Hebrews 11:8-10
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The call to leave wasn't just a suggestion; it was a command to obey, and Abraham's faith demonstrated itself by acting on this word before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He stepped out into the unknown, trusting God's guidance more than any visible confirmation.
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as a prime example of faith, highlighting his radical obedience to God's call. This wasn't a mere suggestion, but a divine command to leave his home and family for an unknown destination, with the promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's obedience was immediate and absolute, even though he had no clear idea where he was going.
Abraham left his homeland not because he saw a clear path, but because he heard a divine whisper. What does this tell us about true obedience?
The verse highlights that Abraham's obedience wasn't a reaction to seeing the promised land, but a response to God's call.
The Call and the Promise
God called Abraham to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house for a land God would show him (Genesis 12:1). While the promise of an inheritance was tied to this call, the commentaries suggest the full revelation of that inheritance came after Abraham obeyed, not before. He wasn't shown the destination with a map; he was given a direction and a guarantee.
Faith Embraces the Unseen
This means Abraham's faith wasn't about trusting what he could see or predict. It was a radical trust in God's word and character, even when the path ahead was completely unknown. His obedience was the outward expression of an inward conviction about God's faithfulness.
Abraham's move wasn't just a relocation; it was a spiritual shift driven by a future inheritance. What made this unseen inheritance so compelling?
Abraham's faith wasn't just about leaving his past; it was about embracing a future that God had promised. This involved understanding that his true home was not on earth.
A Future Inheritance
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The verse states Abraham went out to a place he was 'to receive as an inheritance.' This wasn't just about acquiring property; it pointed to a deeper, God-given destiny. The commentaries highlight that this inheritance was less about earthly possession and more about a divinely appointed future.
Looking Beyond Earthly Homes
Abraham's faith allowed him to see beyond his current circumstances and native land. He was looking for a 'city with foundations, whose designer and builder is God' (Hebrews 11:10). This perspective shifted his focus from what he was leaving behind to what he was moving towards – an eternal reality established by God himself.
Understand the original words
hypakouō · Greek Verb
To hear under, implying an active, submissive response to a command or call. Biblical obedience is the outward demonstration of an inward faith and trust in the authority of the speaker.
klēronomia · Greek Noun
That which is received by birthright or divine grant, specifically the blessings promised by God to His people. In a theological sense, it refers to the spiritual benefits and the eternal kingdom God bestows upon believers.
epangelia · Greek Noun
A divine declaration or pledge of future blessing and provision. A promise in Scripture is anchored in the character of God, who cannot lie, and serves as a ground for the believer's hope.
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.
Abraham's radical obedience, demonstrated by leaving his homeland for an unknown destination, highlights a faith that trusts God's unseen promises over visible circumstances. This act precedes the explicit confirmation of the land inheritance and the birth of his heir, emphasizing a faith that begins with God's call and moves forward in the dark.
c. 2100 BC
Abraham leaves Ur of the Chaldees
God calls Abraham, then known as Abram, to leave his home in Ur of the Chaldees and travel to a land God will show him. Abraham obeys, taking his father Terah, his wife Sarai, and his nephew Lot, but they stop in Haran.
c. 2090 BC
Terah dies in Haran
Abraham's father, Terah, dies in Haran. This event frees Abraham to fully obey God's call to continue the journey.
c. 2090 BC— this verse
Abraham journeys to Canaan
Obeying God's call after Terah's death, Abraham, Sarai, and Lot depart from Haran and enter the land of Canaan. Abraham still does not know the specific place God intends for him, nor has the promise of an heir been given yet.
c. 2090 BC
Famine in Canaan
A severe famine strikes the land of Canaan, forcing Abraham and his family to sojourn in Egypt for a time. This tests Abraham's faith and his reliance on God's provision.
c. 2080 BC
God promises Abraham a son
Years after arriving in Canaan, God makes a covenant with Abraham and promises him a son through whom his descendants will be numerous.
This is the foundational narrative account of Abraham's call, directly detailing God's command and Abraham's immediate, faith-filled obedience in leaving his homeland without knowing the destination.
Acts 7:2-5Stephen recounts Abraham's story, emphasizing that God called him out of Ur and promised him the land, highlighting that Abraham obeyed without prior knowledge of the specific inheritance God had prepared.
Romans 4:18-22Paul uses Abraham's faith as a prime example, explaining how Abraham 'against all hope, in hope believed,' which directly reflects the confidence and action demonstrated when he left his country, trusting in God's promise even in uncertainty.
Hebrews 11:13-16This passage connects Abraham's journey to the broader theme of the patriarchs living as foreigners and acknowledging that they were seeking a heavenly homeland, underscoring that their faith-driven journeys were motivated by a perspective beyond the immediate, unknown destination.
ellicottHebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
(8) When he was called to go out. —Our older versions are here better than the Authorised, bringing in the word “obeyed” after “called”—“obeyed to go out into,” &c. Which he should after receive.—The English rendering may seem to imply that when “called” Abraham received the promise that the land to which he would be…
cambridgeHebrews 11:8: "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."
8 . Abraham ] As was natural, the faith of “the father of the faithful was one of the commonest topics of discussion in the Jewish Schools. Wordsworth ( Eccles. Sonnets , xxvi.) speaks of “ Faith , which to the Patriarchs did dispense Sure guidance ere a ceremonial fence Was needful to men thirsting to transgress.” wh…
The call to leave wasn't just a suggestion; it was a command to obey, and Abraham's faith demonstrated itself by acting on this word before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He stepped out into the unknown, trusting God's guidance more than any visible confirmation.
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as a prime example of faith, highlighting his radical obedience to God's call. This wasn't a mere suggestion, but a divine command to leave his home and family for an unknown destination, with the promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's obedience was immediate and absolute, even though he had no clear idea where he was going.
The author of Hebrews is introducing Abraham as a prime example of faith, highlighting his radical obedience to God's call. This wasn't a mere suggestion, but a divine command to leave his home and family for an unknown destination, with the promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's obedience was immediate and absolute, even though he had no clear idea where he was going.
"By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in ten…" — The call to leave wasn't just a suggestion; it was a command to obey, and Abraham's faith demonstrated itself by acting on this word before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He stepped…
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Last reviewed October 2026
