Hebrews 11:13-19

IIIRenewed glance at the Patriarchs, with special emphasis laid on the act of faith performed by Abraham

Hebrews 11:13-19

13These all died in faith, [as] not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off [from afar], and were persuaded of them [om. and were persuaded of them11], and embraced [saluted, hailed] them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For they that say such things declare [show] plainly that they seek a 15[their] country. And truly, if they had been mindful of [And if, indeed, they had had in mind] that country [om. country] from whence they came out,12 they might 16[would] have had opportunity to have returned [to return]. But now [as it is], they desire [are aspiring after] a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath [om. hath] prepared for them a city. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tried [hath] offered up Isaac: and he that had received 18[accepted] the promises offered up his only-begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19Accounting that God was [is] able13 to raise him [om. him] up,14 even from the dead; from whence also he received him [back] in a figure.

[Hebrews 11:13.—Κατὰ πίστιν, in accordance with faith, emphatic.—μὴ λαβόντες, as not receiving, stating the fact subjectively: οὐ λαβ. would state it objectively, simply as a fact.—πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες, from afar seeing and saluting them, and thus dying, κατὰ πίστιν; πόρ. belongs equally to both Participles.—ἀσπασάμενοι beautifully of saluting in the distance one’s native land or shore; not embracing.

Hebrews 11:14.—Ἐμφανίζουσι, make it plain, point out clearly.—πατρίδα, not χώρα, a region, territory, but a native land, an ancestral home. German, Vaterland. Alf. renders “home.” We might, perhaps, express it by the possessive Pron. “their country.”—ἐπιζητοῦσιν, are seeking after.

Hebrews 11:15.—Καὶ εἰ μέν ἐμνημόνευον—εἶχεν ἄν, and if, indeed, they had had in mind—they would have had. Alf. remarks that the “two imperfects in this sentence present some little difficulty,” as both events “are past and gone,” while the customary construction of such imperfects is with the present time. But while the latter is, perhaps, the more frequent construction, the Imperfect, in this class of hypothetical propositions, is not unfrequently used equally of past time, provided the action expressed be habitual. Thus Xen. says of Socrates, οὐκ ἂν ἔλεγεν—ἐν μὴ ἐπίστευεν, which might be rendered, “he would not be saying unless he believed,” but which in the connection can only be rendered, “he would not have (habitually) said unless he had (habitually) believed.” The construction is not uncommon enough to create any difficulty. Nor does it seem to me to involve “a harsh ellipsis” to understand ἐμνημόνευον, with Bl., De W., Del., Moll, etc. of mentioning, meaning in their utterances, rather than simply to be mindful of.—ἀνακυμψαι, to return back, to return.

Hebrews 11:16.—νῦν δέ, but as it is, as the case stands.—ὀρέγονται, they are reaching out after, are aspiring to.

Hebrews 11:17.—Προσενήνοχεν, hath offered up, stands recorded as having offered up, which he did virtually and in intention, “as if the work and its praise were yet enduring,” Alf.—Προσέφερεν, was offering up: proceeding to greater detail, the author makes a more exact statement of the fact by exchanging the present for the past, and then employing not the Aor., which would have implied it as done, but the Imperf., which implies that it was only commenced, not carried through.—ὁ , he who had accepted, not, received.

Hebrews 11:18.—Πρὸς ὃν ἐλαλήθη, In respect to whom it was said. So I decidedly prefer to render with the Eng Ver. (of whom), referring the whom to Isaac, rather than with Moll, Alf., and most modern intpp., to render it to whom, and refer the whom to Abraham. That the πρός will equally well bear either rendering, needs no argument (see Hebrews 1:7-8; Hebrews 1:13); and the citation seems to me thus more thoroughly pertinent.

Hebrews 11:19.—Ὅτι ἐκ νεκ. δυνατὸς ὸ θεός, that God is (not was) able to raise, etc., a general statement (with Alf.).—For ὅθεν ἐκομίσατο see Exeg. notes.—K.].

