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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Context of Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

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 were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
• Hebrews 10:22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
• Acts 20:21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
• 1 Corinthians 13:13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
• 1 Peter 1:7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
• 2 Peter 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
• Psalms 27:13I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
• Psalms 42:11Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
• Hebrews 2:3how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him.
• Hebrews 3:14We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.
• 2 Corinthians 9:4For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.
• 2 Corinthians 11:17In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.
• Hebrews 6:12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
• Hebrews 11:7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
• Romans 8:24For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?

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