Hebrews 11:10

"By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise."

Key Reflection

This verse emphasizes that Abraham lived in faith, recognizing Canaan as a temporary dwelling despite God's promise to give it to his descendants. By sharing this faith and living among Isaac and Jacob, who were also heirs of the same divine promise, Abraham symbolized a life marked by trust in God’s sovereignty over temporal realities.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 10. For he looked for a city which hath foundations. It has been doubted to what the apostle here refers. Grotius and some others suppose that he refers to Jerusalem, as a permanent dwelling for his posterity in contradistinction from the unsettled mode of life which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob led. But there is no evidence that Abraham looked forward to the building of such a city, for no promise was made to him of this kind; and this interpretation falls evidently below the whole drift of the passage. Comp. Heb 11:12; 11:14-16; 12:22; 13:14.

Related Verses

More from Hebrews 11

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Go deeper with Bible.talk - your AI Bible study companion