Hebrews 11
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
V. Examples, Discipline, Disobedience
Chapter 11[a]
Faith of the Ancients. 1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence[b] of things not seen.(A) 2 Because of it the ancients were well attested. 3 (B)By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God,[c] so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 4 [d]By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. Through this he was attested to be righteous, God bearing witness to his gifts, and through this, though dead, he still speaks.(C) 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and “he was found no more because God had taken him.” Before he was taken up, he was attested to have pleased God.(D) 6 [e]But without faith it is impossible to please him,(E) for anyone who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, warned about what was not yet seen, with reverence built an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that comes through faith.(F)
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go.(G) 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise;(H) 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.(I) 11 By faith he received power to generate, even though he was past the normal age—and Sarah herself was sterile—for he thought that the one who had made the promise was trustworthy.(J) 12 So it was that there came forth from one man, himself as good as dead, descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sands on the seashore.(K)
13 All these died in faith. They did not receive what had been promised but saw it and greeted it from afar and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and aliens on earth,(L) 14 for those who speak thus show that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of the land from which they had come, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better homeland, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.(M)
17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,(N) 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.”(O) 19 [f]He reasoned that God was able to raise even from the dead,(P) and he received Isaac back as a symbol. 20 By faith regarding things still to come Isaac[g] blessed Jacob and Esau.(Q) 21 By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and “bowed in worship, leaning on the top of his staff.”(R) 22 By faith Joseph, near the end of his life, spoke of the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.(S)
23 (T)By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 [h]By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;(U) 25 he chose to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of the Anointed greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the recompense. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s fury, for he persevered as if seeing the one who is invisible.(V) 28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.(W) 29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted it they were drowned.(X) 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.(Y) 31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with the disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.(Z)
32 What more shall I say? I have not time to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,(AA) 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, did what was righteous, obtained the promises; they closed the mouths of lions,(AB) 34 put out raging fires, escaped the devouring sword; out of weakness they were made powerful, became strong in battle, and turned back foreign invaders.(AC) 35 Women received back their dead through resurrection. Some were tortured and would not accept deliverance, in order to obtain a better resurrection.(AD) 36 Others endured mockery, scourging, even chains and imprisonment.(AE) 37 They were stoned, sawed in two, put to death at sword’s point; they went about in skins of sheep or goats, needy, afflicted, tormented.(AF) 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in deserts and on mountains, in caves and in crevices in the earth.(AG)
39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.[i]
Footnotes
- 11:1–40 This chapter draws upon the people and events of the Old Testament to paint an inspiring portrait of religious faith, firm and unyielding in the face of any obstacles that confront it. These pages rank among the most eloquent and lofty to be found in the Bible. They expand the theme announced in Hb 6:12, to which the author now returns (Hb 10:39). The material of this chapter is developed chronologically. Hb 11:3–7 draw upon the first nine chapters of Genesis (Gn 1–9); Hb 11:8–22, upon the period of the patriarchs; Hb 11:23–31, upon the time of Moses; Hb 11:32–38, upon the history of the judges, the prophets, and the Maccabean martyrs. The author gives the most extensive description of faith provided in the New Testament, though his interest does not lie in a technical, theological definition. In view of the needs of his audience he describes what authentic faith does, not what it is in itself. Through faith God guarantees the blessings to be hoped for from him, providing evidence in the gift of faith that what he promises will eventually come to pass (Hb 11:1). Because they accepted in faith God’s guarantee of the future, the biblical personages discussed in Hb 11:3–38 were themselves commended by God (Hb 11:2). Christians have even greater reason to remain firm in faith since they, unlike the Old Testament men and women of faith, have perceived the beginning of God’s fulfillment of his messianic promises (Hb 11:39–40).
- 11:1 Faith is the realization…evidence: the author is not attempting a precise definition. There is dispute about the meaning of the Greek words hypostasis and elenchos, here translated realization and evidence, respectively. Hypostasis usually means “substance,” “being” (as translated in Hb 1:3), or “reality” (as translated in Hb 3:14); here it connotes something more subjective, and so realization has been chosen rather than “assurance” (RSV). Elenchos, usually “proof,” is used here in an objective sense and so translated evidence rather than the transferred sense of “(inner) conviction” (RSV).
- 11:3 By faith…God: this verse does not speak of the faith of the Old Testament men and women but is in the first person plural. Hence it seems out of place in the sequence of thought.
