1 Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων. 2 ἐν ταύτῃ γὰρ ἐμαρτυρήθησαν οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. 3 Πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὸ βλεπόμενον γεγονέναι. 4 Πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἄβελ παρὰ Κάϊν προσήνεγκεν τῷ Θεῷ, δι’ ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος, μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δι’ αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖ. 5 Πίστει Ἐνὼχ μετετέθη τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός. πρὸ γὰρ τῆς μεταθέσεως μεμαρτύρηται εὐαρεστηκέναι τῷ Θεῷ· 6 χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι· πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται. 7 Πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων, εὐλαβηθεὶς κατεσκεύασεν κιβωτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, δι’ ἧς κατέκρινεν τὸν κόσμον, καὶ τῆς κατὰ πίστιν δικαιοσύνης ἐγένετο κληρονόμος. 8 Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τόπον ὃν ἤμελλεν λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται. 9 Πίστει παρῴκησεν εἰς γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ὡς ἀλλοτρίαν, ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικήσας, μετὰ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ τῶν συνκληρονόμων τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς αὐτῆς· 10 ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν, ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός. 11 Πίστει καὶ αὐτῇ Σάρρᾳ δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας, ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον. 12 διὸ καὶ ἀφ’ ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου, καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει καὶ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης ἡ ἀναρίθμητος. 13 Κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ κομισάμενοι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ πόρρωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 14 οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσιν. 15 καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ’ ἧς ἐξέβησαν, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι· 16 νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τοῦτ’ ἔστιν ἐπουρανίου. διὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς Θεὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι αὐτῶν· ἡτοίμασεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν. 17 Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ πειραζόμενος, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ προσέφερεν ὁ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀναδεξάμενος, 18 πρὸς ὃν ἐλαλήθη ὅτι Ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα, 19 λογισάμενος ὅτι καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγείρειν δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός· ὅθεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο. 20 Πίστει καὶ περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἠσαῦ. 21◆ Πίστει Ἰακὼβ ἀποθνῄσκων ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωσὴφ εὐλόγησεν, καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ. 22 Πίστει Ἰωσὴφ τελευτῶν περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἐμνημόνευσεν καὶ περὶ τῶν ὀστέων αὐτοῦ ἐνετείλατο. 23 Πίστει Μωϋσῆς γεννηθεὶς ἐκρύβη τρίμηνον ὑπὸ τῶν πατέρων αὐτοῦ, διότι εἶδον ἀστεῖον τὸ παιδίον, καὶ οὐκ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸ διάταγμα τοῦ βασιλέως. 24 Πίστει Μωϋσῆς μέγας γενόμενος ἠρνήσατο λέγεσθαι υἱὸς θυγατρὸς Φαραώ, 25 μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος συνκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, 26 μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπέβλεπεν γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν. 27 Πίστει κατέλιπεν Αἴγυπτον, μὴ φοβηθεὶς τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως· τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν ἐκαρτέρησεν. 28 Πίστει πεποίηκεν τὸ πάσχα καὶ τὴν πρόσχυσιν τοῦ αἵματος, ἵνα μὴ ὁ ὀλοθρεύων τὰ πρωτότοκα θίγῃ αὐτῶν. 29 Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν Θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς, ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι κατεπόθησαν. 30 Πίστει τὰ τείχη Ἰερειχὼ ἔπεσαν κυκλωθέντα ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. 31 Πίστει Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασιν, δεξαμένη τοὺς κατασκόπους μετ’ εἰρήνης. 32 Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; ἐπιλείψει με γὰρ διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ, Σαμψών, Ἰεφθάε, Δαυείδ τε καὶ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, 33 οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας, ἠργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην, ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν, ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, 34 ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρός, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρης, ἐδυναμώθησαν ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας, ἐγενήθησαν ἰσχυροὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, παρεμβολὰς ἔκλιναν ἀλλοτρίων. 35 ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν· ἄλλοι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν, οὐ προσδεξάμενοι τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, ἵνα κρείττονος ἀναστάσεως τύχωσιν· 36 ἕτεροι δὲ ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβον, ἔτι δὲ δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς· 37 ἐλιθάσθησαν, ἐπειράσθησαν, ἐπρίσθησαν, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρης ἀπέθανον, περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι, 38 ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος, ἐπὶ ἐρημίαις πλανώμενοι καὶ ὄρεσιν καὶ σπηλαίοις καὶ ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῆς γῆς. 39 Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, 40 τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν.
Hebrews · Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Hebrews 11 Nestle Greek New Testament (1904)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Verses the critical text omits (e.g. Matthew 17:21, Acts 8:37) are shown as empty.
- Follows the edition's own numbering where it differs (e.g. Acts 19:40 includes the KJV's 19:41; 2 Corinthians 13 has 13 verses; 3 John has 15; Revelation 12 has 18).
- Angle brackets < > and double square brackets [[ ]] are the edition's own marks for doubtful passages (e.g. Mark 1:1, Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11).
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)