Friday in Easter Week
free while helping to build churches and support pastors in Uganda.
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
Wycliffe Bible
Hebrews 11:2
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalDevotionals:
- EveryParallel Translations
For by it our ancestors won God’s approval.
For by it the Elders obtained a good report.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
For by it the people of old received their commendation.
For by it the people of old gained approval.
Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past.
For by it the men of old gained approval.
For by it the men of old gained approval.
This is why the ancients were commended.
It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.
It was for this that Scripture attested the merit of the people of old.
For in [the power of] this the elders have obtained testimony.
God was pleased with the people who lived a long time ago because they had faith like this.
For by it our elders were wel reported of.
And in this way it became a testimonial of the elders.
It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.
For by this the people of old were approved.
For by this the elders obtained witness.
For by this [kind of] faith the men of old gained [divine] approval.
For therein the elders had witness borne to them.
For by it our fathers had God's approval.
For by this, the Zakenim obtained testimony.
For by it our ancestors won approval.Hebrews 11:39;">[xr]
And for this was the testimony concerning the elders.
And for it the ancients are well testified of.
For by it, the elders obtayned a good report.
For therein the elders had witness borne to them.
For by this, the elders obtained testimony.
And by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
For by it the saints of old won God's approval.
For therein the elders had witness borne to them.
For by it the elders obtained a good report.
For by it the people of old received God's commendation.
For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
God was pleased with the men who had faith who lived long ago.
Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
For, thereby, well-attested were the ancients.
For by this the ancients obtained a testimony.
For by it the men of old received divine approval.
By it ye elders were well reported of.
for in this were the elders testified of;
By it ye Elders were well reported of.
and it was for their faith that our fore-fathers acquired so great a reputation.
Back in the old days, this is what people lived by and that brought a smile to God's face.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
the elders: Hebrews 11:4-39
Reciprocal: Genesis 26:4 - multiply Joshua 2:9 - I know Ecclesiastes 7:1 - name Jeremiah 6:16 - Stand Luke 5:39 - General Acts 10:22 - of good Acts 16:2 - was Acts 22:12 - having Philippians 4:8 - are of Hebrews 11:39 - General Hebrews 12:1 - seeing
Cross-References
Sotheli the bigynnyng of his rewme was Babiloyne, and Arach, and Archad, and Thalamye, in the lond of Sennaar.
And therfor the name therof was clepid Babel, for the langage of al erthe was confoundide there; and fro thennus the Lord scaterede hem on the face of alle cuntrees.
And Loth chees to him the cuntre aboute Jordan, and departide fro the eest; and thei weren departid ech fro his brother.
Forsothe it was don in that tyme, that Amrafel, kyng of Sennaar, and Ariok, kyng of Ponte, and Chodorlaomor, kyng of Elemytis,
And it schal be in that day, the Lord schal adde the secounde tyme his hond to haue in possessioun the residue of his puple that schal be left, of Assiriens, and of Egipt, and of Fethros, and of Ethiope, and of Elan, and of Sennar, and of Emath, and of ylis of the see.
And the Lord bitook in his hond Joachym, the kyng of Juda, and he took a part of the vessels of the hous of God; and he bar out tho in to the lond of Sennaar, in to the hous of his god, and he took the vessels in to the hous of tresour of his god.
And he seide to me, That an hous be bildid therto in the lond of Sennaar, and be stablischid, and set there on his foundement.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For by it the elders obtained a good report. By whom are meant, not merely old men, or elders in age, but such who lived in ancient times; some before the flood, and to a great age, and others who were in office, civil or ecclesiastical, and were the ancestors and predecessors of the Hebrews; who in general obtained or received a good report from God; that they were the chosen of God, and were justified and accepted with him; that they were the children and friends of God, and should be glorified; and from men, from good men, for their faith and holiness; and from evil men, for their good works: and these also believed the report of the Gospel, and gave a good report of God, and of the good land, and adorned their profession; particularly, Abel received a good report, that he was righteous; and Enoch, that he pleased God, and walked with him; and Noah, that he was a just man, perfect in his generation, and also walked with God; and Abraham, that he was a believer, a friend of God, and one that feared and obeyed him; and Job, that he was a man that feared God, and shunned evil; and Moses, that he was a meek man, and a faithful one; and David, that he was a man after God's own heart, and fulfilled his will; and so others: and they received this report by faith, and as a fruit of it; which shows that faith is no new thing, and that the character of a believer is an old and honourable one. The apostle mentions this, to take off the Hebrews from any esteem of their traditionary elders, who had got a name, not by their faith, but by their traditions; and to engage their imitation of men of antiquity, authority, and wisdom superior to them; and to let them know, unless they had the same faith with their ancestors, it would be a vain thing to boast of descent from them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For by it - That is, by that faith which gives reality to things hoped for, and a certain persuasion to the mind of the existence of those things which are not seen.
The elders - The ancients; the Hebrew patriarchs and fathers.
Obtained a good report - Literally, âwere witnessed of;â that is, an honorable testimony was borne to them in consequence of their faith. The idea is, that their acting under the influence of faith, in the circumstances in which they were, was the ground of the honorable testimony which was borne to them in the Old Testament; see this use of the word in Hebrews 7:8, and in Hebrews 7:4 of this chapter. Also Luke 4:22; Acts 15:8. In the cases which the apostle proceeds to enumerate in the subsequent part of the chapter, he mentions those whose piety is particularly commended in the Old Testament, and who showed in trying circumstances that they had unwavering confidence in God.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Hebrews 11:2. For by it the elders obtained a good report. — By the elders are meant ancestors, forefathers, such as the patriarchs and prophets, several of whom he afterwards particularly names, and produces some fact from the history of their lives.
It is very remarkable that among the whole there is root one word concerning poor Adam and his wife, though both Abraham and Sarah are mentioned. There was no good report concerning them; not a word of their repentance, faith, or holiness. Alas! alas! did ever such bright suns set in so thick a cloud? Had there been any thing praiseworthy in their life after their fall, any act of faith by which they could have been distinguished, it had surely come out here; the mention of their second son Abel would have suggested it. But God has covered the whole of their spiritual and eternal state with a thick and impenetrable veil. Conjectures relative to their state would be very precarious; little else than hope can be exercised in their favour: but as to them the promise of Jesus was given, so we may believe they found redemption in that blood which was shed from the foundation of the world. Adam's rebellion against his Maker was too great and too glaring to permit his name to be ever after mentioned with honour or respect.
The word εμαÏÏÏ ÏηθηÏαν, which we translate obtained a good report, literally signifies, were witnessed of; and thus leads us naturally to GOD, who by his word, as the succeeding parts of the chapter show, bore testimony to the faith and holiness of his servants. The apostle does not mention one of whom an account is not given in the Old Testament. This, therefore, is God's witness or testimony concerning them.
