SEV Biblia, Chapter 11:13
En fe murieron todos stos sin haber recibido las promesas; sino mirndolas de lejos, y creyndolas, y abrazndolas; y confesando que eran peregrinos y advenedizos sobre la tierra.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 11:13
Verse 13. These all died in faith] That is, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, continued to believe, to the end of their lives, that God would fulfill this promise; but they neither saw the numerous seed, nor did they get the promised rest in Canaan. Strangers and pilgrims] Strangers, xenoi, persons who are out of their own country, who are in a foreign land: pilgrims, parepidhmoi, sojourners only for a time; not intending to take up their abode in that place, nor to get naturalized in that country.
How many use these expressions, professing to be strangers and pilgrims here below, and yet the whole of their conduct, spirit, and attachments, show that they are perfectly at home! How little consideration and weight are in many of our professions, whether they relate to earth or heaven!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. These all died in faith , etc..] Not all the seed of Abraham, but all the believers in the preceding verses, excepting Enoch, particularly the three patriarchs, with Sarah; these died a corporeal death, which is common to all, to the righteous, and to the wicked; and yet saints die not as other men; they die in faith, having the grace itself, which being once implanted, can never be lost; and sometimes in the exercise of it, as these believers did: they died in the faith of their posterity inheriting the land of Canaan, and in the faith of the promised Messiah, and in the believing views of the heavenly glory; and so to die is comfortable to themselves, and a confirmation of the truth of religion to others, and is very precious, desirable, and gainful. It may be rendered, according to faith; they died according to the life of faith they lived, and the doctrine of faith they professed, being the Lord's both living and dying. Not having received the promises ; the things promised, the land of Canaan, the Messiah, and the blessings of the Gospel dispensation; they had the promises of these things, and though they were not fulfilled in their days, they believed they would be fulfilled, and died in the faith of them: having seen them afar off ; the things themselves in the promise; as Abraham saw the going forth of his posterity out of Egypt, after they had been afflicted four hundred years, and saw the day of Christ at a greater distance still, ( Genesis 15:13,14 John 8:56). And were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them] ; they had a full assurance of faith, that what was promised would be fulfilled; and they took a kind of possession of them before hand, as Abraham did of the land of Canaan, by sojourning in it; as did also Isaac and Jacob; and all of them by faith embraced the Messiah, and dealt with, and laid hold upon his blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and grace, by which they were saved, as New Testament saints are. And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth ; for they sojourned in the land of Canaan, as in a strange land, as the saints do in this world; (see Hebrews 11:9). And they were pilgrims, travelling through this world to the heavenly country, and they confessed themselves to be such, ( Genesis 47:9) nor are believers ashamed to own and confess their mean estate in this world; for it is only with respect to earth, and earthly things, that they are strangers and pilgrims, and only while they are on earth; and it is therefore but for a little time that they are so, ere long they will be at home, and know as they are known.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-19 - We are often called to leave worldly connexions, interests, an comforts. If heirs of Abraham's faith, we shall obey and go forth though not knowing what may befall us; and we shall be found in the way of duty, looking for the performance of God's promises. The trial of Abraham's faith was, that he simply and fully obeyed the call of God Sarah received the promise as the promise of God; being convinced of that, she truly judged that he both could and would perform it. Many who have a part in the promises, do not soon receive the thing promised. Faith can lay hold of blessings at a great distance; can make them present; can love them and rejoice in them, though strangers; a saints, whose home is heaven; as pilgrims, travelling toward their home. By faith, they overcome the terrors of death, and bid a cheerfu farewell to this world, and to all the comforts and crosses of it. An those once truly and savingly called out of a sinful state, have n mind to return into it. All true believers desire the heavenl inheritance; and the stronger faith is, the more fervent those desire will be. Notwithstanding their meanness by nature, their vileness be sin, and the poverty of their outward condition, God is not ashamed to be called the God of all true believers; such is his mercy, such is his love to them. Let them never be ashamed of being called his people, no of any of those who are truly so, how much soever despised in the world. Above all, let them take care that they are not a shame an reproach to their God. The greatest trial and act of faith upon recor is, Abraham's offering up Isaac, Ge 22:2. There, every word shows trial. It is our duty to reason down our doubts and fears, by looking as Abraham did, to the Almighty power of God. The best way to enjoy ou comforts is, to give them up to God; he will then again give them a shall be the best for us. Let us look how far our faith has caused the like obedience, when we have been called to lesser acts of self-denial or to make smaller sacrifices to our duty. Have we given up what wa called for, fully believing that the Lord would make up all our losses and even bless us by the most afflicting dispensations?
Greek Textus Receptus
κατα 2596 πιστιν 4102 απεθανον 599 5627 ουτοι 3778 παντες 3956 μη 3361 λαβοντες 2983 5631 τας 3588 επαγγελιας 1860 αλλα 235 πορρωθεν 4207 αυτας 846 ιδοντες 1492 5631 και 2532 πεισθεντες 3982 5685 και 2532 ασπασαμενοι 782 5666 και 2532 ομολογησαντες 3670 5660 οτι 3754 ξενοι 3581 και 2532 παρεπιδημοι 3927 εισιν 1526 5748 επι 1909 της 3588 γης 1093
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. In faith (kata pistin). See on ver. 7.
Not having received (mh komisamenoi). See on ch. x. 36. They died according to faith, inasmuch as they did not receive. They died under the regimen of faith, and not of sight. For the phrase komizein tav ejpaggeliav to receive the promises, comp. ch. x. 36; xi. 39.
Having seen them afar off (porrwqen autav idontev). By faith; from afar.
Were persuaded of them and embraced them (aspasamenoi). The A.V. completely destroys the beauty of this verse. It reads were persuaded, following T.R. peisqentev, and translates ajspasamenoi embraced, which is a sort of inferential rendering of the original sense to salute or greet. Rend. "having seen them from afar and greeted them": as seamen wave their greeting to a country seen far off on the horizon, on which they cannot land. Lnemann appropriately quotes Virgil, Aen. 3. 522:
"Cum proculi obscuros collis humilemque videmus Italiam. Italiam primus conclamat Achates, Italiam laeto socii clamore salutant."
Confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims (omologhsantev oti xenoi kai parepidhmoi). They admitted and accepted the fact with the resignation of faith, and with the assurance of future rest. Comp. Genesis xxiii. 4; xxiv. 37; xxviii. 4; xlvii. 9; Psalm xxxix. 12; cxix. 19, 54. For parepidhmoi sojourners, see on 1 Pet. i. 1. In the anonymous Epistle to Diognetus, an apologetic letter, probably of the second century, and one of the gems of early Christian literature, occur the following words concerning Christians:
"They inhabit their own country, but as sojourners: they take part in all things as citizens, and endure all things as aliens: every foreign country is theirs, and every country is foreign."