- 11:4 The “Praise of the Ancestors” in Sir 44:1–50:21 gives a similar list of heroes. The Cain and Abel narrative in Gn 4:1–16 does not mention Abel’s faith. It says, however, that God “looked with favor on Abel and his offering” (Gn 4:4); in view of Hb 11:6 the author probably understood God’s favor to have been activated by Abel’s faith. Though dead, he still speaks: possibly because his blood “cries out to me from the soil” (Gn 4:10), but more probably a way of saying that the repeated story of Abel provides ongoing witness to faith.
- 11:6 One must believe not only that God exists but that he is concerned about human conduct; the Old Testament defines folly as the denial of this truth; cf. Ps 52:2.
- 11:19 As a symbol: Isaac’s “return from death” is seen as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. Others understand the words en parabolē to mean “in figure,” i.e., the word dead is used figuratively of Isaac, since he did not really die. But in the one other place that parabolē occurs in Hebrews, it means symbol (Hb 9:9).
- 11:20–22 Each of these three patriarchs, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, had faith in the future fulfillment of God’s promise and renewed this faith when near death.
- 11:24–27 The reason given for Moses’ departure from Egypt differs from the account in Ex 2:11–15. The author also gives a christological interpretation of his decision to share the trials of his people.
- 11:40 So that without us they should not be made perfect: the heroes of the Old Testament obtained their recompense only after the saving work of Christ had been accomplished. Thus they already enjoy what Christians who are still struggling do not yet possess in its fullness.
Hebrews 11
Living Bible
11 What is faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead. 2 Men of God in days of old were famous for their faith.
3 By faith—by believing God—we know that the world and the stars—in fact, all things—were made at God’s command; and that they were all made from things that can’t be seen.[a]
4 It was by faith that Abel obeyed God and brought an offering that pleased God more than Cain’s offering did. God accepted Abel and proved it by accepting his gift; and though Abel is long dead, we can still learn lessons from him about trusting God.
5 Enoch trusted God too, and that is why God took him away to heaven without dying; suddenly he was gone because God took him. Before this happened God had said[b] how pleased he was with Enoch. 6 You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him.
7 Noah was another who trusted God. When he heard God’s warning about the future, Noah believed him even though there was then no sign of a flood, and wasting no time, he built the ark and saved his family. Noah’s belief in God was in direct contrast to the sin and disbelief of the rest of the world—which refused to obey—and because of his faith he became one of those whom God has accepted.
8 Abraham trusted God, and when God told him to leave home and go far away to another land that he promised to give him, Abraham obeyed. Away he went, not even knowing where he was going. 9 And even when he reached God’s promised land, he lived in tents like a mere visitor as did Isaac and Jacob, to whom God gave the same promise. 10 Abraham did this because he was confidently waiting for God to bring him to that strong heavenly city whose designer and builder is God.
11 Sarah, too, had faith, and because of this she was able to become a mother in spite of her old age, for she realized that God, who gave her his promise, would certainly do what he said. 12 And so a whole nation came from Abraham, who was too old to have even one child—a nation with so many millions of people that, like the stars of the sky and the sand on the ocean shores, there is no way to count them.
13 These men of faith I have mentioned died without ever receiving all that God had promised them; but they saw it all awaiting them on ahead and were glad, for they agreed that this earth was not their real home but that they were just strangers visiting down here. 14 And quite obviously when they talked like that, they were looking forward to their real home in heaven.
15 If they had wanted to, they could have gone back to the good things of this world. 16 But they didn’t want to. They were living for heaven. And now God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has made a heavenly city for them.
17 While God was testing him, Abraham still trusted in God and his promises, and so he offered up his son Isaac and was ready to slay him on the altar of sacrifice; 18 yes, to slay even Isaac, through whom God had promised to give Abraham a whole nation of descendants!
19 He believed that if Isaac died God would bring him back to life again; and that is just about what happened, for as far as Abraham was concerned, Isaac was doomed to death, but he came back again alive! 20 It was by faith that Isaac knew God would give future blessings to his two sons, Jacob and Esau.
21 By faith Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s two sons as he stood and prayed, leaning on the top of his cane.
22 And it was by faith that Joseph, as he neared the end of his life, confidently spoke of God bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt; and he was so sure of it that he made them promise to carry his bones with them when they left!
23 Moses’ parents had faith too. When they saw that God had given them an unusual child, they trusted that God would save him from the death the king commanded, and they hid him for three months and were not afraid.
