Hebrews 11.39-40

type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: Hebrews chapter: 11 verses: "39-40" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false

Quoted in

Hebrews 11.39-40

Book: Hebrews · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"37. they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38. (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth."

"39. And these all, having had witness borne to them through their faith, received not the promise, 40. God having provided some better thing concerning us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:37-40, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"37. They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38. (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth."

"39. These all, having had testimony given to them through their faith, didn’t receive the promise, 40. God having provided some better thing concerning us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:37-40, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"37. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38. (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth."

"39. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. ^{provided: or, foreseen}" (Hebrews 11:37-40, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"37. they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated, 38. of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and [in] mountains, and [in] caves, and [in] the holes of the earth;"

"39. and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise, 40. God for us something better having provided, that apart from us they might not be made perfect." (Hebrews 11:37-40, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: unknown author (traditionally Paul; modern scholarship: possibly Apollos, Barnabas, Priscilla, or unknown)
Audience: Jewish-Christian community tempted to revert to Judaism
Location: composition unknown
Time period: composed c. AD 60-69 (before the AD 70 temple destruction, given the present-tense temple-language)

Theological reading

Key words

G2316 - theos, theos (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: Matthew 1.23, Matthew 3.16, Matthew 5.9.
G3956 - pas, pas (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: Matthew 1, Matthew 2.1-6, Matthew 2.16.
G4102 - pistis, pistis (Strong's G4102). Also appears in: Matthew 8.5-12, Matthew 15, Matthew 23.

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.