ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Hebrews 11.17-19

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV

15. And if indeed they had been mindful of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.

17. By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac: yea, he that had gladly received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18. even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19. accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back.

  1. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. (Hebrews 11:15-21, ASV)
WEB

15. If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had enough time to return. 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17. By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son, 18. to whom it was said, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac”; 19. concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.

  1. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. 21. By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. (Hebrews 11:15-21, WEB)
KJV

15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 16. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

17. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18. Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: of: or, to 19. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

  1. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. (Hebrews 11:15-21, KJV)
YLT

15. and if, indeed, they had been mindful of that from which they came forth, they might have had an opportunity to return, 16. but now they long for a better, that is, an heavenly, wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He did prepare for them a city.

17. By faith Abraham hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises, 18. of whom it was said, 'In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;' 19. reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive [him].

  1. By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless Jacob and Esau; 21. by faith Jacob dying, each of the sons of Joseph did bless, and did bow down upon the top of his staff; (Hebrews 11:15-21, YLT)

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Setting

  • Speaker: the anonymous author of Hebrews. Pauline authorship was doubted in antiquity and Origen concluded that who wrote it, God knows
  • Audience: Jewish believers under pressure to fall back from Christ into the older covenant observances
  • Location: unknown; the closing greeting from those of Italy (13:24) points in two directions at once
  • Time period: most likely before AD 70, since the sacrificial system is discussed as still operating

Theological reading

By faith Abraham, being tried, offered up Isaac... accounting that God is able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back.

The chapter's treatment of the Akedah supplies a motive the Genesis narrative leaves unstated, and it is the most theologically loaded verse in the chapter.

The tension the author names. Abraham had received the promises, and it was said in Isaac shall thy seed be called. The command to offer Isaac therefore threatened the promise itself. This is what makes the episode a trial rather than merely a hard instruction: obedience appeared to require the destruction of the thing obedience had been promised.

The resolution offered. Abraham accounted that God is able to raise the dead. The verb is logizomai, the reckoning word Paul uses throughout Romans 4 of Abraham's faith. Hebrews presents his faith as a piece of reasoning from God's character and promise to a conclusion about what God must be able to do, which is a far more robust account than blind submission.

In a figure. En parabole, in a parable or type. Receiving Isaac back from the altar is treated as a figure of resurrection, which is why the Akedah has always been read Christologically: a father, an only son, a three-day journey, wood carried by the son, a substitute provided.

See Akedah and Resurrection of the Body.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

Quoted in

Arguments and defeaters:

Concepts:

Lexicon:

Passages:

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.