CategoryPlace / Promised Land
Modern Equivalentpromised land; ancient land of Canaan.
KJV Word TypePlace name / covenant land term
DefinitionThe ancient land promised to the Israelites, roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Syria and Jordan.
Key Verses"And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land." (Genesis 12:7); "And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza." (Genesis 10:19)
KJV Usage NoteRefers both to the promised land and to peoples whose idolatry becomes a recurring warning in Israel’s history.
Common MisunderstandingCanaan is not only a geographic region; it also carries covenant, promise, conquest, and idolatry themes in Scripture.
EtymologyFrom Hebrew Canaan (possibly "lowland").