Hebrews 11:8

Hebrews 11:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
• New International Version (NIV)By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
• English Standard Version (ESV)By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
• New King James Version (NKJV)By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Context of Hebrews 11:8

6No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 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. Faith led Abraham to obey when God called him to go to a place that he would receive as an inheritance. Abraham left his own country without knowing where he was going. 9Faith led Abraham to live as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. 10Abraham was waiting for the city that God had designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.

Hebrews 11:8 word by word

Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τόπον ὃν ἤμελλεν λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• By faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• AbrahamἈβραάμAbraam · AbrahamG11
• when he was calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• to go outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• a placeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• a placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he should afterμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• receiveλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• an inheritanceκληρονομίαklēronomia · inheritanceG2817
• obeyedὑπακούωhupakouō · to obeyG5219
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• notμήmē · notG3361
• knowingἐπίσταμαιepistamai · to know/understandG1987
• whitherποῦpou · where?G4226
• he wentἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:8

• Genesis 11:31Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot (son of Haran), and his daughter-in-law Sarai, wife of his son Abram. They set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. When they came as far as Haran, they stayed there.
• Genesis 12:1The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your relatives, and your father’s home. Go to the land that I will show you.
• Joshua 24:3But I took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the Euphrates River. I led him through all of Canaan and gave him many descendants. I also gave him Isaac.
• Nehemiah 9:7You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and took him from Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
• Isaiah 41:2“Who has raised up from the east someone to whom the Lord gives victory with every step he takes? Nations are handed over to him. He defeats kings. With his sword he turns them into dust. With his bow he turns them into straw blown by the wind.
• Isaiah 51:2Look to Abraham, your ancestor, and to Sarah, from whom you are descended. When I called Abraham, he was childless. I blessed him and gave him many descendants.
• Acts 7:2Stephen answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God who reveals his glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia. This happened before Abraham lived in Haran.
• Genesis 12:7Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I’m going to give this land to your descendants.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
• Genesis 13:15I will give all the land you see to you and to your descendants for an indefinite period of time.
• Genesis 15:7Then the Lord said to him, “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land so that you will take possession of it.”
• Genesis 17:8I am also giving this land where you are living—all of Canaan—to you and your descendants as your permanent possession. And I will be your God.”
• Genesis 26:3Live here in this land for a while, and I will be with you and bless you. I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will keep the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.
• Deuteronomy 9:5It’s not because you’ve been living right or because you’re so honest that you’re entering to take possession of their land. It’s because these people are so wicked that the Lord your God is forcing them out of your way. It’s also because the Lord wants to confirm the promise he swore to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• Psalms 105:9the promise that he made to Abraham, and his sworn oath to Isaac.
• Ezekiel 36:24“ ‘I will take you from the nations and gather you from every country. I will bring you back to your own land.
• Hebrews 11:33Through faith they conquered kingdoms, did what God approved, and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions,

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8Abraham, when he was called - See on Genesis 12:1-4; (note). Not knowing whither he went - Therefore his obedience was the fullest proof of his faith in God, and his faith was an implicit faith; he obeyed, and went out from his own country, having no prospect of any good or success but what his implicit faith led him to expect from God, as the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. In all the preceding cases, and in all that follow, the apostle keeps…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8By faith Abraham - There is no difficulty in determining that Abraham was influenced by faith in God. The case is even stronger than that of Noah, for it is expressly declared, Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Compare notes, Romans 4:1-5. In the illustrations of the power of faith in this chapter, the apostle appeals to two instances in which it was exhibited by Abraham, “the father of the faithful.”…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. 8Abraham … obeyed: See Genesis 12:1–2. He acted without knowing his destination, trusting in what he could not yet see.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. From the antediluvian saints he passes to the patriarchs of Israel, to whom "the promises" belonged. called--by God (Ge 12:1). The oldest manuscripts and Vulgate read, "He that was called Abraham," his name being changed from Abram to Abraham, on the occasion of God's making with him and his seed a covenant sealed by circumcision, many years after his call out of Ur. "By faith, he who was (afterwards) called Abraham (father of nations, Ge 17:5, in…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 11:8

• Abraham
• Call
• Decision
• Faith
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Abraham
• Abraham, Abram
• Builder
• Conceive
• Confess
• Cruel
• Faith
• Impossible
• Proper
• Rewarder

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