Hebrews 11:39 · Bible study
Hebrews 11:39 Commentary: Faithful Heroes and the Promise Not Yet Received
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did OT heroes of faith not receive the promise? Discover what they waited for and how their hope connects to ours.
Research Summary
- Meaning: OT heroes were approved by God for their faith, yet they did not see the fulfillment of the Messianic promise in their lifetimes.
- Key words: μαρτυρηθέντες (commended/testified), ἐπαγγελίαν (promise), πίστεως (faith).
- Main debate: Is the promise personal (Messiah) or eschatological (final inheritance)? Most agree both are in view.
- Theological theme: The tension between present faith and future fulfillment; the unity of the people of God across the ages.
- Best use: Encouragement for believers waiting for God’s promises to be realized.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
These were all commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised.
WEB World English Bible 2000
These all, having been commended for their faith, didn’t receive the promise,
KJV King James Version 1769
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,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and these all, having been testified to through the faith, did not receive the promise,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And these all, having obtained witness through faith, did not receive the promise,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And all these, being approved by the testimony of faith, received not the promise:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y todos éstos, aprobados por testimonio de la fe, no recibieron la promesa;
E todos esses, mesmo tendo testemunho pela fé, não alcançaram a promessa,
Tous ceux-là, à la foi desquels il a été rendu témoignage, n’ ont pas obtenu ce qui leur était promis,
Diese alle haben durch den Glauben Zeugnis überkommen und nicht empfangen die Verheißung,
En deze allen, hebbende door het geloof getuigenis gehad, hebben de belofte niet verkregen;
E tutti costoro, pur avendo avuto buona testimonianza per la loro fede, non ottennero quello ch’era stato promesso,
A ci wszyscy świadectwo otrzymawszy przez wiarę, nie dostąpili obietnicy.
И все сии, свидетельствованные в вере, не получили обещанного,
這些 人 都是因 信 得了美好的證據，卻仍未 得著 所應許 的；
And not one of these got the good things of the agreement, though they all had a good record through faith,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 11:39
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the 'promise' not received refers to the grand fulfillment of God's saving plan, specifically the coming of the Messiah and the full redemption He would bring. Adam Clarke identifies this as the promise of the Anointed One, not yet manifested in the flesh. Gill agrees, calling the Messiah 'the Promise' emphatically. Barnes points to 'the fulfillment of the promise' still future to them. Calvin uses the verse to argue from the lesser to the greater: if they endured with so little light, how much more should we, who have the full Gospel, persevere? Jamieson-Fausset-Brown adds the eschatological dimension: the final completion of salvation at Christ's coming. All concur that these saints, though approved by God, did not receive the ultimate consummation in their lifetimes.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Old Testament heroes of faith were commended by God yet did not see the fulfillment of the ultimate promise in their lifetimes.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the Promise | It refers to the grand fulfillment of God's saving plan, the Messiah and/or the final inheritance. | Some emphasize the personal coming of Christ (Clarke, Gill); others stress the eschatological inheritance at Christ's return (JFB, Calvin). Both agree the promise is ultimately Christ-centered. |
| The Commendation | God bore witness to their faith; their approval came from trust, not from visible results. | Whether the commendation refers primarily to their actions and sufferings or to the quality of their trust in unseen realities. The Greek marturēthentes can imply testimony to character or to deeds. |
| The 'Not Receiving' | They died without seeing the fulfillment of the ultimate promise. | Whether they experienced partial fulfillments (Canaan, victories, deliverances) while still awaiting the final promise, or whether they had no foretaste at all. Most allow foretastes but maintain the main promise remained unfulfilled. |
| Connection to New Testament Believers | There is a unity between OT saints and NT believers; both are part of the same story of redemption. | The 'better thing' (v.40) is identified by some as the atoning death of Christ (Stuart, Gill), by others as the full revelation of the gospel (Calvin), or the final resurrection (JFB). |
| Application to Suffering | Their example encourages perseverance under trial. | How to apply this to modern suffering without promising visible deliverance. Some see it as a call to endure without worldly reward; others emphasize the hope of resurrection beyond suffering. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The recipients of Hebrews were struggling Christians, likely Jewish believers, tempted to abandon their confession under pressure. The letter's author writes to show that Jesus is superior to angels, Moses, and the priesthood, and that faith is the way to hold fast. Chapter 11 surveys heroes from Abel to the prophets, demonstrating faith in action despite hardship. These figures lived under the old covenant, looking forward to promises that would find their center in Christ.
The 'promise' they did not receive is the fulfillment of what God announced to Abraham, a seed through whom all nations would be blessed, a coming deliverer, and ultimately a new creation. Cultural background: the Jewish expectation of a messianic age was fervent; many assumed it would come in their lifetime. Yet the Old Testament saints died without seeing it. The author uses their example to show that faith trusts God even when the timeline extends beyond one's life.
The Greek participle marturēthentes ('having been commended') echoes Hebrews 11:2, where the elders 'obtained approval' through faith. God himself is the witness; their faith pleases him even when the fulfillment is delayed. This context sharpens the exhortation: if they could endure without seeing the promise, how much more should the audience endure, having seen it in part through Christ? The historical layers, from Abraham's journey to the martyrs under Antiochus, all point to the same pattern: faith persists without the full prize yet in hand.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Hebrews 11:39. The Greek text is well established across manuscripts, with only minor orthographic variations in a few later copies.
