THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
To prevent the righteous from assuming that God’s instruction to remain rather than go to Egypt stemmed from a desire to test him through hunger, the Lord reassured him, saying, "Do not be troubled, do not be anxious, but stay here: I will be with you." With the Creator of all blessings present with you, there is no reason for anxiety; I, the Sovereign over all, will accompany you, and indeed, "I will bless you," which means I will glorify you and bestow upon you My favor. Who could be more favored than this righteous individual who has received the divine promise, "I will be with thee, and I will bless thee"?
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This assurance is the source of true happiness, it enables one to live in abundance, and it signifies the greatest honor, the indescribable victory, the steadfast refuge, the pinnacle of blessings—namely that I will "be with you and bless you." And how will I bless you? "To you and to your offspring I will give all these lands." You may feel like an outsider within these borders, yet know that this entire land is destined for you and your descendants. To provide you assurance, understand that the same oath which I pledged to Abraham your father, I will also extend to you. Observe God's graciousness. He did not merely state, "The covenant I made with your father" or "the promise I gave him," but rather spoke of "the oath by which I swore." By an oath I have assured him, He says, and He will fulfill My promise. Do you not see the humility of God? He speaks in such a manner, not from a perspective of greatness, but by humbling Himself to our frailty. Just as people are most diligent in fulfilling not only the promises they make but those confirmed by an oath, so God, in reassuring the righteous man that His promises are certain, declares, "Know that by My oath what is confirmed by Me must be fulfilled." What does this mean? Some may wonder; did God really swear? And by what could He swear? Understand that this language is used in a spirit of humility: through an oath, He validates the promise. "And I will fulfill," He says, "the oath which I swore to Abraham your father."