Hebrews 11:13

Hebrews 11:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
• New International Version (NIV)All 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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
• New King James Version (NKJV)These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

Context of Hebrews 11:13

11It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. 12And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them. All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back.

Hebrews 11:13 word by word

Κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀλλὰ πόρρωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• diedἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
• inκατάkata · according toG2596
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• notμήmē · notG3361
• having receivedλαμβάνωlambanō · to takeG2983
• the promisesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the promisesἐπαγγελίαepaggelia · promiseG1860
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• having seenὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• afar offπόρρωθενporrhōthen · afar offG4207
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• were persuaded ofπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
• embracedἀσπάζομαιaspazomai · to pay respects toG782
• confessedὁμολογέωhomologeō · to confess/professG3670
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• they wereεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• strangersξένοςxenos · foreignG3581
• pilgrimsπαρεπίδημοςparepidēmos · strangerG3927
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:13

• Genesis 25:8and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death.
• Genesis 27:2“I am an old man now,” Isaac said, “and I don’t know when I may die.
• Genesis 48:21Then Jacob said to Joseph, “Look, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will take you back to Canaan, the land of your ancestors.
• Genesis 49:18I trust in you for salvation, O Lord!
• Genesis 50:24“Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
• Hebrews 11:39All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
• Hebrews 11:27It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
• Genesis 49:10The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor.
• Numbers 24:17I see him, but not here and now. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the heads of Moab’s people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
• Job 19:25“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last.
• John 8:56Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”
• John 12:41Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.
• 1 Peter 1:10This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you.
• Romans 4:21He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.
• Romans 8:24We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it.
• 1 John 3:19Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13These all died in faith - That is, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, continued to believe, to the end of their lives, that God would fulfill this promise; but they neither saw the numerous seed, nor did they get the promised rest in Canaan. Strangers and pilgrims - Strangers, , persons who are out of their own country, who are in a foreign land: pilgrims, , sojourners only for a time; not intending to take up their abode in that place, nor to get…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13These all died in faith - That is, those who had been just mentioned - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Sarah. It was true of Abel and Noah also that they died in faith, but they are not included in “this” declaration, for the “promises” were not particularly entrusted to them, and if the word “these” be made to include them it must include Enoch also, who did not die at all. The phrase used here, “these all died in faith,” does not mean that they died in the…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. 13Abraham’s family lived in the promised land as foreigners and wanderers (see Genesis 23:4; compare 1 Chronicles 29:15; Psalm 39:12; 1 Peter 2:11).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 11:13

• Death
• Faith
• Immortality
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Builder
• Conceive
• Confess
• Cruel
• Faith
• Hebrew
• Immortality
• 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