24-25 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the grandson of the king, but chose to share ill-treatment with God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought that it was better to suffer for the promised Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the great reward that God would give him. 27 And it was because he trusted God that he left the land of Egypt and wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger. Moses kept right on going; it seemed as though he could see God right there with him. 28 And it was because he believed God would save his people that he commanded them to kill a lamb as God had told them to and sprinkle the blood on the doorposts of their homes so that God’s terrible Angel of Death could not touch the oldest child in those homes as he did among the Egyptians.
29 The people of Israel trusted God and went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians chasing them tried it, they all were drowned.
30 It was faith that brought the walls of Jericho tumbling down after the people of Israel had walked around them seven days as God had commanded them. 31 By faith—because she believed in God and his power—Rahab the harlot did not die with all the others in her city when they refused to obey God, for she gave a friendly welcome to the spies.
32 Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets. 33 These people all trusted God and as a result won battles, overthrew kingdoms, ruled their people well, and received what God had promised them; they were kept from harm in a den of lions 34 and in a fiery furnace. Some, through their faith, escaped death by the sword. Some were made strong again after they had been weak or sick. Others were given great power in battle; they made whole armies turn and run away. 35 And some women, through faith, received their loved ones back again from death. But others trusted God and were beaten to death, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free—trusting that they would rise to a better life afterwards.
36 Some were laughed at and their backs cut open with whips, and others were chained in dungeons. 37-38 Some died by stoning and some by being sawed in two; others were promised freedom if they would renounce their faith, then were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in dens and caves. They were hungry and sick and ill-treated—too good for this world. 39 And these men of faith, though they trusted God and won his approval, none of them received all that God had promised them; 40 for God wanted them to wait and share the even better rewards that were prepared for us.
Footnotes
- Hebrews 11:3 things that can’t be seen. Perhaps the reference is to atoms, electrons, etc.
- Hebrews 11:5 God had said, implied.
Evrei 11
Nouă Traducere În Limba Română
Prin credinţă
11 Credinţa este o încredere în lucrurile nădăjduite, o certitudine cu privire la lucrurile nevăzute. 2 Prin aceasta cei din vechime au fost vorbiţi de bine.
3 Prin credinţă înţelegem că veacurile au fost create prin Cuvântul lui Dumnezeu, aşa încât ceea ce se vede a fost făcut din lucruri care nu se văd.
4 Prin credinţă I-a adus Abel lui Dumnezeu o jertfă mai bună decât a lui Cain. Prin aceasta s-a spus despre el că este drept, atunci când Dumnezeu a vorbit de bine despre darurile sale. El a murit, însă prin credinţa sa, el încă vorbeşte.
5 Prin credinţă a fost luat Enoh, ca să nu vadă moartea. Şi n-a mai fost găsit, pentru că Dumnezeu l-a luat. Căci înainte de strămutarea lui s-a depus mărturie că Îi era plăcut lui Dumnezeu. 6 Şi fără credinţă este imposibil să-I fim plăcuţi, pentru că oricine se apropie de El trebuie să creadă că El există şi că îi răsplăteşte pe cei ce-L caută.
7 Prin credinţă a ascultat Noe, când a fost avertizat cu privire la lucruri pe care el încă nu le vedea, şi a construit o arcă, pentru a-şi salva familia. Prin aceasta el a condamnat lumea şi a devenit un moştenitor al dreptăţii care este potrivit cu credinţa.
8 Prin credinţă a ascultat Avraam când a fost chemat să plece şi să se ducă într-un loc pe care urma să-l primească drept moştenire şi a ieşit fără să ştie unde se duce. 9 Prin credinţă a stat el în ţara promisă, ca într-o ţară străină, locuind în corturi, cu Isaac şi Iacov, care erau moştenitori, împreună cu el, ai aceleiaşi promisiuni. 10 Căci el aştepta cetatea care are temelii, al cărei arhitect şi constructor este Dumnezeu. 11 Prin credinţă a primit Sara puterea de a avea o sămânţă[a], chiar dacă ea era stearpă, iar Avraam era înaintat în vârstă,[b] deoarece el L-a considerat credincios pe Cel Ce a promis. 12 De aceea, dintr-un singur om – şi acesta aproape mort – s-au născut urmaşi atât de numeroşi ca stelele de pe cer şi fără număr ca nisipul de pe ţărmul mării.
