Hebrews 11:20
New International Version
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

New Living Translation
It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.

English Standard Version
By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau.

Berean Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

Berean Literal Bible
By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the things coming.

King James Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

New King James Version
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

New American Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

NASB 1995
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

NASB 1977
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

Legacy Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.

Amplified Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau [believing what God revealed to him], even regarding things to come.

Christian Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

American Standard Version
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

Contemporary English Version
Isaac had faith, and he promised blessings to Jacob and Esau.

English Revised Version
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Faith led Isaac to bless Jacob and Esau.

Good News Translation
It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.

International Standard Version
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

Majority Standard Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

NET Bible
By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future.

New Heart English Bible
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

Webster's Bible Translation
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Weymouth New Testament
Through faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even in connexion with things soon to come.

World English Bible
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Berean Literal Bible
By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the things coming.

Young's Literal Translation
By faith, concerning coming things, Isaac did bless Jacob and Esau;

Smith's Literal Translation
By faith concerning things about to be, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
By faith also of things to come, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Catholic Public Domain Version
By faith, also, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning future events.

New American Bible
By faith regarding things still to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

New Revised Standard Version
By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
By faith in the things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
By the faith of what was future, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Godbey New Testament
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Haweis New Testament
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau with regard to future things.

Mace New Testament
By faith Isaac predicted the future fortunes of Jacob and Esau.

Weymouth New Testament
Through faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even in connexion with things soon to come.

Worrell New Testament
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning things about to be.

Worsley New Testament
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things future.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Faith of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and in a sense, he did receive Isaac back from death. 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. 21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.…

Cross References
Genesis 27:27-29
So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. / May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth—an abundance of grain and new wine. / May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.”

Genesis 27:39-40
His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. / You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”

Genesis 25:23
and He declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Genesis 28:3-4
May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, so that you may become a company of peoples. / And may He give the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants, so that you may possess the land where you dwell as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.”

Genesis 48:15-16
Then he blessed Joseph and said: “May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, / the angel who has redeemed me from all harm—may He bless these boys. And may they be called by my name and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.”

Genesis 49:1-28
Then Jacob called for his sons and said, “Gather around so that I can tell you what will happen to you in the days to come: / Come together and listen, O sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel. / Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. ...

Romans 9:10-13
Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac. / Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, / not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ...

Genesis 17:19-21
But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. / As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. / But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”

Genesis 21:12
But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

Genesis 22:17-18
I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. / And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Genesis 26:3-4
Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. / I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, and I will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed,

Genesis 35:11-12
And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you. / The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.”

Malachi 1:2-3
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved, / but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Romans 8:17
And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Galatians 3:29
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.


Treasury of Scripture

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

Genesis 27:27-40
And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed: …

Genesis 28:2,3
Arise, go to Padanaram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother…

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Bless Blessed Blessing Blessings Connexion Esau Faith Future Invoked Isaac Jacob News Regard Regarding Soon
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Bless Blessed Blessing Blessings Connexion Esau Faith Future Invoked Isaac Jacob News Regard Regarding Soon
Hebrews 11
1. What faith is.
6. Without faith we cannot please God.
7. The examples of faithfulness in the fathers of old time.














By faith
The phrase "by faith" is a recurring theme in Hebrews 11, often referred to as the "Faith Chapter." The Greek word for faith, "pistis," implies a deep trust and confidence in God. This faith is not merely intellectual assent but a profound reliance on God's promises, even when they are not yet visible. In the context of Hebrews, faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Isaac's actions were rooted in this kind of faith, demonstrating his trust in God's covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants.

Isaac
Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, is a patriarch in the lineage of the Israelites. His life is a testament to God's faithfulness, as he was the child of promise born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age. Isaac's role in the biblical narrative is significant, as he serves as a bridge between the promises given to Abraham and their continuation through his sons, Jacob and Esau. His life, marked by moments of obedience and faith, reflects the ongoing fulfillment of God's covenant.

blessed
The act of blessing in the biblical context is more than a mere wish for well-being; it is a powerful invocation of God's favor and purpose. The Greek word "eulogeo" means to speak well of or to invoke blessings upon someone. In the patriarchal narratives, blessings often carried prophetic weight, shaping the future of those who received them. Isaac's blessing of his sons was an act of faith, trusting that God's promises would be fulfilled through them.

Jacob and Esau
Jacob and Esau were the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah. Their account is one of conflict and reconciliation, with Jacob ultimately receiving the birthright and blessing intended for the firstborn, Esau. This reversal of expectations highlights God's sovereign choice and the unfolding of His redemptive plan. Despite their personal failings, both Jacob and Esau were integral to the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham, illustrating that God's purposes prevail even amidst human imperfection.

concerning things to come
The phrase "concerning things to come" underscores the prophetic nature of Isaac's blessing. It reflects the forward-looking aspect of faith, which trusts in God's promises for the future. The blessings Isaac pronounced were not just for the immediate circumstances but pointed to the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through his descendants. This future orientation is a hallmark of biblical faith, which looks beyond present realities to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in Christ.

(20) Concerning things to come.--It is probable, though not certain, that the word "even" should be inserted before "concerning"; on these words, then, the emphasis will rest. Not having regard to things present only, or things almost at hand, but looking far into the future, through the divine revelation which opened to him the meaning of the promises received by Abraham, he gave to each son the blessing designed by God (Genesis 27:27-29; Genesis 27:39-40). Isaac's confidence in the divine guidance of his words is especially seen in Hebrews 11:33 of the chapter.

Verse 20. - By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even (or, also) concerning things to come. Here the word καὶ (omitted in the Textus Receptus) gives force to what is meant; words uttered by the patriarchs in the spirit of prophecy being now adduced as further evidence of their faith. To those inspired by this spirit even the distant future is realized as present; and faith is not only a condition of such prophetic visions being granted to them, but is also evinced by their trusting the visions as Divine revelations, and speaking with confidence accordingly. The prophet seems as though able himself to control the future by giving or withholding blessing (cf. Jeremiah 1:10); but it is really that his mind and will are at one with the mind and will of God: a Divine voice speaks within him, and through faith he is receptive of it and gives it utterance. Thus it was that even the future characters, and changing relations to each other, of the yet unborn races of Israel and Edom are represented as having been foreshadowed in the blessings of that dying patriarch.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
By faith
Πίστει (Pistei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4102: Faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

Isaac
Ἰσαὰκ (Isaak)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2464: (Hebrew), Isaac, the patriarch. Of Hebrew origin; Isaac, the son of Abraham.

blessed
εὐλόγησεν (eulogēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2127: (lit: I speak well of) I bless; pass: I am blessed. From a compound of eu and logos; to speak well of, i.e. to bless.

Jacob
Ἰακὼβ (Iakōb)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2384: Of Hebrew origin; Jacob, the progenitor of the Israelites.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Esau
Ἠσαῦ (Ēsau)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2269: Esau, elder son of Isaac the patriarch, brother of Jacob. Of Hebrew origin; Esau, an Edomite.

concerning
περὶ (peri)
Preposition
Strong's 4012: From the base of peran; properly, through, i.e. Around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time.

the future.
μελλόντων (mellontōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3195: A strengthened form of melo; to intend, i.e. Be about to be, do, or suffer something.


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NT Letters: Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau (Heb. He. Hb)
Hebrews 11:19
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