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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Hebrews 11:17 - 11:17
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
17. προσενήνοχεν … προσέφερεν. Reverting to Abraham, whose faith (1) in leaving his country, (2) in living as a stranger in Canaan, he has already mentioned, he now adduces the third and greatest instance of his faithful obedience in being ready to offer up Isaac. Both tenses, “hath offered up” (perf.) and “was offering up” (imperf.), are characteristic of the author’s views of Scripture as a permanent record of events which may be still regarded as present to us. St James (Jam 2:21) uses the aorist.
ἀναδεξάμενος. Four verbs are used with reference to “receiving” the promises, ἀναδέχεσθαι (here), λαβεῖν (Heb 9:15), ἐπιτυχεῖν (Heb 11:33), κομίσασθαι (Heb 11:39). The word here used implies a joyous welcome of special promises. The context generally shews with sufficient clearness the sense in which the Patriarchs may be said both to have “received” and “not to have received” the promises. They received and welcomed special promises, and those were fulfilled; and in those they saw the germ of richer blessings which they enjoyed by faith but not in actual fruition.