3. These believers professed that it was not so with them, that this was not their rest; they did but wander about in the world for a season. Hebrews 11:13-16 New International Version (NIV) 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. "Commentary on Hebrews 11:13". This firm persuasion of the truth of God in the accomplishment of his promises unto us, upon a discovery of their worth and excellency, is the second act of faith, wherein the life of it doth principally consist. BibliographyHaldane, Robert. Scripture: Hebrews 11:13-16. Their faith failed them not, neither unto nor in their last moments. Embraced them - as though not "afar off," but within reach, so as to clasp them in their embrace. νῦν δὲ, “but as the case actually stands” (Hebrews 8:6, Hebrews 9:26; 1 Corinthians 15:20, etc.) And herein, on the part of God, his truth and veracity do represent themselves unto us, Titus 1:2. And seeing it succeeded so well with them, as the apostle in the next verses declares, it is an eminent encouragement unto us to abide in the profession of the faith of the gospel, notwithstanding all difficulties, oppositions, and persecutions that we meet withal; we having already received that great privilege whereof they were only in the expectation. Cf. There is no doubt but that the apostle commends the faith of them spoken of, from its perseverance unto the end; as there is no faith genuine or accepted with God but what doth and will do so. aspazomai. kata. And of Abraham it is said expressly, that he did receive the promises, verse 17; as also, that all other believers under the old testament did obtain them, verse 33. The second thing affirmed of them is, that they “received not the promises.”. This week we look at Hebrews 11:13 … What profession they made thereon as unto all other things. And so it is well rendered, “in faith. "The Bible Study New Testament". 1862. in = according to. Only here, 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Peter 2:11. Hebrews 11:20). And were persuaded of them.—These words do not belong to the true text; and the word “embraced” should be rendered “greeted,” or “saluted.” We read, therefore: “Not having received the promises, but having seen and greeted them from far” (Genesis 49:18), “and having confessed that they were strangers and sojourners upon the earth” (Genesis 47:9; Genesis 23:4). Obs. [2.] "Commentary on Hebrews 11:13". 4 * By faith Abel offered to God a sacrifice greater than Cain’s. τῷ γὰρ ὄντι πᾶσα μὲν ψυχὴ σοφοῦ πατρίδα μὲν οὐρανὸν, ξένην δὲ γῆν ἔλαχεν. That they “died in faith.” That they lived by faith, he had before declared; and now he adds that so they died also. [4.] κατὰ πίστιν. ῾ομολογία is the “profession” that we make of our faith and hope, 2 Corinthians 9:13; 1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 10:23. The verses which follow are a comment on this. 2dly. And to confirm this persuasion, God, in infinite condescension, confirmed his promise and his truth therein unto Abraham with his oath, as the apostle at large declares, Hebrews 6:12-18. These all - beginning with "Abraham" (Hebrews 11:8): to whom the promises were made (Galatians 3:16 : cf. — For although we do enjoy the accomplishment of the great promise of the incarnation of the Son of God, yet the church continues still to live on promises, which in this world cannot be perfectly fulfilled. "Commentary on Hebrews 11:13". The life of faith doth eminently manifest itself in death, when all other reliefs and supportments do fail. The following sermon is going to review Hebrews 11:13-16 to show how important it is for God’s people to allow their future, eternal home to affect their inner faith and desire to become more like Jesus while exiled on this earth! This they knew, as unto the actual accomplishment of it, was yet at a great distance from them; howbeit they saw that of the divine wisdom, goodness, and grace in it, as was every way suited unto their satisfaction and reward. De Conf. In Hebrews 11, the word "faith" is a verb; it describes action. By Faith Abraham Offered Isaac as a Sacrifice (Hebrews 11:17-19) Hebrews 11:20 These all — Namely, Abraham and Sarah, with their children, Isaac and Jacob; died in faith — Believing that God would fulfil his promises; but not having received the promises — That is, the things promised, for which the word promises is here put by a usual metonymy. This was that “better thing which God provided for us” under the new testament, “that they without us should not be made perfect,” Hebrews 11:40. II. Faith prompts some kind of external activity that lets you and others know that your faith is real. