Hebrews 11:8-9
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's striking here is that Abraham's obedience wasn't a blind leap but an immediate response to God's call, even before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He left his home as he was being called, demonstrating faith not just in the destination, but in the very act of obeying the voice that summoned him.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, beginning a section detailing the lives of Old Testament figures who lived by their trust in God. This verse focuses on Abraham's foundational act of obedience: leaving his homeland and family after God's call, with no clear destination in mind but a promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's willingness to step into the unknown, trusting God's guidance above all else, is the very essence of his exemplary faith.
Abraham stepped out of everything familiar, not towards a known destination, but into the utterly unknown. What does this tell us about true faith?
This verse highlights a foundational aspect of faith: obedience in the face of uncertainty. Abraham didn't wait for detailed instructions or a map. The moment he was called, he 'obeyed'.
God promised Abraham an inheritance, but he left his home before that promise was fully revealed or realized. How does this reshape our understanding of God's promises?
The promise of an inheritance was a key part of Abraham's call, but the timing and specifics were held by God. This illustrates how faith engages with .
Ask a follow-up
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.
This verse highlights that Abraham's faith wasn't just about believing *in* God, but about actively *obeying* Him, even when the path forward was uncertain. His journey from Ur to Canaan, and his willingness to leave behind the familiar for God's unknown promise, set the standard for all who would follow.
c. 2100 BC
Abraham's Family Leaves Ur
Terah, Abraham's father, led his family from Ur of the Chaldeans toward Canaan. They settled in Haran, where Terah eventually died. This marks the beginning of Abraham's nomadic journey.
c. 2090 BC— this verse
God Calls Abraham to Leave Haran
God specifically calls Abraham to leave his homeland and travel to a land He will reveal. Abraham, trusting God's promise, obeys this command, setting out with his wife Sarah and nephew Lot.
c. 2085 BC
Abraham Arrives in Canaan
Abraham reaches the land of Canaan, where God appears to him again, promising to give this land to his descendants. He builds altars to worship God in various locations.
c. 2084 BC
Famine Drives Abraham to Egypt
A severe famine forces Abraham and his entourage to travel to Egypt. This period tests his faith, as he fears for his life and conceals Sarah's identity as his wife.
c. 2080 BC
Abraham and Lot Separate
Due to increasing conflict between their households, Abraham generously allows Lot to choose which land he will settle. Lot takes the fertile Jordan plain, while Abraham remains in Canaan.
This passage is the direct narrative account of God's call to Abraham and Abraham's immediate obedience, laying the foundation for the description in Hebrews.
Acts 7:2-4Stephen retells Abraham's call, emphasizing God's initiative and Abraham's departure from 'Ur of the Chaldeans,' reinforcing the theme of faith in response to divine command.
Romans 4:18-22Paul highlights Abraham's unwavering faith 'in hope against hope,' directly connecting Abraham's belief in God's promise to his actions, similar to the Hebrews passage.
Joshua 24:2-3Joshua reminds the Israelites of their ancestors' origins, including Abraham leaving his homeland, underscoring that their nation's story began with Abraham's act of faith in obedience to God.
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…
What's striking here is that Abraham's obedience wasn't a blind leap but an immediate response to God's call, even before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He left his home as he was being called, demonstrating faith not just in the destination, but in the very act of obeying the voice that summoned him.
The author is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, beginning a section detailing the lives of Old Testament figures who lived by their trust in God. This verse focuses on Abraham's foundational act of obedience: leaving his homeland and family after God's call, with no clear destination in mind but a promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's willingness to step into the unknown, trusting God's guidance above all else, is the very essence of his exemplary faith.
The author is introducing Abraham as the prime example of faith, beginning a section detailing the lives of Old Testament figures who lived by their trust in God. This verse focuses on Abraham's foundational act of obedience: leaving his homeland and family after God's call, with no clear destination in mind but a promise of a future inheritance. The narrative emphasizes that Abraham's willingness to step into the unknown, trusting God's guidance above all else, is the very essence of his exemplary faith.
"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…" — What's striking here is that Abraham's obedience wasn't a blind leap but an immediate response to God's call, even before the promise of inheritance was fully revealed. He left his home as he was b…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
