Devine Scripture

Hebrews 11:39

What does Hebrews 11:39 mean?

A plain-English look at Hebrews 11:39 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Hebrews 11:39 means

All these were commended for their faith, yet none received the full realization of the promise. God bore witness to them, but the climactic fulfillment awaited a later time. Their lives point forward, not backward. Faith’s approval is already given, but its ultimate object—the perfected salvation God pledged—remained future for them. This teaches that God’s timetable spans generations and that the faithful can live and die without seeing everything, confident that God will complete what he began.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise,

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise,

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And not one of these got the good things of the agreement, though they all had a good record through faith,

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And these all, having obtained witness through faith, did not receive the promise,

Context

After surveying victories and sufferings, the author reiterates the central theme: divine commendation comes through faith. Yet he adds that the promise remained unfulfilled for them in this life. This sets up the final verse’s explanation—that God had something better planned involving “us,” so that the culmination would include both earlier saints and present believers together. The horizon is corporate and eschatological.

v.38(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.

v.39This passage

v.40God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Luke 10:23

    And turning to the disciples, he said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:

  • Hebrews 11:13

    These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

  • 1 Peter 1:12

    To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

  • Hebrews 11:2

    For therein the elders had witness borne to them.

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