Hebrews 11 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Now faith is the grounds of things, which are hoped for, and the euidence of things which are not seene.
1 ES pues la fe la sustancia de las cosas que se esperan, la demostración de las cosas que no se ven.
2 For by it our elders were well reported of.
2 Porque por ella alcanzaron testimonio los antiguos.
3 Through faith we vnderstand that the world was ordeined by the worde of God, so that the things which we see, are not made of things which did appeare.
3 Por la fe entendemos haber sido compuestos los siglos por la palabra de Dios, siendo hecho lo que se ve, de lo que no se veía.
4 By faith Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice then Cain, by the which he obtained witnes that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: by the which faith also he being dead, yet speaketh.
4 Por la fe Abel ofreció á Dios mayor sacrificio que Caín, por la cual alcanzó testimonio de que era justo, dando Dios testimonio á sus presentes; y difunto, aun habla por ella.
5 By faith was Enoch translated, that he should not see death: neither was he found: for God had translated him: for before he was translated, he was reported of, that he had pleased God.
5 Por la fe Enoc fué traspuesto para no ver muerte, y no fué hallado, porque lo traspuso Dios. Y antes que fuese traspuesto, tuvo testimonio de haber agradado á Dios.
6 But without faith it is vnpossible to please him: for he that commeth to God, must beleeue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him.
6 Empero sin fe es imposible agradar á Dios; porque es menester que el que á Dios se allega, crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.
7 By faith Noe being warned of God of the things which were as yet not seene, mooued with reuerence, prepared the Arke to the sauing of his housholde, through the which Arke hee condemned the world, and was made heire of the righteousnes, which is by faith.
7 Por la fe Noé, habiendo recibido respuesta de cosas que aun no se veían, con temor aparejó el arca en que su casa se salvase: por la cual [fe] condenó al mundo, y fué hecho heredero de la justicia que es por la fe.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed God, to goe out into a place, which hee should afterward receiue for inheritance, and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
8 Por la fe Abraham, siendo llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que había de recibir por heredad; y salió sin saber dónde iba.
9 By faith he abode in the land of promise, as in a strange countrey, as one that dwelt in tents with Isaac and Iacob heires with him of the same promise.
9 Por fe habitó en la tierra prometida como en [tierra] ajena, morando en cabañas con Isaac y Jacob, herederos juntamente de la misma promesa:
10 For he looked for a citie hauing a foundation, whose builder and maker is God.
10 Porque esperaba ciudad con fundamentos, el artífice y hacedor de la cual es Dios.
11 Through faith Sara also receiued strength to conceiue seede, and was deliuered of a childe when she was past age, because she iudged him faithfull which had promised.
11 Por la fe también la misma Sara, siendo estéril, recibió fuerza para concebir simiente; y parió aun fuera del tiempo de la edad, porque creyó ser fiel el que [lo] había prometido.
12 And therefore sprang there of one, euen of one which was dead, so many as the starres of the skie in multitude, and as the land of the sea shore which is innumerable.
12 Por lo cual también, de uno, y ése ya amortecido, salieron como las estrellas del cielo en multitud, y como la arena innumerable que está á la orilla de la mar.
13 All these died in faith, and receiued not the promises, but sawe them a farre off, and beleeued them, and receiued them thankefully, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
13 Conforme á la fe murieron todos éstos sin haber recibido las promesas, sino mirándolas de lejos, y creyéndolas, y saludándolas, y confesando que eran peregrinos y advenedizos sobre la tierra.
14 For they that say such things, declare plainely, that they seeke a countrey.
14 Porque los que esto dicen, claramente dan á entender que buscan una patria.
15 And if they had bene mindfull of that countrey, from whence they came out, they had leasure to haue returned.
15 Que si se acordaran de aquella de donde salieron, cierto tenían tiempo para volverse:
16 But nowe they desire a better, that is an heauenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a citie.
16 Empero deseaban la mejor, es á saber, la celestial; por lo cual Dios no se avergüenza de llamarse Dios de ellos: porque les había aparejado ciudad.
17 By faith Abraham offered vp Isaac, when he was tryed, and he that had receiued the promises, offered his onely begotten sonne.
17 Por fe ofreció Abraham á Isaac cuando fué probado, y ofrecía al unigénito el que había recibido las promesas,
18 (To whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seede be called.)
18 Habiéndole sido dicho: En Isaac te será llamada simiente:
19 For he considered that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead: from whence he receiued him also after a sort.
19 Pensando que aun de los muertos [es] Dios poderoso para levantar; de donde también le volvió á recibir por figura.
20 By faith Isaac blessed Iacob and Esau, concerning things to come.
20 Por fe bendijo Isaac á Jacob y á Esaú respecto á cosas que habían de ser.
21◆ By faith Iacob when he was a dying, blessed both the sonnes of Ioseph, and leaning on the ende of his staffe, worshipped God.
21 Por fe Jacob, muriéndose, bendijo á cada uno de los hijos de José, y adoró [estribando] sobre la punta de su bordón.
22 By faith Ioseph when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel, and gaue commandement of his bones.
22 Por fe José, muriéndose, se acordó de la partida de los hijos de Israel; y dió mandamiento acerca de sus huesos.
23 By faith Moses when he was borne, was hid three moneths of his parents, because they sawe he was a proper childe, neither feared they the kings commandement.
