Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
provided—with divine forethought from eternity (compare Genesis 22:8, Genesis 22:14).
some better thing for us— (Hebrews 7:19); than they had here. They had not in this world, "apart from us" (so the Greek is for "without us," that is, they had to wait for us for), the clear revelation of the promised salvation actually accomplished, as we now have it in Christ; in their state, beyond the grave their souls also seem to have attained an increase of heavenly bliss on the death and ascension of Christ; and they shall not attain the full and final glory in body and soul (the regeneration of the creature), until the full number of the elect (including us with them) is completed. The Fathers, CHRYSOSTOM, etc., restricted the meaning of Hebrews 11:39-40 to this last truth, and I incline to this view. "The connection is, You, Hebrews, may far more easily exercise patience than Old Testament believers; for they had much longer to wait, and are still waiting until the elect are all gathered in; you, on the contrary, have not to wait for them" [ESTIUS]. I think his object in these verses (Hebrews 11:39-40) is to warn Hebrew Christians against their tendency to relapse into Judaism. "Though the Old Testament worthies attained such eminence by faith, they are not above us in privileges, but the reverse." It is not we who are perfected with them, but rather they with us. They waited for His coming; we enjoy Him as having come (Hebrews 1:1; Hebrews 2:3). Christ's death, the means of perfecting what the Jewish law could not perfect, was reserved for our time. Compare Hebrews 12:2, "perfecter (Greek) of our faith." Now that Christ is come, they in soul share our blessedness, being "the spirits of the just made perfect" (Hebrews 12:23); so ALFORD; however, see on Hebrews 12:23. Hebrews 9:12 shows that the blood of Christ, brought into the heavenly holy place by Him, first opened an entrance into heaven (compare John 3:13). Still, the fathers were in blessedness by faith in the Saviour to come, at death (Hebrews 6:15; Luke 16:22).
Other Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown entries containing Hebrews 11:40:
Daniel 12:13
Zechariah 4:7
Romans 3:26
1 Thessalonians 4:13
Hebrews 6:12
Hebrews 9:15
Hebrews 11:2
Hebrews 11:26
Hebrews 11:40
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:23
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