Hebrews 11 is the eleventh chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews in the New Testament of the ChristianBible. The author is anonymous, although the internal reference to "our brother Timothy" (Hebrews 13:23) causes a traditional attribution to Paul, but this attribution has been disputed since the second century and there is no decisive evidence for the authorship.[1][2] This chapter contains the exposition about the examples of faith's effective expression.[3][4]
The chapter opens with three allusive verses to describe the complexity of faith.[7]
Verse 1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.[8]
Formal definition of faith is in the style of Plato's definition of medicine (Symp. 186c) or Plutarch's definition of curiosity (On Curiosity, 6.518c).[7]
Verse 2
For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.[9]
The accounts of exemplary people were often used to motivate people, either to imitate noble attitudes or to avoid the pattern of ignoble behaviors, such as Ben Sira (teacher of wisdom form Jerusalem in 2nd century BC) uses a long hymn to praise notable Jewish ancestors (Sirach 44–51), or the author of 4 Macabee in 4 Macabee 16:16-23, and Seneca with similar list as in Hebrews 11 (Ben. 3.36.2–3.38.2; 5.16.1–5.17–3).[10]
Verse 3
By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.[11]
The list of examples starts appropriately with the creation, indicating that "faith" produces "understanding".[7] The first manifestation of "trust" is connected to how a person of "faith" understands the visible creation as 'strictly secondary' to "things unseen".[10]
The Primordial Heroes (11:4–7)
The first character, Abel, performed an 'acceptable sacrifice' (Genesis 4:4), and died as a martyr (Genesis 4:8).[7] Abel's choice of superior quality of offering compared to Cain's second rate one (Philo, Sacr. AC 52, 57, 88) is related to the presence of "faith", which attests Abel to be "righteous" or "just" (Matthew 23:35; 1 John 3:12; Josephus, Antiq. 1.2.1 §53).[12]Enoch 'pleased God' (Genesis 5:21–24LXX version; Masoretic text: 'walked with God'[13]) and 'translated to heaven' according to Jewish tradition (such as Sirach 44:16; Philo, Mutat. 38; Josephus, Antiq. 1.85; 1 Enoch; 2 Enoch; 3 Enoch),[7] indicating that having faith in God leads to the transcendence of death (cf. verses 4-6, 11-12, 17-19, 35).[13]Noah believed in the 'unseen' event of divine judgment, and 'condemned' the world that didn't believe his preaching of repentance.[14] The LXX version of Genesis 6:9 introduces Noah both as "righteous" and "pleasing to God", thus connects naturally with "righteous" Abel and Enoch, who "pleased God".[13]
Verse 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.[15]
This is one of the four things to be 'impossible' according to this epistle (Hebrews 6:4; 6:18; 10:4; 11:6).[16]
"Must believe that He is": The Arabic version renders "He is" as "He exists".[17]
Moses is known as a faithful servant of God in both Jewish and Christian writings (cf. Sirach 45:1–5; Philo, Vit. Mos. 1:10–11; Josephus Antiq. 2.218; Acts 7:20–34; Hebrews 3:1–6).[14]
The Faith of Prophets and Martyrs (11:29–40)
A group of biblical characters is listed with shorter recounts.[18]
Verse 35
Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.[19]
