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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

Chinese NCV (Simplified)

希伯来书 11:2

因著這信心,古人得到了稱許。

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Elder;   Faith;   Thompson Chain Reference - Ancient Heroes;   Battle of Life;   Faith;   Faith-Unbelief;   Heroes, Ancient;   Reputation;   The Topic Concordance - Faith/faithfulness;   Hope;   Substance;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Faith;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Faith;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Self-Denial;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hebrews;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ethics;   Faith;   Hebrews, Epistle to;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abel;   Honest;   Noah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Cherubim;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Presbyter;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for March 27;  

Parallel Translations

Chinese Union (Simplified)
古 人 在 这 信 上 得 了 美 好 的 证 据 。

Contextual Overview

1 Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. 2 Faith is the reason we remember great people who lived in the past. 3 It is by faith we understand that the whole world was made by God's command so what we see was made by something that cannot be seen.

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

Genesis 10:10
At first Nimrod's kingdom covered Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the land of Babylonia.
Genesis 11:9
The place is called Babel since that is where the Lord confused the language of the whole world. So the Lord caused them to spread out from there over the whole world.
Genesis 13:11
So Lot chose to move east and live in the Jordan Valley. In this way Abram and Lot separated.
Genesis 14:1
Now Amraphel was king of Babylonia, Arioch was king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer was king of Elam, and Tidal was king of Goiim.
Isaiah 11:11
At that time the Lord will again reach out and take his people who are left alive in Assyria, North Egypt, South Egypt, Cush, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and all the islands of the sea.
Daniel 1:2
The Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture Jehoiakim king of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar also took some of the things from the Temple of God, which he carried to Babylonia and put in the temple of his gods.
Zechariah 5:11
"They are going to Babylonia to build a temple for it," he answered. "When the temple is ready, they will set the basket there in its place."

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, “were witnessed of;” 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 εμαρτυρηθησαν, 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.


 
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