, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אלשיך].