Focused Passage

Hebrews 11:8-16

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

8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.

9By faith he dwelt in the promised land as a stranger in a foreign country. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.

10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

11By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.

12And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

13All these people died in faith, without having received the things they were promised. However, they saw them and welcomed them from afar. And they acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

14Now those who say such things show that they are seeking a country of their own.

15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

16Instead, they were longing for a better country, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularAbrahamἈβραὰμG11Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwhen calledκαλούμενοςG2564Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singularto goἐξελθεῖνG1831Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetoεἰςG1519Prepositiona placeτόπονG5117Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-ὃνG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singularhe would laterἤμελλενG3195Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularreceiveλαμβάνεινG2983Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveasεἰςG1519Preposition[his] inheritanceκληρονομίανG2817Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularobeyedὑπήκουσενG5219Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwentἐξῆλθενG1831Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularwithoutμὴG3361AdverbknowingἐπιστάμενοςG1987Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularwhereποῦG4226Adverbhe was goingἔρχεταιG2064Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 9

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine Singularhe dweltπαρῴκησενG3939Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularpromisedἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularlandγῆνG1093Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularas {a stranger}ὡςG5613Adverbin a foreign [country]ἀλλοτρίανG245Adjective - Accusative Feminine SingularHe livedκατοικήσαςG2730Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontentsσκηναῖςG4633Noun - Dative Feminine Pluralas didμετὰG3326PrepositionIsaacἸσαὰκG2464Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionJacobἸακὼβG2384Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularwho [were]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralheirs with himσυνκληρονόμωνG4789Adjective - Genitive Masculine Pluralof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularsameαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person SingularpromiseἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionhe was looking forward toἐξεδέχετοG1551Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingulartheτὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularcityπόλινG4172Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularwithἔχουσανG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Feminine Singular-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralfoundationsθεμελίουςG2310Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralwhoseἧςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine SingulararchitectτεχνίτηςG5079Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionbuilder [is]δημιουργὸςG1217Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεόςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Verse 11

Original words

By faithΠίστειG4102Noun - Dative Feminine SingularSarahΣάρρᾳG4564Noun - Dative Feminine Singulareven thoughκαὶG2532ConjunctionsheαὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singularwas barrenστεῖραG4723Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionbeyondπαρὰG3844Prepositionthe properκαιρὸνG2540Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularageἡλικίαςG2244Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwas enabledἔλαβενG2983Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .δύναμινG1411Noun - Accusative Feminine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositionconceiveκαταβολὴνG2602Noun - Accusative Feminine Singulara childσπέρματοςG4690Noun - Genitive Neuter SingularbecauseἐπεὶG1893Conjunctionshe consideredἡγήσατοG2233Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularHimτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularfaithfulπιστὸνG4103Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singularwho had promisedἐπαγγειλάμενονG1861Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

AndκαὶG2532ConjunctionsoδιὸG1352Conjunctionfromἀφ’G575Prepositionone manἑνὸςG1520Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionheταῦταG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Pluralas good as deadνενεκρωμένουG3499Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Singularcame descendantsἐγεννήθησανG1080Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person PluralasκαθὼςG2531Adverb-τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularnumerousπλήθειG4128Noun - Dative Neuter Singularas theτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralstarsἄστραG798Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralin theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularskyοὐρανοῦG3772Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularas countlessἀναρίθμητοςG382Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularasὡςG5613AdverbtheG3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularsandἄμμοςG285Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularonπαρὰG3844PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularseashoreχεῖλοςG5491Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular. . .τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singular. . .θαλάσσηςG2281Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 13

Original words

AllπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Pluralthese [people]οὗτοιG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine PluraldiedἀπέθανονG599Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralinΚατὰG2596PrepositionfaithπίστινG4102Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularwithoutμὴG3361Adverbhaving receivedλαμβάνωG2983Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Pluralthe thingsτὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Pluralthey were promisedἐπαγγελίαςG1860Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralHoweverἀλλὰG235Conjunctionthey saw [them]ἰδόντεςG3708Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwelcomedἀσπασάμενοιG782Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine PluralthemαὐτὰςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Pluralfrom afarπόρρωθενG4207AdverbAndκαὶG2532Conjunctionthey acknowledgedὁμολογήσαντεςG3670Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunctionthey wereεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralstrangersξένοιG3581Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionexilesπαρεπίδημοίG3927Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralonἐπὶG1909PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularearthγῆςG1093Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

NowγὰρG1063Conjunctionthose whoοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralsayλέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Pluralsuch thingsτοιαῦταG5108Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralshowἐμφανίζουσινG1718Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunctionthey are seekingἐπιζητοῦσινG1934Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plurala country of their ownπατρίδαG3968Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 15

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionIfεἰG1487Conjunction-μὲνG3303Conjunctionthey had been thinking ofἐμνημόνευονG3421Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralvvvἐκείνηςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singularvvvἀφ’G575Preposition[the country]ἧςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine Singularthey had leftἐξέβησανG1545Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralvvvἂνG302Particlethey would have hadεἶχονG2192Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralopportunityκαιρὸνG2540Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularto returnἀνακάμψαιG344Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Verse 16

Original words

InsteadδὲG1161Conjunction. . .νῦνG3568Adverbthey were longing forὀρέγονταιG3713Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Plurala better [country]κρείττονοςG2909Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular - Comparative-τοῦτ’G3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular-ἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara heavenly [one]ἐπουρανίουG2032Adjective - Genitive Feminine SingularThereforeδιὸG1352Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverbis not ashamedἐπαισχύνεταιG1870Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοὺςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Pluralto be calledἐπικαλεῖσθαιG1941Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or PassivetheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person PluralGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularforγὰρG1063ConjunctionHe has preparedἡτοίμασενG2090Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singulara cityπόλινG4172Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularfor themαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person 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.