Heb 10:34, 11:9-10, 13-16 | JFB | STEP | 34. ye had compassion on me in my bonds-- The oldest manuscripts and versions omit "me," and read, "Ye both sympathized with those in bonds (answering to the last clause of ; compare , ; ), and accepted (so the Greek is translated in ) with joy ( ; joy in tribulations, as exercising faith and other graces, ; and the pledge of the coming glory, ) the plundering of your (own) goods (answering to the first clause of )." in yourselves-- The oldest manuscripts omit "in": translate, "knowing that ye have for (or 'to') yourselves." better-- a heavenly ( ). enduring-- not liable to spoiling. substance-- possession: peculiarly our own, if we will not cast away our birthright.

‏ Hebrews 10:34

34. ye had compassion on me in my bonds--The oldest manuscripts and versions omit "me," and read, "Ye both sympathized with those in bonds (answering to the last clause of He 10:33; compare He 13:3, 23; 6:10), and accepted (so the Greek is translated in He 11:35) with joy (Jas 1:2; joy in tribulations, as exercising faith and other graces, Ro 5:3; and the pledge of the coming glory, Mt 5:12) the plundering of your (own) goods (answering to the first clause of He 10:33)."

in yourselves--The oldest manuscripts omit "in": translate, "knowing that ye have for (or 'to') yourselves."

better--a heavenly (He 11:16).

enduring--not liable to spoiling.

substance--possession: peculiarly our own, if we will not cast away our birthright.

‏ Hebrews 11:9-10

9. sojourned--as a "stranger and pilgrim."

in--Greek, "into," that is, he went into it and sojourned there.

as in a strange country--a country not belonging to him, but to others (so the Greek), Ac 7:5, 6.

dwelling in tabernacles--tents: as strangers and sojourners do: moving from place to place, as having no fixed possession of their own. In contrast to the abiding "city" (He 11:10).

with--Their kind of dwelling being the same is a proof that their faith was the same. They all alike were content to wait for their good things hereafter (Lu 16:25). Jacob was fifteen years old at the death of Abraham.

heirs with him of the same promise--Isaac did not inherit it from Abraham, nor Jacob from Isaac, but they all inherited it from God directly as "fellow heirs." In He 6:12, 15, 17, "the promise" means the thing promised as a thing in part already attained; but in this chapter "the promise" is of something still future. However, see on He 6:12.

10. looked for--Greek, "he was expecting"; waiting for with eager expectation (Ro 8:19).

a city--Greek, "the city," already alluded to. Worldly Enoch, son of the murderer Cain, was the first to build his city here: the godly patriarchs waited for their city hereafter (He 11:16; 12:22; 13:14).

foundations--Greek, "the foundations" which the tents had not, nor even men's present cities have.

whose builder and maker--Greek, "designer [Ep 1:4, 11] and master-builder," or executor of the design. The city is worthy of its Framer and Builder (compare He 11:16; He 8:2). Compare Note, see on He 9:12, on "found."

‏ Hebrews 11:13-16

13-16. Summary of the characteristic excellencies of the patriarchs' faith

died in faith--died as believers, waiting for, not actually seeing as yet their good things promised to them. They were true to this principle of faith even unto, and especially in, their dying hour (compare He 11:20).

These all--beginning with "Abraham" (He 11:8), to whom the promises were made (Ga 3:16), and who is alluded to in the end of He 11:13 and in He 11:15 [Bengel and Alford]. But the "ALL" can hardly but include Abel, Enoch, and Noah. Now as these did not receive the promise of entering literal Canaan, some other promise made in the first ages, and often repeated, must be that meant, namely, the promise of a coming Redeemer made to Adam, namely, "the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Thus the promises cannot have been merely temporal, for Abel and Enoch mentioned here received no temporal promise [Archbishop Magee]. This promise of eternal redemption is the inner essence of the promises made to Abraham (Ga 3:16).

not having received--It was this that constituted their "faith." If they had "received" THE THING PROMISED (so "the promises" here mean: the plural is used because of the frequent renewal of the promise to the patriarchs: He 11:17 says he did receive the promises, but not the thing promised), it would have been sight, not faith.

seen them afar off--(Joh 8:56). Christ, as the Word, was preached to the Old Testament believers, and so became the seed of life to their souls, as He is to ours.

and were persuaded of them--The oldest manuscripts omit this clause.

embraced them--as though they were not "afar off," but within reach, so as to draw them to themselves and clasp them in their embrace. Trench denies that the Old Testament believers embraced them, for they only saw them afar off: he translates, "saluted them," as the homeward-bound mariner, recognizing from afar the well-known promontories of his native land. Alford translates, "greeted them." Jacob's exclamation, "I have waited for Thy salvation, O Lord" (Ge 49:18) is such a greeting of salvation from afar [Delitzsch].

confessed ... were strangers--so Abraham to the children of Heth (Ge 23:4); and Jacob to Pharaoh (Ge 47:9; Psa 119:19). Worldly men hold fast the world; believers sit loose to it. Citizens of the world do not confess themselves "strangers on the earth."

pilgrims--Greek, "temporary (literally, 'by the way') sojourners."

on the earth--contrasted with "an heavenly" (He 11:16): "our citizenship is in heaven" (Greek: He 10:34; Psa 119:54; Php 3:20). "Whosoever professes that he has a Father in heaven, confesses himself a stranger on earth; hence there is in the heart an ardent longing, like that of a child living among strangers, in want and grief, far from his fatherland" [Luther]. "Like ships in seas while in, above the world."