13 Toţi aceştia au murit crezând, însă fără să primească lucrurile promise, ci doar le-au văzut de departe, le-au salutat şi au mărturisit că sunt străini şi peregrini pe pământ. 14 Cei care vorbesc în acest fel arată că sunt în căutarea unei patrii. 15 Dacă ei s-ar fi gândit la ţara din care au plecat, ar fi avut ocazia să se întoarcă în ea, 16 însă ei aspirau după o ţară mai bună, adică una cerească. De aceea, lui Dumnezeu nu-I este ruşine să fie numit Dumnezeul lor, pentru că El a pregătit o cetate pentru ei.
17 Prin credinţă l-a jertfit Avraam pe Isaac, atunci când a fost pus la încercare; el, cel care a primit promisiunile, a fost gata să-şi jertfească singurul fiu, 18 chiar dacă i se spusese: „Prin Isaac îşi va primi numele sămânţa ta.“[c] 19 El s-a gândit că Dumnezeu poate să învie pe cineva din morţi şi, figurat vorbind, aşa l-a primit înapoi. 20 Prin credinţă i-a binecuvântat Isaac pe Iacov şi pe Esau cu privire la viitor. 21 Prin credinţă i-a binecuvântat Iacov, când era pe moarte, pe fiecare dintre fiii lui Iosif şi s-a închinat rezemându-se pe vârful toiagului său.[d] 22 Prin credinţă a vorbit Iosif la sfârşitul vieţii sale despre exodul poporului Israel şi a dat porunci cu privire la oasele sale.
23 Prin credinţă a fost ascuns Moise de către părinţii săi timp de trei luni, după ce s-a născut – pentru că au văzut că era un copil frumos şi nu s-au temut de porunca împăratului. 24 Prin credinţă a refuzat Moise, când a crescut, să fie numit „fiul fiicei lui Faraon“, 25 alegând mai degrabă să sufere împreună cu poporul lui Dumnezeu, decât să se bucure de păcat pentru puţin timp. 26 El a considerat abuzul suferit pentru Cristos ca fiind o bogăţie mai mare decât bogăţiile Egiptului, pentru că el îşi aţintise privirea la răsplata viitoare. 27 Prin credinţă a ieşit din Egipt, fără să se teamă de mânia monarhului; el a perseverat, ca şi când L-ar fi văzut pe Cel Ce este nevăzut. 28 Prin credinţă a instaurat Paştele şi stropirea cu sânge, pentru ca Nimicitorul să nu-i omoare pe întâii lor născuţi. 29 Prin credinţă a trecut poporul prin Marea Roşie[e] ca pe uscat. Când au încercat însă şi egiptenii lucrul acesta, s-au înecat. 30 Prin credinţă au căzut zidurile Ierihonului, după ce le înconjuraseră timp de şapte zile. 31 Prin credinţă n-a pierit prostituata Rahav împreună cu cei neascultători, pentru că i-a primit bine pe spioni.
32 Şi ce-aş mai putea spune? N-am suficient timp să vorbesc despre Ghedeon, Barak, Samson, Iefta, David, Samuel şi despre profeţi. 33 Prin credinţă au cucerit ei regate, au administrat dreptatea, au obţinut promisiunile, au închis gurile leilor, 34 au stins furia flăcărilor, au scăpat de tăişul sabiei; din oameni slabi au fost făcuţi oameni puternici, au devenit tari în război, au alungat armatele străine; 35 femeile şi-au primit morţii înviaţi; unii au fost torturaţi şi au refuzat să fie eliberaţi, ca să obţină o înviere mai bună, 36 alţii au îndurat batjocură şi biciuire, şi chiar lanţuri şi închisoare, 37 au fost împroşcaţi cu pietre,[f] au fost tăiaţi în două cu fierăstrăul, au fost ucişi cu sabia, au umblat îmbrăcaţi în piei de oi şi de capre; săraci, persecutaţi, chinuiţi, 38 ei, de care lumea nu era vrednică, au pribegit prin pustie şi prin munţi, prin peşteri şi prin gropile pământului.
39 Ei toţi au fost vorbiţi de bine pentru credinţa lor, însă n-au primit ceea ce a fost promis, 40 întrucât Dumnezeu a ales dinainte un plan mai bun pentru noi, ca să nu fie ei făcuţi desăvârşiţi fără noi.
