Hebrews 11:15

Hebrews 11:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
• New International Version (NIV)If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

Context of Hebrews 11:15

13These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth. 14Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. 16But they now desire a better place — a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son,

Hebrews 11:15 word by word

καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἐξέβησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• trulyμένmen · on the other handG3303
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• they had been mindfulμνημονεύωmnēmoneuō · to rememberG3421
• of thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• whenceὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they came outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• they might have hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• opportunityκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
• to have returnedἀνακάμπτωanakamptō · to returnG344

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:15

• Genesis 11:31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (Haran’s son), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, his son Abram’s wife, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to the land of Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.
• Genesis 12:10There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.
• Genesis 24:6Abraham answered him, “Make sure that you don’t take my son back there.
• Genesis 31:18He took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of Canaan, to his father Isaac.
• Genesis 32:9Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,’

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15If they had been mindful of that country - They considered their right to the promises of God as dependent on their utter renunciation of Chaldea; and it was this that induced Abraham to cause his steward Eliezer to swear that he would not carry his son Isaac to Chaldea; see Genesis 24:5-8. There idolatry reigned; and God had called them to be the patriarchs and progenitors of a people among whom the knowledge of the true God, and the worship required by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And truly if they had been mindful of that country … - If they had remembered it with sufficient interest and affection to have made them desirous to return. They might have had opportunity to have returned - The journey was not so long or perilous that they could not have retraced their steps. It would have been no more difficult or dangerous for them to do that than it was to make the journey at first. This shows that their remaining as strangers and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-19Verses 8-19 We are often called to leave worldly connexions, interests, and comforts. If heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall obey and go forth, though not knowing what may befall us; and we shall be found in the way of duty, looking for the performance of God's promises. The trial of Abraham's faith was, that he simply and fully obeyed the call of God. Sarah received the promise as the promise of God; being convinced of that, she truly judged that he both…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16Abraham's family clearly did not want to return to their homeland. If they did, they could have gone back. Their faith showed they longed for a better place. They hoped in God, who rewarded their faith by preparing a heavenly city for them.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1613-16. Summary of the characteristic excellencies of the patriarchs' faith died in faith--died as believers, waiting for, not actually seeing as yet their good things promised to them. They were true to this principle of faith even unto, and especially in, their dying hour (compare He 11:20). These all--beginning with "Abraham" (He 11:8), to whom the promises were made (Ga 3:16), and who is alluded to in the end of He 11:13 and in He 11:15 [Bengel and…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 11:15

• Backsliders
• Faith
• Immortality
• Obedience
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

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

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