What Does Hebrews 11:8-16 Mean?
Hebrews 11:8-16 highlights how Abraham, Sarah, and others lived by faith, stepping into the unknown because they trusted God’s promises. They didn’t see the fulfillment in their lifetime, yet they believed God was faithful - and He commended them for it.
Hebrews 11:8-16
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
Key Facts
Book
Author
The author is traditionally anonymous, though often attributed to Paul; modern scholarship suggests possible authors like Barnabas or Apollos.
Genre
Epistle
Date
Estimated between 60-80 AD, likely before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD.
Key Takeaways
- Faith means trusting God’s promises even when unseen.
- True believers are strangers seeking a heavenly homeland.
- God prepares an eternal city for those who trust Him.
Context of Hebrews 11:8-16
This passage comes in the middle of a letter written to Jewish Christians facing hardship, urging them to hold fast to their faith in Jesus, especially when following Him brings difficulty and delay.
The original readers were likely struggling with discouragement, perhaps tempted to give up on their Christian hope because God’s promises hadn’t come quickly or visibly. The author of Hebrews reminds them that faith has always meant trusting God’s word even when fulfillment takes time, as it did for Abraham, who left his homeland not knowing where he was going (Genesis 12:1-3). These ancestors lived with God’s promises in view but never saw them fully realized in their lifetimes.
Their story sets the pattern for all who follow God by faith: living with hope fixed on a future He has prepared, even when the present feels uncertain or incomplete.
Faith as Pilgrimage: The Meaning of 'Strangers and Exiles' in Hebrews 11:8-16
The author of Hebrews uses powerful Greek terms like *paroikos* (sojourner), *epizētousa* (seeking), and *politēs* (citizen) to show that Abraham and the patriarchs lived in a foreign land with the identity of people whose true citizenship was elsewhere.
The word *paroikos*, meaning 'resident alien' or 'sojourner', appears in verse 9 and conveys that Abraham lived in the promised land not as a permanent owner, but as a temporary guest. This reflects a deeper spiritual reality: he was physically in Canaan, but he didn't settle in like someone claiming full rights. Instead, he lived in tents, movable homes that symbolized his ongoing journey. The author contrasts this with the solid 'city that has foundations' (v. 10), pointing to a lasting, divine reality that only God can build. This tension between the temporary and the eternal is central to the passage’s message.
The verb *epizētousa* (seeking) in verse 14 emphasizes active pursuit - these ancestors weren’t passively waiting, but deliberately looking for a homeland that was better than the one they left. This homeland is not a return to Ur or Mesopotamia. It is 'a heavenly one' (v. 16). The author redefines 'homeland' not as a place of ethnic origin, but as a future, God-ordained reality. This shifts the ancient idea of inheritance from land and lineage to a new kind of belonging shaped by faith.
By calling them 'strangers and exiles on the earth' (v. 13), the author draws on Old Testament imagery but applies it in a new way - these faithful ones never received the promises in full (v. 39), yet they were commended for their trust. Their example challenges any belief that God’s blessing should always be visible or immediate.
They were seeking a better country, a heavenly one - showing that true faith sets its home not in this world, but in the city God has prepared.
This understanding of faith as pilgrimage prepares the reader for the next examples in Hebrews 11, where others face suffering and uncertainty without receiving the promise - pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment found not in this age, but in the city God has prepared.
Faith as a Journey of Hope: Trusting God's Promises Beyond What We See
This idea of faith as a journey - living with hope in God's promises even when they're not yet visible - would have been both familiar and challenging to the original readers of Hebrews.
They knew the stories of Abraham and Sarah, but they were now facing hardship and delay in their own lives as followers of Jesus. The author reminds them that the patriarchs 'died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar' (Hebrews 11:13), showing that real faith often means persevering without seeing fulfillment in this life.
They died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar.
This same hope points forward to Jesus, who is both the fulfillment of God’s promises and the pioneer of our faith, calling us to keep going even when the path is unclear.
The City Prepared by God: From Abraham’s Hope to the New Jerusalem
This promise of a city 'whose designer and builder is God' (Hebrews 11:10) doesn't end with Abraham - it reaches forward into the very climax of the Bible’s story.
That city is finally revealed in Revelation 21:2, where John sees 'the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.' This is the fulfillment of what Abraham only glimpsed: a place where God dwells with His people forever, and where there is no more death, mourning, or pain (Revelation 21:4). Unlike earthly cities built by human hands, this one comes from heaven, echoing Hebrews 11:16 that God Himself has prepared it for those who seek Him.
The theme of God dwelling with His people begins in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8), continues through the temple (1 Kings 8:13), and is fulfilled in Christ 'tabernacling' among us (John 1:14). Now, in Revelation 21:22, there is no temple in the city 'for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.' The entire city is sacred space - God’s presence fills it completely. This shows that the journey of faith from Abraham to us focuses on intimate, eternal fellowship with God, not on land or lineage.
For believers today, this means our ultimate hope isn’t in fixing this world, but in the new creation God is bringing. We live as citizens of that future city now - showing love, justice, and holiness in our churches and communities, not because we’re trying to earn our way in, but because we already belong to God’s coming kingdom. When a church lives with this hope, it becomes a signpost of the city to come: welcoming strangers, caring for the displaced, and holding loosely to wealth and status.
God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
This same hope calls us to live with courage and generosity, knowing our true home is not here. As we wait, we join Abraham in looking forward - not with escape from the world, but with confidence that God will renew it. And that future city, prepared by God, draws us forward like a light on the horizon.
Application
How This Changes Everything: Real Life Impact
Imagine living each day not for what you can secure now - job, home, comfort - but with the quiet confidence that God is preparing something far better. That’s what Abraham and Sarah did. They packed up their lives with no address, no plan, only a promise. And honestly, that kind of faith exposes how often I live like this world is my final destination - stressing over status, clinging to comfort, avoiding risk. But this passage stirs something deeper: what if I stopped trying to build my own lasting legacy and started living like a guest, free to love boldly, give generously, and trust God with the future? It’s not about escaping life, but about living it with eternal eyes, knowing my true home is still ahead.
Personal Reflection
- Where in my life am I holding on too tightly to comfort or control, instead of stepping forward in trust like Abraham did?
- What promises of God am I struggling to believe because I haven’t seen them fulfilled yet?
- How can I live more openly as a 'stranger and exile' - showing through my choices that my ultimate hope is in God’s city, not this world’s rewards?
A Challenge For You
This week, identify one area where you’re trying to secure your own future (finances, relationships, reputation) and intentionally surrender it to God’s timing. Then, do one tangible act of generosity or hospitality that reflects your belief in a future home, not earthly security.
A Prayer of Response
God, thank you for preparing a city for those who seek you. Help me to live with that hope today. When I feel unsettled or afraid, remind me that I’m not alone - you are my God, and I belong to you. Give me courage to keep walking forward, even when I don’t see the path clearly. Teach me to trust your promises more than my circumstances.
Related Scriptures & Concepts
Immediate Context
Hebrews 11:7
Noah’s faith in unseen judgment sets the pattern for Abraham’s response to God’s call.
Hebrews 11:17
Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac continues the theme of faith amid testing.
Connections Across Scripture
Genesis 15:6
Abraham believed God, and it was credited as righteousness - foundational to the faith described in Hebrews 11.
Revelation 21:22
In the new Jerusalem, God Himself is the temple, fulfilling the city promised to Abraham.
1 Peter 2:11
Believers are called exiles, echoing the identity of faith-filled ancestors in Hebrews 11.