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

Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. 2God accepted our ancestors because of their faith. 3Faith convinces us that God created the world through his word. This means what can be seen was made by something that could not be seen.

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 died having faith. They didn’t receive the things that God had promised them, but they saw these things coming in the distant future and rejoiced. They acknowledged that they were living as strangers with no permanent home on earth.
• Hebrews 10:22We have been sprinkled ⌞with his blood⌟ to free us from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with clean water. So we must continue to come ⌞to him⌟ with a sincere heart and strong faith.
• Acts 20:21I warned Jews and Greeks to change the way they think and act and to believe in our Lord Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 13:13So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love.
• Galatians 5:6As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.
• 1 Peter 1:7The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.
• 2 Peter 1:1From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have obtained a faith that is as valuable as ours, a faith based on the approval that comes from our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
• Psalms 27:13I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in this world of the living.
• Psalms 42:11Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise him. He is my savior and my God.
• Hebrews 2:3So how will we escape punishment if we reject the important message, the message that God saved us? First, the Lord told this saving message. Then those who heard him confirmed that message.
• Hebrews 3:14After all, we will remain Christ’s partners only if we continue to hold on to our original confidence until the end.
• 2 Corinthians 9:4Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me, they might find out that you’re not ready after all. This would embarrass us for feeling so confident as much as it would embarrass you.
• 2 Corinthians 11:17What I say as I start bragging is foolishness. It’s not something I would say if I were speaking for the Lord.
• Hebrews 6:12Then, instead of being lazy, you will imitate those who are receiving the promises through faith and patience.
• Hebrews 11:7Faith led Noah to listen when God warned him about the things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a ship to save his family. Through faith Noah condemned the world and received God’s approval that comes through faith.
• Romans 8:24We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen?

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