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Hebrews 11:13.—Inasmuch as dying is not an effect of faith, but in the case of the Patriarchs took place in a way that bore the impress of faith, we have here κατὰ πίστιν, in accordance with faith, and not, as elsewhere, πίστει, by faith. And as the words are not οὐ, but μὴ λαβόντες, followed by a contrasted ἀλλά (Kühn., II. 408), the sense is not, as commonly supposed, “they died in faith, not in sight, inasmuch as they did not receive the blessings promised; and this dying in faith corresponded to their life in faith;” but the meaning is, as pointed out by Schultz, Win., and Lün., that their dying, occurring as it did, before the anticipated fulfilment of the promises, corresponded to the character of faith; just as already, even in life, their hope was fixed not on the earthly, but, in faith, on the heavenly father-land, and they, pilgrims, were journeying towards it. The whole clause stands in the closest connection, and the emphasis lies on the words introduced by ἀλλά. With this, too, best harmonizes not merely the reason assigned, Hebrews 11:14 ff., for the patriarchal confession of Hebrews 11:13, and for the author’s interpretation of its import, but also the believing act (Hebrews 11:17) of Abraham in his offering of Isaac. The reference to the ‘promises,’ commencing with Abr., and to the declarations of the Patriarchs, Genesis 23:4; Genesis 47:9, does not allow us, with Primas., Œc., etc., to refer οὗτοι πάντες to all the previously named, from Abel down, Enoch, of course, being in this case excepted.

Hebrews 11:15. Had in mind.—Μνημονεύειν is generally, as at Hebrews 13:7; Luke 17:32; Acts 20:31; Acts 20:35, taken intransitively=be mindful of; here, however, and Hebrews 11:22, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, it is better taken by Bl., De W., Del., etc., as transitive=make mention of, soil, in the declaration just referred to.

Hebrews 11:19. From whence he also received him back in a figure.—In all other passages of our epistle ὅθεν, whence, is taken logically=for which reason. Thus it has generally been taken here, and ἐν παραβολῇ has been explained of Abraham’s taking back Isaac as symbol and type, either of the resurrection generally (Bald., Mich., Böhm., etc.), or of the suffering and resurrection of Christ (Chrys., Prim., Erasm., Ebr., Bisp., etc.), or of both together (Theod.). Luther moreover erroneously renders ἐν παραβ., “zum Vorbilde,” for a type, after the false reading of the Vulg. in parabolam. But so important typical references the author would scarcely have indicated to his readers in so incidental and obscure a manner, if he had had them in his mind. Yet it does not follow from this that we need depart from the customary meaning of παραβολή, parable, (found also in our epistle, Hebrews 9:9), and, with Camerar., Krebs, Raphel., Loesn., go back to a rare signification of the verb παραβάλλεσθαι, deliver up, expose, put to hazard, and, with Thol., translate, “in bold venturing,” or, with Lün., “for which reason he even on the ground, or by means of, his yielding him up, bore him off thence as a spoil.” The term ἐκομίσατο can hardly be alleged in support of this meaning; for this word, though used, indeed, frequently of booty and spoils of conquest, is employed still more frequently of that which one previously possessed and has received back. Precisely in respect to Abraham and Isaac, Josephus (Antt. 1, 13, 4) employs this word, and Philo (II. 74, 4) makes use of it to designate the recovery of Joseph by his father. Ὅθεν easily admits of being taken locally, which meaning many able interpreters, following Calv., Bez., Schlicht., Grot., have assigned to it. We must not, however, render by way of comparison, or in some measure, or so to speak, but in a likeness or figure; and we must not, with Schultz and Steng., following Lambert Bos and Alberti, refer the language to the birth of Isaac, whom Abraham had obtained from himself, as νενεκρωμένον, but to the saving of his life. He received him from the dead in a figure in that Isaac resembled a person who had been put to death and re-awakened (Theodore Mops., Calv., etc., more recently Bl., De W., Stier, Hofm., Del.). The explanation of Paulus, by virtue of a substitute, that is in exchange for the substituted ram, is unnatural; and unnatural, also, Bengel’s supplying of ὤν with ἐν παραβολῇ, “Abraham ipse factus parabola.” [Alford takes nearly the view of Paulus; “the true identification of the παραβολή is, I am persuaded, to be found in the figure under which Isaac was sacrificed, viz., the ram, as already hinted by Chrysostom. Abraham virtually sacrificed his son; God designated Isaac for the burnt-offering, but provided a ram in his stead. Under the figure of that ram Isaac was slain, being received back by his father in his proper person, risen from the death which he had undergone ἐν παραβολῇ, in and under the figure of the ram. It is an obvious, though perhaps not fatal objection to this explanation that it applies ἐν παραβολῇ, directly to the death of the ram, and only indirectly to the restoration of Isaac, to which the author directly applies it. According to Alford’s explanation, it would seem much more natural for the author to have said that Abraham sacrificed Isaac ἐν παραβολῇ, than that he received him back ἐν παραβολῇ.—K.].

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. If believers know that the fulfilment of God’s promises is still remote, nay, that they will never live to enjoy them personally upon the earth, this knowledge neither shakes their confidence nor troubles their joy. Time and space, uncertainty and doubt, disappear to the eye of faith. The promised blessings, faith views as the only actual and true ones, and rejoices in their future, indeed, but still certain attainment.

