the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural masculine
God
θεὸςtheos
G2316
figuratively · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
for
γὰρgar
G1063
properly · conjunction
prepared
ἡτοίμασενhētoimasen
G2090
to prepare · verb — aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
them
αὐτῶν·autōn
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive plural masculine
city
πόλιν.¶polin
G4172
a town (properly · noun — accusative singular feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Hebrews 13:14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Hebrews 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation…
John 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Genesis 17:7-8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God u…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Hebrews 11:4-31
The apostle, having given us a more general account of the grace of faith, now proceeds to set before us some illustrious examples of it in the Old Testament times, and these may be divided into two classes: - 1. Those whose names are mentioned, and the particular exercise and actings of whose faith are specified. 2. Those whose names are barely mentioned, and an account given in general of the exploits of their faith, which it is left to the reader to accommodate, and apply to the particular persons from what he gathers up in the sacred story. We have here those whose names are not only mentioned, but the particular trials and actings of their faith are subjoined.
I. The leading instance an…
Proving the truth that the old fathers did not, as some assert, "look only for transitory promises" [Article VII, Book of Common Prayer].
now--as the case is.
is not ashamed--Greek, "Is not ashamed of them." Not merely once did God call himself their God, but He is NOW not ashamed to have Himself called so, they being alive and abiding with Him where He is. For, by the law, God cannot come into contact with anything dead. None remained dead in Christ's presence (Luk 20:37-38). He who is Lord and Maker of heaven and earth, and all things therein, when asked, What is Thy name? said, omitting all His other titles, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" [THEODO…
But now they desire a better - They all expected spiritual blessings, and a heavenly inheritance; they sought God as their portion, and in such a way and on such principles that he is not ashamed to be called their God; and he shows his affection for them by preparing for them a city, to wit, heaven, as themselves would seek no city on earth; which is certainly what the apostle has here in view. And from this it is evident that the patriarchs had a proper notion of the immortality of the soul, and expected a place of residence widely different from Canaan. Though to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promises were made in which Canaan was so particularly included, yet God did not give them any i…
The Church Fathers
It was opportune of him to use the phrase "he is not ashamed." The Lord of the powers, Master of the angels and Maker of heaven and earth when asked, "What is your name?" passed over all others and said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. This is my name forever, and how I am to be remembered by generations of generations."
"Therefore God is not ashamed." For just as God is called the God of the world, so Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called by Him, having made them counterparts of creation. And this is the greatest honor, to deem God to be called their God. For just as God is adorned by the patriarchs, so He is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "for He has prepared a city for them." God is not ashamed to be called their God. And therefore, He says, He is not ashamed because He has fulfilled their desire. They desired a city in heaven, and He has prepared a city for them in it.
"It is evident that they desired a country better than the land of Canaan, which is heaven." And for this reason God teacheth us clearly that it was not that material land of promise which God promised to shew to Abraham. After He had brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees He made him dwell in Harran, and He did not carry him to the land of Canaan immediately after his coming forth. And again, that Abraham might not think that he heard the report of a reward, and therefore go forth after the voice of God, He did not make known to him at the beginning the name of the country to which He would bring him.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Heaven — (1.) Definitions. The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens, (a) The firmament,…
Immortality — Perpetuity of existence. The doctrine of immortality is taught in the Old Testament. It is plainly implied in the writings of Moses (Gen. 5:22, 24; 25:8; 37:35; 47:9; 49:29, comp. Heb. 11:13-16; Ex.…
Heaven · .A HEAVENLY COUNTRY — .A HEAVENLY COUNTRY
Immortality · 2:11; — 2:11;
Pilgrims And Strangers · As saints they: Look for a heavenly country — As saints they: Look for a heavenly country
Reward Of Saints, The · Prepared by God — Prepared by God
Seeking God · Includes seeking: The city which God has prepared — Includes seeking: The city which God has prepared
Zeal, Religious · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
But now they desire a better country,.... Which is not to be understood of the then present time, in which the apostle wrote; for the patriarchs, of whom he speaks, were not then on earth, nor in any third place between heaven and earth; they were then in heaven; and though there are indeed in heaven desires after perfect happiness, in soul and body; yet this intends the desires of these saints when on earth, and which are common to all believers in the present state of things; who, as the patriarchs desired a better country than Chaldea, or even Canaan itself, so they desire a better country than this world; and such is heaven: it is on high; here are no noxious and pestilential vapours, no…
Hebrews 11:13-16
13. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
13. Secundum fidem mortui sunt isti omnes non acceptis promissionibus, sed quum procul eas vidissent et credidissent [221] et salutassent et confessi essent quod hospites et peregrini erant super terram.
14. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
14. Sane qui haec dicunt ostendunt se patriam inquirere:
15. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.…
Abraham’s family was obviously not longing for the country they came from, since if that had been the case, they could have gone back. Their posture of faith demonstrates a longing for a better place. Their hope was ultimately in God, who rewarded their faith by preparing a heavenly . . . city for them.
