English Standard Version
Hebrews 11:20
20By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.
Hebrews 11:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
- New International Version (NIV)By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
- New King James Version (NKJV)By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
- New Living Translation (NLT)It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.
Context of Hebrews 11:20
18of whom it was said, "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." 19He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.
Read all of Hebrews 11Hebrews 11:20 word by word
Πίστει καὶ περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἠσαῦ.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Hebrews 11:20
- Genesis 27:27So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
- Genesis 28:2Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother.
Commentaries on Hebrews 11:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau - He believed that God would fulfill his promise to his posterity; and God gave him to see what would befall them in their future generations. The apostle does not seem to intimate that one should be an object of the Divine hatred, and the other of Divine love, in reference to their eternal states. This is wholly a discovery of later ages. For an ample consideration of this subject, see the notes on Genesis 27 (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come - see Genesis 27:26-40. The meaning is, that he pronounced a blessing on them in respect to their future condition. This was by faith in God who had communicated it to him, and in full confidence that he would accomplish all that was here predicted. The act of faith here was simply what believes that all that God says is true. There were no human probabilities at the time when these prophetic…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-31Verses 20-31 Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning things to come. Things present are not the best things; no man knoweth love or hatred by having them or wanting them. Jacob lived by faith, and he died by faith, and in faith. Though the grace of faith is of use always through our whole lives, it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has a great work to do at last, to help the believer to die to the Lord, so as to honour him, by patience, hope…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20Isaac blessed: See Genesis 27:27–40. The only part of the story that could be seen as a blessing for Esau is that he would eventually break free from serving his brother. Later, Esau received blessings through Jacob's wealth (Genesis 33:8–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Jacob is put before Esau, as heir of the chief, namely, the spiritual blessing. concerning things to come--Greek, "even concerning things to come": not only concerning things present. Isaac, by faith, assigned to his sons things future, as if they were present.Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 11:20
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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