Hebrews 11:3

By Faith We Understand

1 Now faith is the¹ substance of things hoped for, the² evidence ^aof things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.

3 By faith we understand that ^athe worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Faith at the Dawn of History

4 By faith ^aAbel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still ^bspeaks.

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ^a“and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

7 By faith ^aNoah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, ^bprepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of ^cthe righteousness which is according to faith.

Faithful Abraham

8 By faith ^aAbraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, ^adwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, ^bthe heirs with him of the same promise;

10 for he waited for ^athe city which has foundations, ^bwhose builder and maker is God.

11 By faith ^aSarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and ^bshe bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him ^cfaithful who had promised.

12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as ^adead, were born as many as the ^bstars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

The Heavenly Hope

13 These all died in faith, ^anot having received the ^bpromises, but ^chaving seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and ^dconfessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14 For those who say such things ^adeclare plainly that they seek a homeland.

15 And truly if they had called to mind ^athat country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.

16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed ^ato be called their God, for He has ^bprepared a city for them.

The Faith of the Patriarchs

17 By faith Abraham, ^awhen he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18 ¹of whom it was said, ^a“In Isaac your seed shall be called,”

Commentaries:

Adam Clarke

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Hebrews 11:3

Through faith we understand - By worlds, , we are to understand the material fabric of the universe; for can have no reference here to age or any measurement of time, for he speaks of the things which are Seen; not being made out of the things which do Appear; this therefore must refer to the material creation: and as the word is used in the plural number, it may comprehend, not only the earth and visible heavens, but the whole planetary system; the different worlds which, in our system at least, revolve round the sun. The apostle states that these things were not made out of a pre-existent matter; for if they were, that matter, however extended or modified, must appear in that thing into which it is compounded and modified, consequently it could not be said that the things which are seen are not made of the things that appear; and he shows us also, by these words, that the present mundane fabric was not formed or reformed from one anterior, as some suppose. According to Moses and the apostle we believe that God made all things out of nothing. See the note on Genesis 1:1, etc.

At present we see trees of different kinds are produced from trees; beasts, birds, and fishes, from others of the same kind; and man, from man: but we are necessarily led to believe that there was a first man, who owed not his being to man; first there were beasts, etc., which did not derive their being from others of the same kind; and so of all manner of trees, plants, etc. God, therefore, made all these out of nothing; his word tells us so, and we credit that word.

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