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. — There are such still left unto us upon record, that are, it may be, afar off; such as those which concern the destruction of Antichrist, and the glory of the kingdom of Christ in the latter days. What must be our end upon the bed of death if we had nothing to look to but a God who is a consuming fire, with nothing but the bitter recollection of past sins to agonize the mind and distress the conscience? — Hebrews 11:13. THE great roll-call of heroes of faith in this grand chapter goes upon the supposition that the living spirit of religion was the same in Old and in New Testament times. 11. The world says (with Reverend Ike), “I want cash in the stash here and now, not pie in the sky when I die!” But, as C. S. Lewis observed (The Problem of … As verse 9 tells us, if we submit to the Father of our spirits, we will live. For the promises being made to Abraham personally, and to his immediate descendants, the apostle could not say of them that they died, not having received the promises; but he might justly say, they died not having received the things promised. Hebrews 11:13-16 (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. And, —, Obs. Lat., “salutantes.” Beza, “amplexi essent;” as we,(9) “embraced.” Syr., וחֲדִיו בֵהּ, “and rejoiced in it.”. "Commentary on Hebrews 11:13". We then embrace the promises, and promised blessings, when our hearts cleave to them with confidence, love, complacency, and delight, the never-failing fruit of faith in them. And were persuaded of them. These all.—The Apostle does not here refer to Abel, Enoch, and Noah; for Enoch did not die; and, not being mindful of that country from which they came out, is not applicable to Abel and Noah, but to Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, who all died in faith, holding fast the beginning of their confidence steadfast to the end. 1871-8. It is usually used in a religious sense of one who may have no settled habitation but knows where he is going. Thus the Patriarchs, when beholding at a distance, and through faith, their heavenly country, hailed it with joyous and repeated accents, eagerly desiring to reach the envied port. All the promises of God ultimately find their fulfilment in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20;). 1835. — κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες, καὶ πεισθέντες, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, καὶ ὁμολογήαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπί τῆς γῆς. The writer is, no doubt, referring to the words of Abraham when he stood up before the Hittites, and asked for a bit of ground to lay his Sarah in - ‘I am a stranger and a sojourner with you’; and also to Jacob’s words to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years.’ These utterances revealed the spirit in which they looked upon the settled order in the midst of which they dwelt, They felt that they were not of it, but belonged to another. Now faith is the substance: Just as our physical eyesight is the sense that gives us evidence of the material world, faithis the “sense” that gives us evidence of the invisible, spiritual world. THE great roll-call of heroes of faith in this grand chapter goes upon the supposition that the living spirit of religion was the same in Old and in New Testament times. Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges, Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, καὶ ὁμολογήαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπί τῆς γῆς, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament, Commentary by J.C.Philpot on select texts of the Bible, Haldane's Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans, Commentary Critical and Explanatory - Unabridged, Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible, Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. And because they thus proved that they were giving to God credit for meaning by His promises more than the letter indicated, because they measured His promises by the spirit of the promises rather than by the thing promised, He is not ashamed of them, not ashamed to be called their God; and the proof that He is not ashamed of them is, that He prepared for them a city. This was that better thing provided for us under the New Testament, that they without us should not be made perfect. [1.] And of this embracement of the promises, or of the Lord Christ in the promise, the Book of Canticles is a blessed exposition. Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct). And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth — That their interest, hopes, and enjoyments were not in this world, but in another which they expected. These People Were Still Living By Faith When They Died (Hebrews 11:13) Hebrews 11:14-16. [12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Introduction: Last week we learned about covenants, the old and new, our need for a priest and how Christ serves as our permanent high priest interceding on our behalf with the Father. 