Reception History
Early church fathers like Chrysostom saw in this verse the unity of the two testaments: the saints of old trusted the same Christ, though they did not see him. In the Reformation, Calvin pressed the argument from the lesser to the greater, calling believers under the gospel to a higher standard of faithfulness. Methodist commentators such as Clarke and Wesley used it to comfort those who die before seeing God's promises fulfilled in their lifetime. Across traditions, Hebrews 11:39 has been a foundation for teaching that faith trusts God's word even when the outcome remains unseen. Medieval and modern hymns (e.g., 'Faith of Our Fathers') echo this theme of perseverance beyond visible reward.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faith Approved by God. The phrase 'having been commended' (μάρτυρες, witnesses) reminds us that God himself testifies to faith. Their approval came not from results but from trust in the unseen.
- Promise Deferred. 'Did not receive the promise', the Messiah and the full redemption he brings. These heroes died without seeing the central fulfillment of God's plan.
- Patience in the Gap. Their example teaches us that faith endures even when the timeline extends beyond our lifetime. We are part of the same story.
Five-point outline
- The Witness of Faith. Marturēthentes, God bears witness to their trust, not to their success.
- The Specific Promise. The Messiah, the eternal inheritance, the resurrection, the heart of the new covenant.
- The Fact of Non-Receipt. They died with the promise unfulfilled in their sight but grasped by faith.
- The Better Thing for Us. Verse 40 shows that Christ's coming and atonement are that better thing, available to us and effective for them.
- The Call to Persevere. Since we have more light, we are called to hold fast even when the final consummation tarries.
Illustration hooks
- Waiting for a long-promised inheritance, the paperwork delayed for years, the heirs trust the promise without seeing the money yet.
- A student working toward a degree, trusting that the years of study will pay off, even before the career begins.
- Farmers planting seeds in spring, knowing the harvest is months away, they live by the promise of rain and sun.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If I die before Jesus returns, has my faith failed?
- How do I keep believing when God seems slow to answer a long-standing prayer?
- Does this verse mean OT saints are in heaven now, or still waiting for the final resurrection?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges our desire for immediate results. The heroes of faith were commended by God but died without seeing the promise they trusted. Their example calls us to patience and hope that reaches beyond this life. Use these questions to explore what the promise means and how we live in the gap.
Discussion questions
- What does it mean that these heroes were 'commended'? Who is doing the commending?
- What promise do you think the author has in mind? How do the surrounding verses shape your answer?
- Why does the author emphasize that they did not receive it? How does that affect your view of their faith?
- Read Hebrews 11:13. How does that verse help explain what is meant by 'not receiving the promises'?
- How does this verse connect to verse 40? What is the 'better thing' provided for us?
- In your life, where are you waiting for a promise from God that has not yet been fulfilled? How does this passage encourage you?
- How can we as a group support each other during seasons of waiting?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Luke 10:23 | Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, |
| Luke 10:24 | for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.” |
| Hebrews 11:2 | For by this, the elders obtained approval. |
| Hebrews 11:13 | These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. |
| I Peter 1:12 | To them it was revealed that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the unreceived promise as the Messiah himself, not a lesser blessing. These Old Testament faithful heard of Christ only by tradition and never saw him manifested in the flesh, yet faith sustained them through persecution until death.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that while these faithful individuals received God's approval and commendation for their confidence in Him, they did not actually receive what had been promised. They still looked ahead to future blessings that would be fulfilled later.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues from the lesser to the greater: if Old Testament saints endured so much with only a dim spark of grace, how much more should the full brightness of the Gospel produce in us? A small light led them to heaven; we have no excuse if we still cling to earth with the sun of righteousness shining on us.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights a paradox: these faithful people received God's own testimony commending them, yet they did not see the fulfillment of the great promise. Their faith earned witness, but not fruition in their lifetime.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And these all through faith obteined good report, and receiued not the promise,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes the promise these saints did not receive: it was not the land, victory, or eternal life, but the promised Messiah himself. They had God's word but not the incarnate Son. This contrast between holding the promise and receiving the reality underscores the call for believers after Christ's coming to persevere in faith.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that the faithful did obtain a partial promise, blessedness in spirit after death through faith in a coming Christ. Yet they did not receive the final promise, resurrection glory, because that full blessedness waits for the entire company of the elect to be perfected together at Christ's return.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the Old Testament heroes demonstrated their faith not only in spectacular victories but equally in suffering and endurance. God held back the final Messianic promise from them so that they would be made perfect together with us, uniting all believers in a common journey toward the same goal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that the apostle, acting like a skilled speaker, deliberately cuts his list short. The rhetorical question "What shall I more say?" signals that the subject is inexhaustible, so he offers only a summary, trusting readers to fill in the details from their knowledge of Scripture.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the faithful people listed in Hebrews 11 received a good testimony from God for their faith, yet they did not obtain the great promise during their lives. That promise was the heavenly inheritance, which would only be fully realised later in Christ.