Hebrews 11:39

Hebrews 11:39 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
• New International Version (NIV)These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,
• English Standard Version (ESV)And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
• New King James Version (NKJV)And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,

Context of Hebrews 11:39

37They were stoned [to death], they were sawn in two, they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith], they were put to death by the sword; they went about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated 38(people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and [living in] caves and holes in the ground. And all of these, though they gained [divine] approval through their faith, did not receive [the fulfillment of] what was promised, 40because God had us in mind and had something better for us, so that they [these men and women of authentic faith] would not be made perfect [that is, completed in Him] apart from us.

Hebrews 11:39 word by word

Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίανRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·καίkai · andG2532
• theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• having obtained a good reportμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• throughδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• faithὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• receivedκομίζωkolumbaō · to bring/be repaidG2865
• notοὐou · noG3756
• the promiseἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:39

• Hebrews 11:2For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.
• Luke 10:23Then turning to His disciples, Jesus said privately, “Blessed [joyful, spiritually enlightened, and favored by God] are the eyes which see what you see,
• 1 Peter 1:12It was revealed to them that their services [their prophecies regarding grace] were not [meant] for themselves and their time, but for you, in these things [the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ] which have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the [power of the] Holy Spirit [who was] sent from heaven. Into these things even the angels long to look.

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:39

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 39Having obtained a good report (having been witnessed to; see Hebrews 11:2;) through faith - It was faith in God which supported all those eminent men who, in different parts of the world, and in different ages, were persecuted for righteousness sake. Received not the promise - They all heard of the promises made to Abraham of a heavenly rest, and of the promise of the Messiah, for this was a constant tradition; but they died without having seen this…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith - They were all commended and approved on account of their confidence in God; see the notes on Hebrews 11:2. Received not the promise - That is, did not receive the fulfillment of the promise; or did not receive all that was promised. They all still looked forward to some future blessings; notes, Hebrews 11:13.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 39-40Verses 39-40 The world considers that the righteous are not worthy to live in the world, and God declares the world is not worthy of them. Though the righteous and the worldlings widely differ in their judgment, they agree in this, it is not fit that good men should have their rest in this world. Therefore God receives them out of it. The apostle tells the Hebrews, that God had provided some better things for them, therefore they might be sure that he…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 39-40The way to live as God’s people under the new covenant is the same way people lived under the old covenant: by trusting God’s promises and enduring difficulties in this world. commended for their faith: God recognized their faithfulness (see also Hebrews 11:2). yet they did not receive what was promised: They died before Christ's promised coming. The better promise began with Christ's sacrifice (8:3–10:18) and looks forward to the future completion of…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3939. having obtained a good report--Greek, "being borne witness of." Though they were so, yet "they received not the promise," that is, the final completion of "salvation" promised at Christ's coming again (He 9:28); "the eternal inheritance" (He 9:15). Abraham did obtain the very thing promised (He 6:15) in part, namely, blessedness in soul after death, by virtue of faith in Christ about to come. The full blessedness of body and soul shall not be till the…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 11:39

• Faith

In the dictionaries

• Builder
• Conceive
• Confess
• Cruel
• Faith
• Impossible
• Proper
• Rewarder
• Trial
• Wander

Commentaries on Hebrews 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings