Hebrews 11:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

NIV: And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.

NASB: By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.

CSB: By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she considered that the one who had promised was faithful.

NLT: It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.

KJV: Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

NKJV: By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.

This passage from Hebrews details Old Testament heroes who obeyed God, despite not fully understanding the future. This forward-looking trust, based on their experiences with God, is what the book of Hebrews commends as faith that pleases God. Prior examples given were Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham.

This reference is to Abraham's wife, Sarah (Genesis 16:1). Despite being barren for some ninety years, she was able to conceive and birth a son, just as God had promised (Genesis 17:15–16; 21:1–2). This verse is particularly interesting, since Sarah is commended for her faith—her trust that God could make such a thing happen. And yet, we see that at one point, Sarah and Abraham tried to "help out" God by using her servant Hagar as a surrogate mother (Genesis 16:2–4). Even the name of that promised child—Isaac, meaning "laughter"—was a reference to the reaction of both Abraham and Sarah to God's initial promise of a natural-born child (Genesis 17:17; 18:12): they laughed.

The lesson, it seems, is that Sarah's initial doubts, and occasional failures, did not prove that she lacked genuine faith in God. This, too, should be reassuring to the readers of this passage. While the writer of Hebrews is commending faith—specifically, a trusting reliance on God—he brings examples which are just as flawed as we are. Later, as the theme shifts to faith in the face of more dire circumstances, we will see that true "faith" does not make a person morally or spiritually perfect.

Hebrews 11:4–16 gives examples of figures from the Old Testament who demonstrated faith in God and were blessed as a result. Persons such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah are commended for their trust in God's promises. In particular, this segment of the book of Hebrews focuses on those who heard from God, obeyed, and were blessed. While their actions are important, the common theme of these early references is obedience to God when fulfillment of His promises seems distant. The following passage will explore a similar idea, but in the context of those who demonstrated faith in the face of more immediate hardship.

True, godly faith is defined as trust, relying on God when looking to the future, and obeying even when we don't fully understand all details. The great figures of the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Moses, and David, all lived according to this type of faith. Ultimately, that means trusting God's intent to make good on His promises from an eternal perspective. The model of faith presented by those people, in light of the struggles they faced, ought to inspire Christians towards a more confident, purposeful faith.

Up to this point, the book of Hebrews has given extensive evidence proving that Jesus Christ, and the new covenant He brought about, is God's ultimate plan for mankind's salvation. Chapter 10 provided an additional warning about the danger of falling away from this truth. Chapter 11 begins by clarifying the meaning of the word ''faith,'' primarily by listing examples of Old Testament figures who exemplify it. The ultimate application of this knowledge should be a motivation to ''hold fast'' to the gospel, despite hardships. That encouragement is a major theme of chapter 12.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.