Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• New International Version (NIV)Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Context of Hebrews 11:1

This is what it means to trust God: We will be sure about the things that we hope for. We will be sure in our minds about things that we cannot even see. 2It was because of their faith that God said good things about the people of long ago. 3Because of faith, we understand about how God made the universe. He spoke his word to make it happen. In that way, God made all the things that we can see. He made them from things that nobody could see.

Hebrews 11:1 word by word

Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the substanceὑπόστασιςhupostasis · confidence/essenceG5287
• of things hoped forἐλπίζωelpizō · to hope/expectG1679
• the evidenceἔλεγχοςelegchos · rebukeG1650
• of thingsπρᾶγμαpragma · thingG4229
• notοὐou · noG3756
• seenβλέπωblepō · to seeG991

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:1

• Hebrews 11:13All these people continued to believe God until they died. But they did not receive all the things that God had promised to give them. They were like people who saw those things far away. That made them happy. These people understood that they lived as strangers and travellers on the earth.
• Hebrews 10:22So we should come near to God and we should not be afraid. But we must be honest and we must continue to trust him. He has made us clean from the dirt of our sins. Our thoughts no longer give us trouble about our sins. We have become clean. It is like he has washed our bodies with clean water.
• Acts 20:21I have taught the same things both to Jewish people and to Gentiles. I have said clearly to them all, “You must stop doing wrong things. Change the way that you live and turn to God. Believe in our Lord Jesus.”
• 1 Corinthians 13:13At this time there are three things that continue. We continue to trust God. We continue to hope for his good things. We continue to love other people. But the most important of these things is love.
• Galatians 5:6We belong to Christ Jesus. So it does not matter whether anyone has circumcised us or not. The only thing that matters is that we believe in Christ. As a result we will love others in the way that we live.
• 1 Peter 1:7The purpose of these troubles is to show whether you really trust God. When you believe in Jesus, that is more valuable even than gold. People put gold into a hot fire to see if it is really good. And even gold will come to an end one day. But if you continue to trust God in your troubles, he will be very happy. On the day when Jesus Christ returns and appears to everyone, God will praise you. He will say that you have done well. That will be great!
• 2 Peter 1:1This letter is from me, Simon Peter. I am Jesus Christ's servant and his apostle. I am writing to you people who believe in Jesus Christ, as we do. That is a valuable gift that God has given to us all. He has done this because Jesus is completely good and right. Jesus is the one who saves us. He is the God that we serve.
• Psalms 27:13But I surely believe that I will see how good the Lord is! I will know his love while I still live in this world.
• Psalms 42:11I ask myself again, ‘Why am I so sad and upset?’ I must wait patiently for God to help me. Then I will praise my God once again, because he is the one who saves me.
• Hebrews 2:3As for us, God has shown us the way that he will save us from our sins. So we must not forget God's message about his great way to save us. If we do, he will certainly punish us. The Lord Jesus himself first spoke that message about how God would save people. Then the people who heard Jesus told the message to us. That is how we know that it is true.
• Hebrews 3:14We must continue to trust Christ very well, as we did when we first believed in him. We must continue to trust him until the end of our lives. Then we will share in everything that is his.
• 2 Corinthians 9:4Perhaps some believers from Macedonia might come with me. If you are not ready when we come, we would be ashamed. We would be ashamed because we trusted you. And I think that you would be ashamed as well!
• 2 Corinthians 11:17When I say good things about myself like this, it is not how the Lord would talk. No, these are the words of a fool.
• Hebrews 6:12Then you will not be slow to learn. Instead, you will copy the example of those people who continue to trust God. They continue to be patient when trouble happens to them. People like that receive what God has promised to his people.
• Hebrews 11:7Noah believed God too. God told Noah about bad things that would happen. Nobody could see what would happen, but Noah believed God's message. He was careful to do exactly what God told him. He built a large ship to save his family. As a result of his faith, Noah showed that everyone else in the world was wrong. Noah himself became one of those people that God accepted as right with him. They are right with God because they trust him.
• Romans 8:24Ever since God saved us, we have continued to wait for this to happen. One day, we will receive what we have hoped for. Then we will not need to hope for it any more. Nobody continues to hope for something that he has already.

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Faith is the substance of things hoped for - ̔· Faith is the Subsistence of things hoped for; · The Demonstration of things not seen. The word ̔, which we translate substance, signifies subsistence, that which becomes a foundation for another thing to stand on. And signifies such a conviction as is produced in the mind by the demonstration of a problem, after which demonstration no doubt can remain, because we see from it that the thing is; that it cannot…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for - On the general nature of faith, see the notes on Mark 16:16. The margin here is, “ground or confidence.” There is scarcely any verse of the New Testament more important than this, for it states what is the nature of all true faith, and is the only definition of it which is attempted in the Scriptures. Eternal life depends on the existence and exercise of faith Mark 16:16, and hence, the importance of an…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The nature and power of faith described. (1-3) It is set forth by instances from Abel to Noah. (4-7) By Abraham and his descendants. (8-19) By Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the Israelites, and Rahab. (20-31) By other Old Testament believers. (32-38) The better state of believers under the gospel. (39-40) Verses 1-3 Faith always has been the mark of God's servants, from the beginning of the world. Where the principle is planted by the regenerating Spirit of God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Before sharing examples, the author explains faith: It means acting on what God has shown about his will and character. Our faith is based on the reality that God keeps his promises.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-40Examples from the Old Covenant for Our Perseverance in Faith. 1. Description of the great things which faith (in its widest sense: not here restricted to faith in the Gospel sense) does for us. Not a full definition of faith in its whole nature, but a description of its great characteristics in relation to the subject of Paul's exhortation here, namely, to perseverance. substance, &c.--It substantiates promises of God which we hope for, as future in…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 11:1

• Faith
• Hope

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