Footnotes
- Evrei 11:11 Vezi nota de la 2:16; şi în v. 18
- Evrei 11:11 Sau: Prin credinţă a primit el puterea de a procrea, chiar dacă era înaintat în vârstă, iar Sara era stearpă
- Evrei 11:18 Vezi Gen. 21:12
- Evrei 11:21 Cf. LXX, Gen. 47:31; acelaşi verset, în TM, conţine: s-a închinat pe căpătâiul patului său; în scrierea veche ebraică, care nu era vocalizată, termenul pentru pat, m(i)tt(a)h, se scria la fel cu cel pentru toiag, m(a)tt(e)h; prin urmare, termenul original putea fi atât cel pentru pat, cât şi cel pentru toiag
- Evrei 11:29 În textul ebraic la care face referire versetul avem: Yam Suf (lit.: Marea Trestiilor sau, mai probabil, Marea Algelor). Denumirea de Marea Roşie a fost introdusă în traducerile moderne prin LXX şi VUL; în VT însă sintagma ebraică denumea actualul Golf Aqaba, la sud de Elat. Chiar şi astăzi Golful Aqaba este numit de localnici Yam Suf; vezi 1 Regi 9:26
- Evrei 11:37 Unele mss conţin şi: au fost puşi la încercare
Hebrews 11
New Catholic Bible
The People of Faith[a]
Chapter 11
What Faith Is. 1 Faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the conviction about things that cannot be seen.[b] 2 Indeed, it was because of it that our ancestors were commended.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen came into being from the invisible.
The Faith of the Early Patriarchs.[c] 4 By faith Abel[d] offered to God a better sacrifice than that of Cain. Because of this he was attested as righteous, God himself bearing witness to his gifts. Although he is dead, he continues to speak through it.
5 By faith Enoch[e] was taken up so that he did not see death. He was found no more, because God had taken him, and before he was taken up he was attested to have pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
7 By faith Noah,[f] having been warned by God about things not yet seen, took heed and built an ark to save his household. Through his faith he condemned the world and inherited the righteousness that derives from faith.
The Faith of Abraham and His Descendants. 8 By faith Abraham[g] obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went forth without knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to a city with firm foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith Abraham also received the power of procreation, even though he was well past the age—and Sarah herself was barren[h]—because he believed that the one who had made the promise would be faithful in fulfilling it. 12 Therefore, from one man, himself as good as dead, came forth descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and as innumerable as the grains of sand on the seashore.
13 All these died in faith without having received what had been promised, but from a distance they saw far ahead how those promises would be fulfilled and welcomed them, and acknowledged themselves to be strangers and foreigners on the earth. 14 People who speak in this way make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had the opportunity to return. 16 But in fact they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17 By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, 18 of whom he had been told, “Through Isaac descendants shall bear your name.” 19 For he reasoned that God was able even to raise someone from the dead, and in a sense he was given back Isaac from the dead.[i] 20 By faith Isaac[j] gave his blessings to Jacob and Esau for the future.
21 By faith Jacob,[k] as he was dying, blessed each one of the sons of Joseph and bowed in worship, leaning on his staff.
22 By faith Joseph,[l] near the end of his life, mentioned the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.
23 By faith Moses[m] was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they did not fear the king’s edict.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He preferred to be ill-treated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered that abuse suffered for the sake of the Messiah was a more precious gift than all the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the final reward.
27 By faith Moses departed from Egypt, unafraid of the wrath of the king; he persevered as if he could see the one who is invisible.
28 By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the Destroyer would not harm the firstborn of Israel.
29 The Faith of the Israelites and Rahab. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as though it were dry land. However, when the Egyptians attempted to do so, they were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho[n] fell when the people had marched around them for seven days.
31 By faith Rahab[o] the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, for she had received the spies in peace.
32 The Faith of the Judges and Prophets. What more shall I say? Time is too short for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the Prophets,[p] 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and obtained the promises. They closed the mouths of lions,[q] 34 quenched raging fires,[r] and escaped the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned into strength as they became mighty in battle and put foreign armies to flight.
35 Women received their dead[s] back through resurrection. Others who were tortured refused to accept release in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others were mocked and scourged, even to the point of enduring chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned,[t] or sawed in two, or put to death by the sword. They went about in skins of sheep or goats—destitute, persecuted, and tormented. 38 The world was not worthy of them. They wandered about in desert areas and on mountains, and they lived in dens and caves of the earth.