1 Chronicles 29:15; Psalms 39:12; Psalms 119:19; Psalms 119:54; also 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Peter 2:11. The original word denotes the affectionate salutations and embracings of friends after a long separation. The Son waits till the Father shall “send Him forth to triumph over all His foes.” He is now sitting at rest (Hebrews 10:12), invisibly reigning, and having His foes virtually, by right of His death, subject to Him. That’s “pie in the sky when you die”! Faith brought the glories of the better country to their view, and this dimmed the lustre of all earthly splendor, and worldly pursuits and enjoyments. "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged". 3 b By faith we understand that the universe was ordered by the word of God, * so that what is visible came into being through the invisible. 1st. Clarke's Hebrews 11:13 Bible Commentary These 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. Characteristic excellences of the patriarch's faith. They were true to faith even unto, and especially in, their dying hour (cf. O, if ever faith is needed, it will be needed then; if ever the gospel embraced, embraced then; if ever Christ looked to, looked to then; if ever laid hold of by the hand of faith, laid hold of then! BibliographyOwen, John. afar off = from afar. Being strangers and pilgrims (temporary dwellers), they did not expect to possess the land personally, but they never doubted that their descendants would according to the promises. What does Hebrews 11:13 mean? Hereon they thrust forth the arms of their love and affection to welcome, entertain, and embrace him who was promised. This further makes it evident that it is the things promised, and not the promises themselves, that are intended; for the promises were present with them, given unto them, and not afar off. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. And because this kind of salutation is usually expressed by stretching out the hands to receive and embrace that which is saluted, it is used also for “to embrace;” which is the most proper sense of it in this place. Hebrews 11:13 "These all died in faith." 'Whosoever professes he has a Father in heaven, confesses himself a stranger on earth; hence, there is in the heart an ardent longing, like that of a child among strangers, in want and grief, far from his fatherland' (Luther); "Like ships in seas, while in, above the world.'. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/znt/hebrews-11.html. False faith will then expire; but the faith of God"s elect will not leave you in the hour of death, but support you as you pass through the dark valley, and land you safe on that happy shore where faith is turned into sight, hope into enjoyment, and love abides in its fullest manifestation. (3.) And we may observe by the way, the impiety of many in our days, who even deride such a faith as hath the divine promises for its especial object, which it embraceth, mixeth itself withal, and produceth an affiance in God for their accomplishment unto themselves in whom it is. Î¼Î¿Ï á¼Î³Ï εἰμι, αἱ ἡμÎÏαι á¼
Ï ÏαÏοικῶ, not having received the promises, but having seen and greeted them from afar off. For they neither received the possession of Canaan before their death, nor the actual exhibition of Christ in the flesh, with the privileges granted to the church in consequence thereof, which the apostle had so fully set forth in the four preceding chapters. The acknowledgment, cheerful or sad, that such and such a land is not the home-country makes it manifest ( ἐμφανίζουσιν, John 14:21, Acts 23:15) that they think of and have in view and are making for a land which they can call their own. For had they only aspired and wished for the country of Chaldea, out of which Abraham came, they had time enough to have returned thither. It was no mere temporal and earthly promise on which the faith of these patriarchs was builded. ', On the earth - contrast with "an heavenly" country (Hebrews 11:16; Hebrews 10:34; Psalms 119:54; Philippians 3:20). This “promise,” or the thing promised, some expositors (as Grotius and his follower) take to be the land of Canaan, which these patriarchs possessed not. This is evident from what is affirmed of them in the ensuing verses 13-15. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 1. It is in death that the gospel is such a blessing when held by a believing hand. Hebrews 11:13 {R.V.} "George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary". The Expositor's Greek Testament. Obs. ΄ὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας. Died in faith means that their faith remained with them as long as they lived. Wherefore, this embracing of the promises is the heart’s cleaving to them with love, delight, and complacency; which if it be not a proper act of faith, yet is an inseparable fruit thereof. 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