Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
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By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable
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sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith
*
he still speaks.
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By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and “he was not found, because God had taken him.” For it was attested before he was taken away that “he had pleased God.”
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And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
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By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.
HEROES OF THE FAITH
The list of heroes resembles lists of biblical heroes in Jewish literature (Sir 44.1–49.16; Wis 10.1–21; 1 Macc 1.51–60; 4 Macc 18.11–19;
4 Ezra
7.105–111), but it reflects some unusual choices. Except for a passing mention of David at the end (11.32), the author includes no priests or kings. Certain expected highlights do not appear, and unexpected ones do. For example, no mention is made of God’s covenant with Abraham from Gen 17, nor is Sinai mentioned despite the attention given to Moses. Instead of focusing on the heroes’ leadership roles, Hebrews emphasizes the characters as largely set apart from the people. Generally speaking, the heroes in Hebrews have three characteristics: (1) Near-death experience: Noah would have perished in the flood; Moses would have died as an infant; (2) Ability to see the future and act faithfully in light of that knowledge: Noah receives an oracle about the flood and builds the ark; Abraham receives a promise about Isaac, and very late in his life that promise is realized; (3) Alienation: The heroes are portrayed as alienated from the people of their generation. Abraham lived in the land “as in a foreign land,” and Moses was not really one of his people, because he was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. The heroes are not distinguished
by
their comrades, as those depicted in Sir 44–50; they are distinguished
from
them. The list functions as a kind of genealogy for the community; it creates a lineage independent from the people of Israel because the heroes are portrayed as outsiders and includes non-Israelites. Hebrews 11 set the stage for the way in which Christians would eventually come to understand the Old Testament as a precursor to the New Testament.
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By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.
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By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
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For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
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By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised.
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Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
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All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
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for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
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If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return.
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But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
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By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son,
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of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”
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He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
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By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau.
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By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.”
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By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.
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By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
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By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
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choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
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He considered abuse suffered for the Christ
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to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward.
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By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though
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he saw him who is invisible.
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By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
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By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned.
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By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.
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By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient,
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because she had received the spies in peace.
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And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—
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who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
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quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
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Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection.
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Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
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They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two,
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they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—
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of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
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Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised,
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since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.
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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
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and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
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looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of
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the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
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Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners,
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so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
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In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
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And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children—
“My child, do not regard lightly the
discipline of the Lord,
or lose heart when you are punished by
him;
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for the Lord disciplines those whom he
loves,
and chastises every child whom he accepts.”
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Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?
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If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children.
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Moreover, we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
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For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.
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Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
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Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,
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and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
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Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
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See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.
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See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
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You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent,
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even though he sought the blessing
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with tears.
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You have not come to something
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that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest,
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and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them.
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(For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.”
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Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”)
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But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
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and to the assembly
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of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
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and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.