Hebrews 11:15

Hebrews 11:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
• New International Version (NIV)If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

Context of Hebrews 11:15

13These 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. 14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

Hebrews 11:15 word by word

καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἐξέβησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι·Read the interlinear

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• trulyμένmen · on the other handG3303
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• they had been mindfulμνημονεύωmnēmoneuō · to rememberG3421
• of thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• whenceὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• they came outἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• they might have hadἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• ·ἄνan · ifG302
• opportunityκαιρόςkairos · time/right timeG2540
• to have returnedἀνακάμπτωanakamptō · to returnG344

Cross-references for Hebrews 11:15

• Genesis 11:31And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
• Genesis 12:10And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.
• Genesis 24:6And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.
• Genesis 31:18And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan–aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
• Genesis 32:9And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yhwh which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

Commentaries on Hebrews 11:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15If they had been mindful of that country - They considered their right to the promises of God as dependent on their utter renunciation of Chaldea; and it was this that induced Abraham to cause his steward Eliezer to swear that he would not carry his son Isaac to Chaldea; see Genesis 24:5-8. There idolatry reigned; and God had called them to be the patriarchs and progenitors of a people among whom the knowledge of the true God, and the worship required by…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15And truly if they had been mindful of that country … - If they had remembered it with sufficient interest and affection to have made them desirous to return. They might have had opportunity to have returned - The journey was not so long or perilous that they could not have retraced their steps. It would have been no more difficult or dangerous for them to do that than it was to make the journey at first. This shows that their remaining as strangers and…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. 14-16Abraham's family clearly did not want to return to their homeland. If they did, they could have gone back. Their faith showed they longed for a better place. They hoped in God, who rewarded their faith by preparing a heavenly city for them.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 11:15

• Backsliders
• Faith
• Immortality
• Obedience
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Builder
• Conceive
• Confess
• Cruel
• Faith
• Immortality
• Impossible
• Proper
• Rewarder
• Trial

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