For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham's faith wasn't just about securing an earthly inheritance; he was actively anticipating a heavenly city. The text emphasizes that this city has "foundations," a direct contrast to the transient tents he lived in, highlighting his hope in an eternal, divinely-built reality.
For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Abraham and his descendants, for generations, lived as nomads, dwelling in temporary tents rather than permanent homes. This verse explains that Abraham’s faith wasn't focused on the fleeting comfort of tents or even the land of Canaan itself, but on an eternal, divinely built city. His hope looked beyond earthly existence to a heavenly dwelling prepared by God, a certainty that sustained his transient life.
Abraham lived in tents, a symbol of his temporary life on earth. But his heart was set on something far more permanent.
The verse contrasts Abraham's nomadic lifestyle with his anticipation of a different kind of dwelling. Tents are by nature impermanent, easily packed up and moved. This perfectly captures the transient nature of earthly life and possessions.
However, Abraham wasn't just looking for a slightly better tent. He was looking forward to a 'city with foundations.' This isn't just any city; it's one 'whose designer and builder is God.' This highlights that true permanence and security are found not in human construction or earthly kingdoms, but in what God Himself creates. It's a place of ultimate stability, rooted in God's eternal nature, not subject to the changes and decay of this world.
The 'designer and builder' of this eternal city isn't human. This detail is crucial for understanding the nature of Abraham's faith.
The text emphasizes that God is both the 'designer' (or architect, 'tekhnites') and 'builder' (or maker, 'demiourgos') of this city. This means the city wasn't an afterthought or a human project that God merely blessed. Instead, it originated entirely within God's plan and execution.
This points to the ultimate source of security and belonging: God Himself. Abraham's faith wasn't placed in earthly promises that might fail, but in the reliable character and power of God to bring His eternal purposes to fruition. This faith saw beyond the immediate circumstances and grasped the reality of God's invisible, eternal kingdom.
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polis · Greek Noun
A place of stable, permanent divine governance and security. It often symbolizes the eternal reality of God's kingdom and the heavenly home awaiting the faithful, as opposed to the temporary nature of earthly dwellings.
This verse highlights that Abraham's faith looked beyond temporary earthly dwellings and even the promised land of Canaan. He anticipated a permanent, divinely built city—a heavenly reality that sustained him through his nomadic life and the long delays in God's promises.
c. 2100 BC
Abraham called from Ur
God calls Abraham to leave his home in Ur and journey to an unknown land, promising to make him a great nation. This marks the beginning of his faith-filled pilgrimage.
c. 2090 BC
Abraham arrives in Canaan
Abraham enters the land of Canaan, but as a sojourner, not an owner. He lives in tents, and the promise of inheritance is still future, testing his faith.
c. 2090-1800 BC— this verse
Patriarchal Sojourning
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live as nomadic tent-dwellers in Canaan, experiencing famine and relying on God's promises rather than earthly possessions.
c. 1875 BC
Joseph sold into Egypt
Jacob's family moves to Egypt due to famine, eventually leading to their enslavement, a stark contrast to the promised inheritance.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, marking a pivotal moment where God begins to fulfill His promise of land and nationhood.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest and Division of Canaan
Under Joshua, the Israelites finally conquer and divide the Promised Land, a partial fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile
The southern kingdom of Judah is conquered by Babylon, its people exiled, and Jerusalem and its temple destroyed, shaking their hope in earthly promises.
This passage describes the 'holy city, new Jerusalem,' descending from God out of heaven, mirroring the divine architect and the permanent, foundational nature of the city Abraham looked forward to.
Philippians 3:20Paul speaks of our 'citizenship in heaven,' emphasizing that believers' true home and hope are not earthly but celestial, aligning with Abraham's faith looking beyond his temporary dwelling.
Genesis 12:1-3This is the foundational promise God made to Abraham, calling him to leave his homeland for a place God would show him, implicitly containing the seed of the heavenly city promised.
Psalm 87:1This psalm mentions 'his foundation is in the holy mountains,' referring to Zion/Jerusalem as a place founded by God, hinting at the divine origin and stability of God's dwelling place which Abraham anticipated.
Hebrews 12:22-24This passage directly contrasts the earthly Jerusalem with the 'heavenly Jerusalem,' the 'church of the firstborn,' linking Abraham's faith to this ultimate, divinely established community.
ellicottHebrews 11:10: "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
(10) A city which hath foundations. —Rather, the city which hath the foundations. The general thought is that which we find expressed in Hebrews 11:14-16 . There, the strangers and pilgrims are seeking for a country of their own; here, the dweller in tents is waiting for the city that hath the foundations. All these verses clearly teach that the promise as apprehended by the patriarchs was not boun…
vincentHebrews 11:10: "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
For he looked for a city which hath foundations (ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔξουσαν πόλιν)The sense is impaired in A.V. by the omission of the articles, the city, the foundations. Passing over the immediate subject of God's promise to Abraham - his inheritance of the land in which he sojourns - the writer fastens the patriarch's faith upon the heavenly fulfillment of the promise - th…
Abraham's faith wasn't just about securing an earthly inheritance; he was actively anticipating a heavenly city. The text emphasizes that this city has "foundations," a direct contrast to the transient tents he lived in, highlighting his hope in an eternal, divinely-built reality.
Abraham and his descendants, for generations, lived as nomads, dwelling in temporary tents rather than permanent homes. This verse explains that Abraham’s faith wasn't focused on the fleeting comfort of tents or even the land of Canaan itself, but on an eternal, divinely built city. His hope looked beyond earthly existence to a heavenly dwelling prepared by God, a certainty that sustained his transient life.
Abraham and his descendants, for generations, lived as nomads, dwelling in temporary tents rather than permanent homes. This verse explains that Abraham’s faith wasn't focused on the fleeting comfort of tents or even the land of Canaan itself, but on an eternal, divinely built city. His hope looked beyond earthly existence to a heavenly dwelling prepared by God, a certainty that sustained his transient life.
"For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." — Abraham's faith wasn't just about securing an earthly inheritance; he was actively anticipating a heavenly city. The text emphasizes that this city has "foundations," a direct contrast to the trans…
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Last reviewed October 2026