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Hebrews 11 Bible study: Assurance of things hoped for

Hebrews 11 opens by saying what faith is, "assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen" (11:1), and the first By faith is said not of anyone from the past but of "we" (11:3). Of those who died in faith it says they had "seen them and embraced them from afar" (11:13).

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“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1 · World English Bible

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“In Hebrews 11, ‘By faith’ is said of ‘we’ before it is said of anyone the chapter names.”

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What's really going on

Now faith is

In the text

The chapter opens: "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. For by this, the elders obtained approval. By faith we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible." (11:1-3). The first verse says what faith is (tap assurance). The second says what came "by this": "the elders obtained approval" (11:2) (tap obtained approval). These notes explain 11:1-3 no further than their words, and apply 11:3 to no account of how the universe came to be.

Where the Old Testament leads here

The reproach of Christ

In the text

Exodus 2:11leads toHebrews 11:24-26

Grown up in Pharaoh's house, Moses "went out to his brothers and saw their burdens" (2:11). Hebrews says, "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill treatment with God’s people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" (Hebrews 11:24-26).

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Hebrews 11

That was a taste

The rest of Hebrews 11 is waiting in Favor

  • By faith, verse after verse
  • What more shall I say?
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  • These all died in faith
  • Lines that land here
  • Set beside this chapter elsewhere in Favor
  • 10 questions as you read
  • 9 more Greek words
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The Greek word behind it

πίστιςpistissay PEES-tis

Strong's: "persuasion, i.e. credence". "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen." (11:1): behind faith is this noun. Hebrews has it 32 times in 31 verses, and this chapter has it 24 times in 23 verses (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares). Favor's introduction to Hebrews counts the verses of this chapter that open with By faith.

For your group

Hebrews 11 Bible study questions

  1. 1"Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen." (11:1). How would you say this verse in your own words?
  2. 2"he is a rewarder of those who seek him" (11:6). What does seeking God look like in an ordinary week?
  3. 3"having seen them and embraced them from afar" (11:13). What do you think it means to embrace something from afar?

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home