39 Yet all these, even though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised. 40 For God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to achieve perfection except with us.[u]
Footnotes
- Hebrews 11:1 Before exhorting his readers to serve Christ, the author shows the importance and power of faith throughout sacred history. This is a magnificent chapter of Biblical theology that should inspire the courage of believers and urge them to read the Old Testament in order to give new vigor to the impulse of faith.
- Hebrews 11:1 Theologians have often cited this sentence. Faith establishes human beings in the invisible and orients them toward the future, toward the fulfillment. The spiritual writer Charles Péguy affirmed: “The faith that I love most, says God, is hope.”
- Hebrews 11:4 Christian faith has firm roots in the Old Testament. Note v. 6, in which theologians have seen an assertion of the irreplaceable necessity of faith for salvation: the belief that God exists and has a personal relationship with human beings. The references to Biblical personages and the Old Testament citations are mainly from the Book of Genesis, from Exodus when speaking of Moses, and from Joshua and the following Books when speaking of the others. But the author adds non-Biblical details, such as the fate that legend attributed to Isaiah (v. 37). A similar list of heroes is found in Sirach (44:1—50:21).
- Hebrews 11:4 Abel: see Gen 4:1-15. Christ himself referred to the righteousness of Abel (see Mt 23:35).
- Hebrews 11:5 Enoch: see note on Gen 4:25—5:32 (last paragraph).
- Hebrews 11:7 Noah: see Gen 5:28—9:29; Ezek 14:14.
- Hebrews 11:8 Abraham: see Gen 11:27—25:11. The New Testament refers to this Patriarch as the exemplar of those who live by faith and as the father of all believers (see Rom 4:11f, 16; Gal 3:7, 9, 29).
- Hebrews 11:11 Sarah herself was barren: probably refers to the fact that she was past the age of childbearing (see Gen 18:11f).
- Hebrews 11:19 Isaac, who was to be sacrificed, was saved and came back from the dead, so to speak (see Gen 22); in this respect, he prefigured Jesus crucified and risen.
- Hebrews 11:20 Isaac: see Gen 27:1—28:5.
- Hebrews 11:21 Jacob: see Gen 47:28—49:33. Each one of the sons: both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, received a blessing from Jacob; hence two tribes descended from Joseph whereas only one tribe descended from each of his brothers.
- Hebrews 11:22 Joseph: see Gen 37:1—50:26.
- Hebrews 11:23 Moses: see Ex 1–15; Acts 7:17-36.
- Hebrews 11:30 Jericho: see Jos 6. The Israelites did not conquer the city through military action but merely followed God’s instructions in faith (see 2 Cor 10:4).
- Hebrews 11:31 Rahab: see Jos 2:1-24; 6:22-25; Mt 1:5; Jas 2:25.
- Hebrews 11:32 All those mentioned in this verse held positions of power (Judges, Prophets, and one King), but none is praised for anything but faith in God. They are given in pairs and out of chronological order, with the more important person mentioned first. Gideon: see Jdg 6–9; Barak: see Jdg 4–5. Samson: see Jdg 13–16; Jephthah: see Jdg 11–12. David: King (see 1 Sam 13:14; 16:1, 12; Acts 13:22) and Prophet (see Heb 4:7; 2 Sam 23:1-3; Mk 12:36); Samuel and the Prophets: Samuel was the last of the Judges and the first of the Prophets (see 1 Sam 7:15; Acts 3:24; 13:20); he anointed David as King (see 1 Sam 16:13) and was renowned as a man of intercessory prayer (see 1 Sam 12:19, 23; Jer 15:1).
- Hebrews 11:33 Mouths of lions: e.g., Daniel in the lions’ den (see Dan 6).
- Hebrews 11:34 Quenched raging fires: e.g., Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the fiery furnace (see Dan 3).
- Hebrews 11:35 Their dead: allusion to the two miracles worked by Elijah and Elisha (1 Ki 17:23; 2 Ki 4:36). Tortured: e.g., the Maccabean patriots of the second century B.C. (see 2 Mac 7).
- Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned: e.g., Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who was put to death for stating the truth (see 2 Chr 24:20-22; Lk 11:51). Sawed in two: an ancient Jewish tradition said that Isaiah was killed in this way by order of King Manasseh.
- Hebrews 11:40 The saints of the Old Testament were able to reach the perfection of life with God only through Christ, who is “the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25f).
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Nouă Traducere În Limba Română (Holy Bible, New Romanian Translation) Copyright © 2006 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
