Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
What does Hebrews 11:28 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 11:28
Through faith he kept the passover - Greek, "he made - πεποιηκε pepoieke - the passover," which means more, it seems to me, than that he merely kept or celebrated it. It implies that he instituted this rite, and made the arrangements for its observance. There is reference to the special agency, and the special faith which he had in its institution. The faith in the case was confidence that this would be the means of preserving the first-born of the Israelites, when the angel should destroy the first-born of the Egyptians, and also that it would be celebrated as a perpetual memorial of this great deliverance. On the passover, see the notes on Matthew 26:2 .
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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.
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