By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
What does Hebrews 11:27 mean?
Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, concerning things to come. Things present are not the best things; no man knoweth love or hatred by having them or wanting them.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Hebrews 11:27-28 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Hebrews 11:27
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 Exodus 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. That the latter is the time referred to is evident from the fact that it is said that he did "not fear the wrath of the king." When Moses first fled to the land of Midian it is expressly said that he went because he did fear the anger of Pharaoh for his having killed an Egyptian; Exodus 2:14-15 .
Key words
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Context in Hebrews 11
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Hebrews 11 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as faith, endurance, and final exhortation. Hebrews presents Jesus as the final revelation of God, the great high priest, the once-for-all sacrifice, and the mediator of the better covenant. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Christology, priesthood, and sacrifice in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Glossary
- Egypt Place
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The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture. Modern identification: Ain Shams.