Hebrews 11:27
in Hebrews 11By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
KJV
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
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This verse in Hebrews 11
Commentary
12 notes on this verseWhat do you say? In the book of Exodus it is written: "Moses was afraid," because "this matter has become known" (Ex. 2:14). But understand "not fearing" here in the sense that Moses appeared again in Egypt and took upon himself the leadership over the …
This site's exposition
By faith Moses left Egypt
The departure is read two ways, as the Exodus itself, or as the flight to Midian at Exodus 2:14 to 15, where Moses was afraid. Either way the reason is the same, he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"By faith, he left Egypt." He went out by faith, so as not to test God whether He saves. And not to test Him was by faith. For believing, he would come and bring out the people. "not fearing the wrath of the king." And …
And that he was not afraid that the anger would be so great as to seek him out after he had fled. Therefore, he did not flee far, but from neighboring places. And this was a matter of faith.
"for he endured as seeing him who is invisible." He saw God, who is invisible, as if he had seen Him with physical eyes. However, he saw Him with the eyes of the mind, and he bravely endured everything, namely the hardships along with the …
"By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is Invisible." What dost thou say? That he did not fear? And yet the Scripture says, that when he heard, he "was afraid," and for this cause provided for safety by flight, and stole away, and secretly withdrew himself; and afterwards he was exceedingly afraid. Observe the expressions with care: he said, "not fearing the wrath of the king," with reference to his even presenting himself again. For it would have been the part of one who was afraid, not to undertake again his championship, nor to have any hand in the matter. That he did however again undertake it, was the part of one who committed all to God: for he did not say, "He is seeking me, and is busy in the search, and I cannot bear again to engage in this matter." So that even flight was an act of faith. Why then did he not remain (you say)? That he might not cast himself into a foreseen danger. For this finally would have been tempting God: to leap into the midst of dangers, and say, "Let us see whether God will save me." And this the devil said to Christ, "Cast Thyself down." Seest thou that it is a diabolical thing, to throw ourselves into danger without cause and for no purpose, and to try whether God will save us? For he Moses could no longer be their champion when they who were receiving benefits were so ungrateful. It would therefore have been a foolish and senseless thing to remain there. But all these things were done, because, "he endured as seeing Him who is Invisible." If then we too always see God with our mind, if we always think in remembrance of Him, all things will appear endurable to us, all things tolerable; we shall bear them all easily, we shall be above them all. […]
The Medieval Church1 voice
617. – After describing Moses' faith in regard to what he did in Egypt, the Apostle now shows what he did in regard to what he did during the departure from Egypt. In regard to this he does three things: first, he shows what he …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
By faith he forsook Egypt,.... Either when he fled to Midian; this was before the eating of the passover, and so it stands in its proper order; whereas, his going out of Egypt with the children of Israel was after it, and mentioned in Heb 11:
The advantages that we have in the gospel for the exercise of this grace above what those had who lived in the times of the Old Testament,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Besides, the chronological order would be broken thus, the next particular specified here, namely, the institution of the Passover, having taken place before the exodus. Besides, it is Moses' personal history and faith which are here described. The faith of the people ("THEY passed") is not introduced till Heb 11:29. endured--steadfast in faith amidst trials.
He forsook Egypt - He believed that God would fulfill the promise he had made; and he cheerfully changed an earthly for a heavenly portion. Not fearing the wrath of the king - The apostle speaks here of the departure of Moses with the Israelites, not of his flight to Midian, Exo 2:14, Exo 2:15; for he was then in great fear: but when he went to Pharaoh with God’s authority, to demand the dismission of the Hebrews, he was without fear, and acted in the most noble and dignified manner; he then feared nothing but God. As seeing him who is invisible - He continued to act as one who had the judge of his heart and conduct always before his eyes. By calling the Divine Being the invisible, the apostle distinguishes him from the god’s of Egypt, who were visible, corporeal, gross, and worthless. The Israelites were worshippers of the true God, and this worship was not tolerated in Egypt. His pure and spiritual worship could never comport with the adoration of oxen, goats, monkeys, leeks, and onions.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
By faith he forsook Egypt - Some have understood this of the first time in which Moses forsook Egypt, when he fled into Midian, as recorded in Exo. 2; the majority of expositors have supposed that it refers to the time when he left Egypt to conduct the Israelites to the promised land.
The words behind it
15 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Πίστει | pistei | By faith | G4102 → | 242 times |
| κατέλιπεν | katelipen | he left | G2641 → | |
| Αἴγυπτον | aigupton | Egypt | G125 → | 25 times |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| φοβηθεὶς | phobetheis | having feared | G5399 → | 95 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θυμὸν | thumon | anger | G2372 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλέως· | basileos | king; | G935 → | 114 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἀόρατον | aoraton | Invisible [One] | G517 → | |
| ὡς | hos | as | G5613 → | 500 times |
| ὁρῶν | horon | seeing | G3708 → | 60 times |
| ἐκαρτέρησεν.¶ | ekarteresen | he persevered. | G2594 → |
ΠίστειBy faith
pisteiG4102 →242 times
κατέλιπενhe left
katelipenG2641 →
ΑἴγυπτονEgypt
aiguptonG125 →25 times
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
φοβηθεὶςhaving feared
phobetheisG5399 →95 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
θυμὸνanger
thumonG2372 →
τοῦof the
touG3588 →19766 times
βασιλέως·king;
basileosG935 →114 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἀόρατονInvisible [One]
aoratonG517 →
ὡςas
hosG5613 →500 times
ὁρῶνseeing
horonG3708 →60 times
ἐκαρτέρησεν.¶he persevered.
ekarteresenG2594 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 11:1Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 8:24–25
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
- Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes…
- Hebrews 10:22
let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
- 2 Corinthians 5:7
Through
2 Corinthians 4:18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.
- 1 John 2:16–17
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
- 1 John 2:25
And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
- Hebrews 11:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies65
On this verse
On this chapter
- Enoch, the Man Who Walked with God
- The Seven Brothers and Their Mother
- Abraham
- Adam to Noah
- All Scripture Is God-Breathed
- The Binding of Isaac
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- The Apocrypha
- The General Epistles
- Cain and Abel
- Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism
- The Covenants
- Daniel in the Lions' Den: Daniel 6
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- David and Goliath
- Deborah and Jael
- Enoch Walked With God
- Ephraim and Manasseh, the two tribes of Joseph
- Esau
- Faith
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Show the next 6 titles
- Haran
- Hard Questions in the Old Testament
- Hebron
- Abraham's Three Visitors
- Entertaining Angels Unaware
- The Shunammite Woman and Elisha
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Show the next 6 titles
- Moses in the Bulrushes
- Mourning and Burial in Israel
- Noah
- Noah's Ark as a Type
- Abraham and Sarah: The Twenty-Five Years
- Patience and the Impulse
Show the next 6 titles
About Hebrews
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 26; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Owen, An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.