Saints Translation

By Vincent Melli

Hebrews — Greek text and reception

ApostleSteadfast conviction

Hebrews 11 — Greek text and reception

Saints Translation: Hebrews 1–13 [V2]

Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.

Chapter 11

Faith and the unseen

Verse 11:1

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of realities not seen.

Textual & Reception Notes

Assurance renders hypostasis, with substance or underlying reality as another sense; conviction renders elenchos, also proof or demonstration. The phrasing is a translation choice, not a claim that faith lacks an objective referent.

Verse 11:2

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For by it the elders received testimony.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:3

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith we understand that the ages were formed by God’s word, so that what is seen did not come into being from visible things.

Textual & Reception Notes

Ages renders aiōnes, as in 1:2, encompassing the created order through time. The negative says that visible things were not the source of what is seen; an expanded philosophical formula is not inserted.

Verse 11:4

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, through which he received testimony that he was righteous, God testifying concerning his gifts; and through it, though he died, he still speaks.

Textual & Reception Notes

Through which may refer to Abel’s faith or sacrifice; through it preserves that linkage without adding a new noun.

Verse 11:5

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Enoch was taken away so as not to see death, and he was not found, because God took him away. For before his taking away he had received testimony that he had pleased God.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:6

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one approaching God must believe that He is and that He becomes a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:7

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Noah, instructed concerning things not yet seen, acted with reverent fear and prepared an ark for the salvation of his household. Through this he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness according to faith.

Textual & Reception Notes

Abraham and the promised homeland

Verse 11:8

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Abraham, when called, obeyed by going out to a place he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out without knowing where he was going.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:9

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith he lived as a foreigner in the land of the promise as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:10

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For he was awaiting the city that has foundations, whose craftsman and maker is God.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:11

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith he received power for begetting offspring even with Sarah herself, and beyond the proper age, since he considered the One who promised faithful.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G, A]: The running text has dative autē Sarrā, not nominative Sarah as in the compared main editions, and lacks barren. Abraham is the supplied continuing subject; with Sarah herself is a provisional associative construal of the dative. Katabolē spermatos is rendered begetting offspring. This difficult construction requires specialist review.

Text [G]: NA28 reads Σάρρα στεῖρα, barren (SBLGNT has no στεῖρα, and its Σάρρᾳ is dative, a difference TAGNT files under spelling); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would read "Sarah herself, barren, received power".

Verse 11:12

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Therefore from one man, and that one as good as dead, there were born as many as the stars of heaven in multitude and as the innumerable sand along the seashore.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:13

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

All these died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen and greeted them from afar and confessed that they were strangers and sojourners upon the earth.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:14

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

For those who say such things make clear that they are seeking a homeland.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:15

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And if their thoughts are on that land from which they went out, they would have opportunity to return.

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G, A]: The accessed verb mnēmoneuousin is present, whereas the compared majority of editions have imperfect emnēmoneuon. The English preserves the present premise rather than silently replacing it with had been thinking.

Text [G]: NA28 reads imperfect ἐμνημόνευον (SBLGNT present μνημονεύουσιν); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would read "if they had been thinking of that land".

Verse 11:16

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

But now they desire a better one, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Textual & Reception Notes

Faith in the patriarchs

Verse 11:17

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Abraham, when tested, offered Isaac; and the one who had welcomed the promises was offering his only son,

Textual & Reception Notes

Only son renders monogenēs in the specific promise relationship developed in the next verse; the wording is not expanded to deny the existence of Abraham’s other children.

Verse 11:18

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

to whom it had been said, “In Isaac offspring will be named for you.”

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:19

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

He reckoned that God is able even to raise from the dead; from there he also received him back in a figure.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:20

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau also concerning things to come.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:21

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped over the top of his staff.

Textual & Reception Notes

Staff preserves rhabdos in Hebrews’ quotation. It is not harmonized with a different reading of the Genesis passage.

Verse 11:22

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Joseph, when coming to his end, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions concerning his bones.

Textual & Reception Notes

Moses and the people’s deliverance

Verse 11:23

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Moses, when born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful and did not fear the king’s decree.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:24

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Moses, when grown, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter,

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:25

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:26

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking toward the reward.

Textual & Reception Notes

Christ translates the explicit Christos; the wording belongs to Hebrews’ interpretation of Moses and is not a newly inserted title in Exodus.

Verse 11:27

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger, for he endured as though seeing the invisible One.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:28

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:29

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith they crossed the Red Sea as through dry land; when the Egyptians attempted it, they were swallowed up.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:30

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith the walls of Jericho fell after being encircled for seven days.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:31

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who disobeyed, having received the spies in peace.

Textual & Reception Notes

Victories, suffering, and the promise

Verse 11:32

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me as I recount Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets,

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:33

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:34

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

extinguished the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword, were strengthened from weakness, became mighty in battle, and turned back the armies of foreigners.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:35

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

Women received their dead through resurrection. But others were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Textual & Reception Notes

Tortured renders etympanisthēsan, a term associated with beating or a torture frame. The verse leaves the sufferers unnamed; no identification is inserted into the translation.

Verse 11:36

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And others experienced mockings and scourgings, and also bonds and imprisonment.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:37

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

They were stoned, sawn apart, and died by slaughter with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, and mistreated—

Textual & Reception Notes

Text [G, A]: Were tempted is absent between the stated tortures in the accessed running text; no extra clause is added.

Verse 11:38

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes of the earth.

Textual & Reception Notes

Verse 11:39

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

And all, having received testimony through their faith, did not receive the promise,

Textual & Reception Notes

The promise here is singular, while particular promises were obtained in 11:33. The distinction in number is preserved.

Text [G]: NA28 reads Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες (SBLGNT Καὶ πάντες); the rendering above follows SBLGNT, and NA28 would read "And all these, having received testimony".

Verse 11:40

Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)

since God had provided something better concerning us, so that they should not be perfected apart from us.

Textual & Reception Notes