These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
These faithful ancestors didn't just believe God; they lived in light of His promises, "greeting" them from afar like a cherished friend. This wasn't a passive waiting, but an active embrace that defined their entire lives, leading them to confess they were merely temporary residents in the land.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
These verses summarize the lives of the faithful ancestors, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who lived and died looking forward to God's promises. Though they never saw those promises fully realized in their lifetime, they held onto them with deep conviction, viewing themselves as temporary residents on Earth. This perspective shaped their entire existence, setting them apart from those focused only on the present.
Imagine waiting your whole life for a promised inheritance, only to die before it arrives. That was the reality for the faithful patriarchs.
The text highlights a profound aspect of faith: not receiving the promised things but seeing and greeting them from a distance.
The patriarchs confessed to being 'strangers and exiles.' What did this radical declaration reveal about their deepest loyalties?
The confession of being 'strangers and exiles on the earth' wasn't just a statement of circumstance; it was a theological declaration stemming from their faith.
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Understand the original words
parepidēmos · Greek Noun
A person who dwells in a foreign land temporarily, lacking full citizenship or permanent roots in that society. Spiritually, it describes the believer's status as a citizen of heaven living on earth.
xenos · Greek Noun
One who is banished or living away from their true home. In a biblical context, it conveys the sense of longing for the heavenly city rather than being settled in the current world system.
This verse highlights the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who lived their lives as sojourners in the land God promised them, never seeing its full realization but trusting God's word for a future, heavenly home.
c. 2091 BC
God calls Abram
God calls Abram from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to a land God will show him, promising to make him a great nation and bless the world through him.
c. 2091-1800 BC— this verse
Patriarchs sojourn in Canaan
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live as nomadic peoples in the land of Canaan, not as settled citizens but as foreigners, receiving God's promises for the land.
c. 1876 BC
Jacob blesses his sons
Jacob, near death, blesses his sons, prophesying about their future tribes and their relationship to the land. He speaks of his own life as a pilgrimage.
c. 1800-1550 BC
Israelites sojourn in Egypt
The descendants of Jacob move to Egypt and live as sojourners, eventually becoming enslaved by the Egyptians.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. They are finally entering the promised land, but many who left Egypt died in the wilderness before reaching it.
This passage shows God's promise to Abram about his descendants and land, and Abram's immediate and full belief, highlighting the core of faith even before the promises were physically received.
Genesis 23:4Abraham's own words confessing he is a 'stranger and a sojourner' directly illustrate the confession mentioned in Hebrews 11:13, demonstrating his view of himself as not belonging to the land.
Genesis 47:9Jacob echoes this sentiment by describing his life as a pilgrimage when speaking to Pharaoh, reinforcing the patriarchs' understanding of their transient existence on earth.
1 Peter 2:11Peter directly uses the language of 'sojourners and exiles' to describe believers, showing how the author of Hebrews is drawing on a consistent New Testament theme of the faithful living distinct from the world.
Philippians 3:20This verse speaks of our 'citizenship' being in heaven, mirroring the patriarchs' ultimate focus on a heavenly country and their willingness to live as strangers on earth.
ellicottHebrews 11:13: "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) These all died in faith. —We must not change the order of the original. Seven verses up to this point have begun with the emphatic words “by faith.” There is a change here, but not in the emphasis of this thought. We should not expect to read “ By faith these died;” what is…
meyerHebrews 11:13: "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."
Hebrews 11:13 . Κατὰ πίστιν ] is ordinarily (by Bleek, too, in the larger commentary) conjoined exclusively with ἀπέθανον . According to this, the dying conformably to faith, in distinction from the faith already manifested during life, would become the main idea of the verse, a…
These faithful ancestors didn't just believe God; they lived in light of His promises, "greeting" them from afar like a cherished friend. This wasn't a passive waiting, but an active embrace that defined their entire lives, leading them to confess they were merely temporary residents in the land.
These verses summarize the lives of the faithful ancestors, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who lived and died looking forward to God's promises. Though they never saw those promises fully realized in their lifetime, they held onto them with deep conviction, viewing themselves as temporary residents on Earth. This perspective shaped their entire existence, setting them apart from those focused only on the present.
These verses summarize the lives of the faithful ancestors, like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who lived and died looking forward to God's promises. Though they never saw those promises fully realized in their lifetime, they held onto them with deep conviction, viewing themselves as temporary residents on Earth. This perspective shaped their entire existence, setting them apart from those focused only on the present.
"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." — These faithful ancestors didn't just believe God; they lived in light of His promises, "greeting" them from afar like a cherished friend. This wasn't a passive waiting, but an active embrace that d…
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Last reviewed October 2026