EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Hebrews 11:16
16No, they wanted very much to go to a better place, in heaven. For that reason, God is not ashamed for them to call him their God. He has already prepared a city for them to live in.
Hebrews 11:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
- New International Version (NIV)Instead, 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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Context of Hebrews 11:16
14People who live in that way show that they expect to live somewhere else one day. That is the place where they will really be at home. 15They were not thinking about the country that they had left. They could have gone back there if they really wanted to. No, they wanted very much to go to a better place, in heaven. For that reason, God is not ashamed for them to call him their God. He has already prepared a city for them to live in. 17Here is another example of Abraham's faith. God wanted to see whether Abraham really trusted him. Because Abraham believed God, he offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. God had promised Abraham that he would have many grandchildren. But Abraham was still ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice. 18God had said to Abraham, ‘It is through Isaac that your family will continue.’
Read all of Hebrews 11Hebrews 11:16 word by word
νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐπουρανίου· διὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς θεὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι αὐτῶν· ἡτοίμασεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- nowνυνίnuni · nowG3570
- they desireὀρέγωoregomai · to aspireG3713
- a betterκρείττωνkreittōn · strongerG2909
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- an heavenlyἐπουράνιοςepouranios · heavenlyG2032
- whereforeδιόdio · thereforeG1352
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- isἐπαισχύνομαιepaischunomai · be ashamed ofG1870
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- to be calledἐπικαλέωepikaleomai · to call (on)/nameG1941
- forγάρgar · forG1063
- he hath preparedἑτοιμάζωhetoimazō · to make readyG2090
- a cityπόλιςpolis · cityG4172
Cross-references for Hebrews 11:16
- Hebrews 11:14People who live in that way show that they expect to live somewhere else one day. That is the place where they will really be at home.
- Hebrews 12:22But as believers in Christ, you have not come to God in that way. You have come to Mount Zion. You have come to the city of the true God who lives. You have come to the city of Jerusalem that is in heaven. There are many thousands of happy angels all together in that place.
- Hebrews 2:11Jesus is the one who makes people clean in front of God. Jesus himself and all the people that he makes clean have the same Father. So Jesus is not ashamed to call all those people his brothers and sisters.
- Genesis 17:7My covenant with you is very strong. I am making it with you and with your descendants. It will continue for generation after generation of your descendants, for all time. I will be your God. I will also be the God of all your descendants.
- Exodus 3:6Then God said, ‘I am the God that your father worshipped. I am also the God of your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Then Moses covered his face. He was afraid to look at God.
- Isaiah 41:8‘But you, Israel, are my servant. Yes, I have chosen you, descendants of Jacob. You are descendants of my friend, Abraham.
- Jeremiah 31:1The Lord says this: ‘When that time comes, I will be the God of every family in Israel. And they will be my people.’
- Matthew 22:31It is true that one day dead people will become alive again. You have read in the Bible about what God said to you:
- Mark 12:26But God does make dead people alive again! You have read what Moses wrote about the bush in the wilderness. There, God said to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.”
- Luke 20:37It is true that God makes dead people become alive again. Moses showed us this in his report about the bush in the wilderness. He told us that our Lord God is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.
- Acts 7:32God said, “I am the God of your ancestors. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Moses was very frightened. He was too afraid to look at the bush any more.
- Hebrews 11:10We see that Abraham was waiting to live in God's special place. That is the city that God himself has built. God has made it very strong so that it will be there for ever.
- Hebrews 13:14Here on earth, we who are believers do not have a city that will always be our home. But we are waiting for God's city that will come.
- Matthew 25:34The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world.
- Luke 12:32You are only a small group of people, but do not be afraid. Your Father God has given his kingdom to you. He is happy to do that.
- Philippians 3:20But as for us, the home where we belong is in heaven. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ to come from there. He is the one who will come from heaven and save us.
Commentaries on Hebrews 11:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16But now they desire a better - They all expected spiritual blessings, and a heavenly inheritance; they sought God as their portion, and in such a way and on such principles that he is not ashamed to be called their God; and he shows his affection for them by preparing for them a city, to wit, heaven, as themselves would seek no city on earth; which is certainly what the apostle has here in view. And from this it is evident that the patriarchs had a proper…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly - That is, at the time referred to when they confessed that they were strangers and sojourners, they showed that they sought a better country than the one which they had left. They lived as if they had no expectation of a permanent residence on earth, and were looking to another world. The argument of the apostle here appears to be based upon what is apparent from the whole history, that they had…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 11:16
In the dictionaries
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
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