23 Por fe Moisés, nacido, fué escondido de sus padres por tres meses, porque le vieron hermoso niño; y no temieron el mandamiento del rey.
24 By faith Moses when he was come to age, refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter,
24 Por fe Moisés, hecho ya grande, rehusó ser llamado hijo de la hija de Faraón;
25 And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God, then to enioy the pleasures of sinnes for a season,
25 Escogiendo antes ser afligido con el pueblo de Dios, que gozar de comodidades temporales de pecado.
26 Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt: for he had respect vnto the recompence of the reward.
26 Teniendo por mayores riquezas el vituperio de Cristo que los tesoros de los Egipcios; porque miraba á la remuneración.
27 By faith he forsooke Egypt, and feared not the fiercenes of the king: for he endured, as he that sawe him which is inuisible.
27 Por fe dejó á Egipto, no temiendo la ira del rey; porque se sostuvo como viendo al Invisible.
28 Through faith he ordeined the Passeouer and the effusion of blood, least he that destroyed the first borne, should touche them.
28 Por fe celebró la pascua y el derramamiento de la sangre, para que el que mataba los primogénitos no los tocase.
29 By faith they passed through the red sea as by drie land, which when the Egyptians had assayed to doe, they were swallowed vp.
29 Por fe pasaron el mar Bermejo como por tierra seca: lo cual probando los Egipcios, fueron sumergidos.
30 By faith the walles of Iericho fell downe after they were copassed about seue dayes.
30 Por fe cayeron los muros de Jericó con rodearlos siete días.
31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them which obeyed not, when she had receiued the spies peaceably.
31 Por fe Rahab la ramera no pereció juntamente con los incrédulos, habiendo recibido á los espías con paz.
32 And what shall I more say? for the time would be too short for me to tell of Gedeon, of Barac, and of Sampson, and of Iephte, also of Dauid, and Samuel, and of the Prophets:
32 ¿Y qué más digo? porque el tiempo me faltará contando de Gedeón, de Barac, de Samsón, de Jephté, de David, de Samuel, y de los profetas:
33 Which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obteined the promises, stopped the mouthes of lions,
33 Que por fe ganaron reinos, obraron justicia, alcanzaron promesas, taparon las bocas de leones,
34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sworde, of weake were made strong, waxed valiant in battell, turned to flight the armies of the aliants.
34 Apagaron fuegos impetuosos, evitaron filo de cuchillo, convalecieron de enfermedades, fueron hechos fuertes en batallas, trastornaron campos de extraños.
35 The women receiued their dead raised to life: other also were racked, and woulde not be deliuered, that they might receiue a better resurrection.
35 Las mujeres recibieron sus muertos por resurrección; unos fueron estirados, no aceptando el rescate, para ganar mejor resurrección;
36 And others haue bene tryed by mockings and scourgings, yea, moreouer by bondes and prisonment.
36 Otros experimentaron vituperios y azotes; y á más de esto prisiones y cárceles;
37 They were stoned, they were hewen asunder, they were tempted, they were slaine with the sworde, they wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes, and in goates skinnes, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented:
37 Fueron apedreados, aserrados, tentados, muertos á cuchillo; anduvieron de acá para allá [cubiertos] de pieles de ovejas y de cabras, pobres, angustiados, maltratados;
38 Whom the world was not worthie of: they wandered in wildernesses and mountaines, and dennes, and caues of the earth.
38 De los cuales el mundo no era digno; perdidos por los desiertos, por los montes, por las cuevas y por las cavernas de la tierra.
39 And these all through faith obteined good report, and receiued not the promise,
39 Y todos éstos, aprobados por testimonio de la fe, no recibieron la promesa;
40 God prouiding a better thing for vs, that they without vs should not be made perfite.
40 Proveyendo Dios alguna cosa mejor para nosotros, para que no fuesen perfeccionados sin nosotros.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abel
A shepherd whose faithful offering pleased God, murdered by his own brother.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4; Hebrews 11:4
Enoch
He walked with God, and was not, for God took him — he did not die.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 5:21–24; Hebrews 11:5
Rahab
The woman of Jericho who hid the spies and became mother of Boaz.
