Focused Passage

Hebrews 11:17-22

Faith That Sees the Unseen and Endures for the Promise

Hebrews 11 defines faith as confident trust in God's promised unseen realities and then displays that faith through the lives of those who obeyed, endured, suffered, and died still looking for God's better fulfillment.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac on the altar. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his one and only son,

18even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death.

20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 17

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularAbrahamἈβραὰμG11Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwhen he was testedπειραζόμενοςG3985Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singularoffered upπροσενήνοχενG4374Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularIsaac [ on the altar ]ἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionHe whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularhad receivedἀναδεξάμενοςG324Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine SingulartheτὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluralpromisesἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralwas ready to offerπροσέφερενG4374Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[his]τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singularone and only sonμονογενῆG3439Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or only begotten son or unique son
Verse 18

Original words

even thoughπρὸςG4314Preposition[God] had saidἐλαλήθηG2980Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singularto himὃνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionThroughἘνG1722PrepositionIsaacἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Dative Masculine SingularyourσοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularoffspringσπέρμαG4690Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularwill be reckonedκληθήσεταίG2564Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular

BSB notes

  • Genesis 21:12
Verse 19

Original words

[Abraham] reasonedλογισάμενοςG3049Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine SingularthatὅτιG3754Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεόςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularcouldδυνατὸςG1415Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularraiseἐγείρεινG1453Verb - Present Infinitive Active-καὶG2532Conjunction-ἐκG1537Preposition[the] deadνεκρῶνG3498Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural[and] inἐνG1722Prepositiona senseπαραβολῇG3850Noun - Dative Feminine Singularhe did receiveἐκομίσατοG2865Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular[Isaac]αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularbackκαὶG2532Conjunctionfrom [death]ὅθενG3606Adverb
Verse 20

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionIsaacἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularblessedεὐλόγησενG2127Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularJacobἸακὼβG2384Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularEsauἨσαῦG2269Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularconcerningπερὶG4012Prepositionthe futureμελλόντωνG3195Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural
Verse 21

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularJacobἸακὼβG2384Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwhen he was dyingἀποθνῄσκωνG599Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularblessedεὐλόγησενG2127Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulareachἕκαστονG1538Adjective - Accusative Masculine SingularofτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralJoseph’sἸωσὴφG2501Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularsonsυἱῶνG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionworshipedπροσεκύνησενG4352Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[as he leaned] onἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingulartopἄκρονG206Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularofτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularstaffῥάβδουG4464Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularJosephἸωσὴφG2501Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwhen his end was nearτελευτῶνG5053Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularspoke aboutἐμνημόνευσενG3421Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .περὶG4012PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularexodusἐξόδουG1841Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralvvvυἱῶνG5207Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralIsraelitesἸσραὴλG2474Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctiongave instructionsἐνετείλατοG1781Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularaboutπερὶG4012PrepositionhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralbonesὀστέωνG3747Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.