<- Previous   First   Next ->

‘and if their words, when they so spoke, had been directed to the country from which they went...’ ‘if they had meant that....’ The imperfect is used rather
than the aorist (
oJmologhvsante" ) since the words were the expression of a continuous state of mind.
ajfj h|" ejxevbhsan ] The word ejkbaivnein occurs here only in N. T. ( baivnein does not occur at all). It gives a more personal colour to the act than the general word ejxh'lqon used before. Compare Heb. 11:29 dievbhsan .
ei\con a]n kairovn ...] Vulg. habebant utique tempus revertendi. Comp. Acts 24:25 kairo;n metalabwvn . Gal. 6:10 wJ" kairo;n e[comen . For ajnakavmyai see Matt. 2:12; Lk. 10:6; Acts 18:21.

Heb. 11:16. nu'n dev ...] But now , as the case is,...see 1 Cor. 7:14; 12:20; Heb. 8:6 note.

Though their expectation received no definite fulfilment, the desire remained still fresh; and all partial fulfilments led them to look forward, and to look beyond the transitory.

For ojrevgontai (Vulg. adpetunt ), which is not in the LXX. see 1 Tim. 3:1; 6:10; and for ejpouranivou , see Heb. 3:1 note.
diov ...] wherefore ..., because their thoughts were directed to spiritual realities, God, Who is spirit, acknowledged them as His own, revealing Himself as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’ (Ex. 3:6, 15 f.; Matt. 22:32). Compare Chrysostom: oJ th'" oijkoumevnh" qeo;" oujk ejpaiscuvnetai triw'n kalei'sqai qeov" : eijkovtw" : ouj ga;r th'" oijkoumevnh" ajlla; murivwn toiouvtwn eijsi;n ajntivrropoi oiJ a{gioi .
oujk ejpaisc. aujtouv" ... qeo;" ejpik. ...] God is not ashamed of them, not
ashamed to be called their God.
Vulg. non confunditur deus vocari deus eorum.

The second clause is added in explanation: ‘is not ashamed of them, is not ashamed, that is, to be called’—named by a peculiar title (Acts 4:36; 10:5, 18, 32 &c.)—‘their God.’

The title ‘the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’ is the characteristic name of God at the Exodus: Ex. 3:6. For ejpaisc. aujtouv" see Mark 8:28; Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:8, 16; and for ( ejpaisc. ) ejpikalei'sqai Heb. 2:11.
hJtoivm. ga;r auj. p. ] The proof of God's acceptance of the patriarchs lies in what He did for them. Their faith truly corresponded with His purpose. They entered into His design and He acknowledged their devotion and trust. He was pleased to establish a personal relation with them, and to fulfil His spiritual promise; for ‘He prepared for them a city.’ He made provision for their abiding continuance with Him in the fulness of human life. The statement is made in the most absolute form without any definition of time (‘He had prepared,’ or ‘thereupon He prepared’).

The fulfilment of the promise in its highest form is set before us as social and not simply as personal. God prepared for His chosen not a home but a ‘city,’ a Divine Commonwealth (Vulg. paravit illis civitatem ). Ps. 107:36. For the idea of povli" see Additional Note on Heb. 11:10; and for eJtoimavzein compare John 14:2; Apoc. 21:2.

( b ) The patriarchal Faith of sacrifice (against natural judgment) (Heb. 11:18-22).

From the general description of the life of faith in the patriarchs, to


<- Previous   First   Next ->