Cited in the guide: Joshua 2, 6; Matthew 1:5; Hebrews 11:31
Cross references (40)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 5:7; 2 Corinthians 4:18; Romans 8:24–25; Hebrews 11:7; Hebrews 10:22
- 2 Hebrews 11:39; Hebrews 11:4
- 3 Psalm 33:6; 2 Peter 3:5; John 1:3; Romans 4:17; Acts 17:24
- 4 Genesis 4:3–5; 1 John 3:11–12; Hebrews 12:24; Proverbs 15:8; Genesis 4:10
- 5 Genesis 5:21–24; Jude 14; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Kings 2:11; Revelation 11:9–12
- 6 Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13–14; Matthew 6:33; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Psalm 105:3–4
- 7 Genesis 6:13–7:1; 1 Peter 3:20; Ezekiel 14:14; Luke 17:26; Romans 4:13
- 8 Genesis 12:1–4; Acts 7:2–4; Matthew 7:24–25; Genesis 15:7–8; Genesis 22:18
- 9 Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:18; Genesis 13:3; Acts 7:5–6; Hebrews 6:17
- 10 Hebrews 13:14; Philippians 3:20; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 12:22; John 14:2
- 11 Hebrews 10:23; Romans 4:20–21; Genesis 18:11–14; Genesis 21:1–2; Luke 1:36
- 12 Genesis 22:17; Genesis 32:12; Hosea 1:10; Genesis 15:5; Jeremiah 33:22
- 13 Genesis 23:4; Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:27; Romans 8:24; Hebrews 11:39
- 14 2 Corinthians 4:18–5:7; Romans 8:23–25; Hebrews 13:14; Hebrews 11:16; Philippians 1:23
- 15 Genesis 24:6–8; Genesis 12:10
- 16 Hebrews 13:14; Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:10; Matthew 25:34; John 14:2
- 17 Genesis 22:16; James 2:21–24; Genesis 22:1–12; James 5:11; 1 Peter 1:6–7
- 18 Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Genesis 17:19
- 19 Romans 4:17–21; Matthew 9:28; Ephesians 3:20; Genesis 22:13; Genesis 22:4–5
- 20 Genesis 27:27–40; Genesis 28:2–3
- 21 Genesis 47:31–48:1; Genesis 48:5–22
- 22 Exodus 13:19; Genesis 50:24–25; Joshua 24:32; Acts 7:16
- 23 Exodus 1:22; Exodus 1:16; Hebrews 13:6; Exodus 2:2–10; Matthew 10:28
- 24 Exodus 2:10–11; Acts 7:21–24
- 25 Psalm 84:10; 2 Timothy 2:3–10; Job 36:21; 1 Peter 4:12–16; 2 Corinthians 5:17
- 26 Hebrews 10:35; Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 4:14; Matthew 5:12; 2 Corinthians 6:10
- 27 2 Corinthians 4:18; Hebrews 11:13; Exodus 2:14–15; Hebrews 11:1; Exodus 4:19
- 28 Exodus 12:21–30; Hebrews 9:19; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 12:24; Exodus 12:3–14
- 29 Exodus 14:13–15:21; Psalm 106:9–11; Psalm 78:13; Habakkuk 3:8–10; Isaiah 63:11–16
- 30 Joshua 6:3–20; 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
- 31 James 2:25; Joshua 6:22–25; Matthew 1:5; Joshua 2:1–24; Matthew 1:1
- 32 1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Samuel 1:20; 1 Samuel 16:13; Judges 13:1–16; Judges 11:1–12
- 33 Hebrews 6:12–15; Psalm 144:1–2; 2 Timothy 4:17; Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 11:4–8
- 34 1 Samuel 17:51–52; 2 Kings 6:16–18; Psalm 144:10; Judges 15:8; 2 Chronicles 32:20–22
- 35 2 Kings 4:27–37; 1 Kings 17:22–24; Philippians 3:11; Acts 9:41; 1 Corinthians 15:54
- 36 Jeremiah 20:2; Genesis 39:20; Jeremiah 37:15–21; 2 Chronicles 30:10; 2 Chronicles 16:10
- 37 2 Chronicles 24:21; Jeremiah 26:23; 1 Kings 19:10; 1 Kings 21:13–15; 2 Kings 1:8
- 38 1 Kings 18:4; 1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 57:1; 1 Samuel 24:1–3
- 39 Luke 10:23–24; Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 11:2; 1 Peter 1:12
- 40 Revelation 6:11; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 10:11–14; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 7:19
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Hebrews 11:21 and Genesis 47:31: Jacob’s staff or Jacob’s bed?
In the Hebrew text of Genesis 47:31 Israel bows “upon the bed’s head.” In the Septuagint he bows “on the top of his staff,” and Hebrews 11:21 quotes the Greek. The Hebrew consonants can be read either way; only the later vowel marks decide. The Orthodox Church reads “staff,” and St John of Damascus used the verse in defending the veneration of holy things.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Faith needs a generous and vigorous soul, and one rising above all things of sense, and passing beyond the weakness of human reasonings. For it is not possible to become a believer, otherwise than by raising one's self above the common customs [of the world].
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
Let us take (for instance) Enoch, who, being found righteous in obedience, was translated, and death was never known to happen to him. Noah, being found faithful, preached regeneration to the world through his ministry; and the Lord saved by him the animals which, with one accord, entered into the ark.
… those places and times--being itself the while the same always and everywhere, not one thing in one place, and another in another; according to which Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and David, and all those commended by the mouth of God were righteous, but were judged unrighteous by foolish men, judging out of man's judgment, and gauging by …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… how he saith, "They that say these things, show plainly that they seek a country; and truly if they had been mindful of that from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned: but now they desire another, a better country." And again, "These all died in faith, not having obtained the promises, but having seen …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The lesson also which was read to-day invites you to the true faith, by setting before you the way in which you also must please God: for it affirms that without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)