40 verses
Hebrews 11 presents faith as the foundational principle that enabled biblical figures to achieve God's purposes, illustrating it through a succession of exemplars from the Creation narrative to the early Israelites.
The chapter opens with a definition of faith as the substance of hope and the evidence of unseen things, then lists a series of faithful individuals—Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rahab, and others—each demonstrating trust in God's promises despite lack of immediate fulfillment. It recounts their deeds: Abel's offering, Noah's ark, Abraham's obedience, Moses' leadership, Rahab's sheltering of spies, and the faith of various judges, prophets, and kings. The narrative underscores that faith is not a passive belief but an active trust that often requires sacrifice and endurance, as seen in Abraham offering Isaac and Moses refusing Pharaoh’s favor. The chapter concludes that although these figures received good reports through faith, they did not fully attain the promised blessings, pointing forward to a greater, heavenly inheritance. This exhortation serves as a model for readers to pursue faith in anticipation of the divine promise.
mixed
The text celebrates faith and divine favor but also acknowledges longing and suffering among faithful individuals.