2. Even death changes nothing in this relation. The dying of believers bears in itself the character of faith, and on this is impressed most clearly the fact, that believers rejoice over their entrance into the heavenly home, which, during their earthly pilgrimage (Genesis 47:9), they have known indeed, but only seen and saluted from afar.

3. There are also promises of God which refer to temporal blessings and earthly goods, whose fulfilment can be attained here below, as the increase of posterity, the inheriting of the promised land, victory over hostile nations. But believers have, from early times, regarded these promises and their fulfilment only as parts and stages of the one great promise of salvation which God has destined for His people; which the fathers waited for in faith (Genesis 49:18), and which is the essential link between the old and new Covenant.

4. The wandering of the patriarchs is not a mere restless roaming, or an aimless change of dwelling-places, but under Divine guidance is a discipline of obedience, a proving of faith, and a type and example for those who seek the abiding home; and for this reason they do not turn their eyes backward to the perishable world, and what they possess, gain, and lose therein; but forward to the promised and enduring good, whose attainment is certain, because God has already prepared it for them, and is no mere transitory good, but has come into a permanent relation to them, so that God is not ashamed to be called their God (Matthew 22:31 ff.).

5. During our pilgrimage to the heavenly home, trials of our faith do not cease, nay, they may even be heightened to temptations, if there seems to arise between the Divine demands and the Divine promises, and thus, in God Himself, an antagonism, a contradiction, which threatens also to divide and rend asunder the believer. The unity, however, remains preserved on both sides, and in all respects, if the believer on his side turns to nothing but the express and clear Word of God, and confidently leaves it with God, by virtue of His omnipotence, at all times to evince Himself as the true and faithful One.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Strangers on earth, at home in heaven, hence called to a pilgrimage.—The aspirations of believers turn not backwards, but forwards.—What believers have experienced in life, turns to their benefit in death.—The latest trials are not always easiest, but along with experience faith has also increased in power.—God acknowledges those who acknowledge Him, and leads them to the enduring city which they are seeking.—He who in the obedience of faith can give to God what God demands, in him the promises of God will find overwhelmingly their fulfilment.

Starke:—They who acknowledge that their citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) will easily forget what is behind, and press forward to that which is before (Philippians 3:13).—He who has once escaped from the vanity of the world must not allow himself again to be entangled therein; even to look back is dangerous (Luke 9:62; Luke 17:32).—Where faith is there is also obedience to God.—God takes the will of man, where outward hinderances prevent the execution, for the accomplished deed.—God has free power to bless and exalt one child of a father above another.—Faith must be simple that it may not too nicely quibble and dispute over things that appear unreasonable and impossible, and may assure itself that nothing is lost of all that is offered to God (Matthew 16:25).—Faith must cling to the truth and omnipotence of God.

Rieger:—Unbelief easily vexes itself in regard to death, as in regard to all the earlier humiliations of the cross; faith adheres to the word, and with this passes, as through all preceding struggles, so also through the humiliation of death.—Faith, through the word, brings near to itself the promised good, approves the entire arrangement of God in this respect, and is not vexed and discouraged by delay.—From the tranquillity of faith springs the willing confession that one is a stranger; but that in all his action and suffering he is led on by the hope of reaching his father-land.—In faith we learn to reconcile things which seem directly hostile to each other, as “dying and behold we live.”—The obedience of Abraham springs not from a capricious self-persuasion, or from the power of a heated imagination; it is the fruit of a reflection and a mature judgment, which comprehends and sums up all good in the ways of God.

Hahn:—The extent of our self-denial bears witness how deeply the sense of heavenly things has its lodgment in the heart.

Heubner:—Never has the pious man completely realized on earth the longing of his heart; he is always hoping for something better.—The crown of all hopes is the city of God, where God in the most glorious manner will dwell among His saints.—Faith makes us strong to offer up that which is dearest to us.

Footnotes:

Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 11:13.—The Rec. καὶ πεισθέντες is to be rejected by the unanimous testimony of MSS. except a few minusc.

Hebrews 11:15; Hebrews 11:15.—Instead of ἐξῆλθον read, with Sin. A. D*. E*., 17, 73, 80, ἐξἐβησαν. In the Sin. ἐξῆλθον is added by the correct., as also ἐμνημόνευον instead of μνημονεύουσιν.

Hebrews 11:19; Hebrews 11:19.—Instead of δυνατός Lachm. reads δύναται after A. D**.

Hebrews 11:19; Hebrews 11:19.—The Rec. ἐγείρειν is sustained by Sin. D. E. K. L. and nearly all the minusc. The Reading ἐγεῖραι [Lachm.] by A., 17, 71.