Hebrews 11 40

Hebrews 11:40 kjv

God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:40 nkjv

God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Hebrews 11:40 niv

since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:40 esv

since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Hebrews 11:40 nlt

For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Hebrews 11 verses

Hebrews 11 40 Meaning

Hebrews 11:40 states that God, in His divine foresight and sovereign plan, had provided something superior for believers living under the New Covenant ("us"), specifically so that the Old Testament saints mentioned in chapter 11 ("them") would not reach their ultimate state of completion or glorification ("be made perfect") until we, New Testament believers, also attain ours. This verse underscores the unity of God's redemptive plan across history, emphasizing that all God's people, regardless of their era, are destined for a corporate and simultaneous glorification centered on the work of Jesus Christ. Their ultimate reward and full inheritance are intrinsically linked to our own, manifesting together in a shared consummation.

Hebrews 11 40 Context

Hebrews 11 is famously known as the "Hall of Faith," presenting a historical panorama of individuals who lived by faith, enduring hardship and deprivation without fully receiving the promises during their earthly lives. The author's primary aim is to encourage New Testament believers facing persecution or temptation to apostasy, urging them to persevere by pointing to the example of these Old Testament saints. Verse 40 serves as the culmination of this grand narrative. It explains why these heroes of faith died without seeing the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in their lifetime, highlighting a divinely ordained plan that links their final glorification to the complete redemption achieved through Jesus Christ and the participation of New Covenant believers. The immediate context following this verse, in Hebrews 12, exhorts the readers to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us," having been surrounded by such a "great cloud of witnesses" (the saints from chapter 11). The historical/cultural context involves a Jewish Christian audience, possibly contemplating a return to traditional Judaism due to suffering. The author continuously elevates Christ and the New Covenant as superior to the Old, countering the allure of former practices by showing the telos (end purpose) of God's redemptive work as a single, unified consummation in Christ that includes both past and present believers.

Hebrews 11 40 Word analysis

• God (ὁ Θεός - ho Theos): Refers to the singular, sovereign God, the ultimate author and orchestrator of salvation history. His divine initiative and eternal plan are highlighted.
• having provided (προβλεψαμένου - problepsamenou): This aorist middle participle, derived from problepo, means "having foreseen" or "having provided beforehand." It stresses divine foresight and meticulous planning. God's act was not a reaction but a proactive, pre-ordained arrangement. It signifies His absolute sovereignty over salvation history, ensuring His purpose would unfold precisely as intended.
• something better (κρεῖττόν τι - kreitton ti): "Better" (kreittōn) is a prominent keyword throughout Hebrews, signifying the superiority of the New Covenant and Christ's work (e.g., better hope, better covenant, better promises, better sacrifice, better possession). Here, "something better" encapsulates the full redemptive blessings and perfected state that comes through Christ's completed work – particularly, resurrection from the dead, glorification, and eternal dwelling with God in the New Creation, a reality unattainable under the Old Covenant sacrifices. It is a full and ultimate consummation.
• for us (περὶ ἡμῶν - peri hēmōn): "Us" refers to the New Testament believers, the readers of the Epistle to the Hebrews, who live in the age of the fulfilled covenant through Christ. The better provision is made primarily for this group, through whom the past promises are ultimately realized. This emphasizes that New Testament believers participate in the final eschatological stage of God's plan.
• that they (ἵνα μὴ - hina mē): "They" refers explicitly to the Old Testament saints listed in Hebrews 11. The phrase introduces the purpose or result of God's prior provision. It signals the interdependent relationship between their destiny and that of the New Covenant believers.
• should not be made perfect (τελειωθῶσιν - teleiōthōsin): From teleioo, meaning to perfect, to complete, to bring to the destined end. In this context, it refers to ultimate completion, glorification, and entrance into the fullness of God's promised presence and inheritance. It is not about their personal moral perfection (though Christ does make us holy), but their eschatological consummation and the receiving of their final, eternal reward. They lived by faith but died without seeing the resurrection of Christ or the establishment of the New Covenant's full provisions. They were righteous by faith, but not yet brought into their ultimate glorious state.
• apart from us (χωρὶς ἡμῶν - chōris hēmōn): This crucial phrase emphasizes the corporate and unified nature of God's people throughout salvation history. The Old Testament saints would not receive their ultimate consummation in isolation or ahead of the New Testament church. Their "perfection" is contingent upon, and simultaneous with, the "perfection" of New Testament believers, all united in Christ. This signifies a single, corporate, eschatological event when all of God's elect throughout history are brought into glory together through Christ.

Words-group analysis:

• "God having provided something better for us": This phrase highlights God's initiative, wisdom, and the superiority of the New Covenant age. It stresses the purposefulness of God's delay in fully rewarding the Old Testament saints, demonstrating that His plan culminates in a "better" reality unveiled in Christ. This "better" is primarily realized through Christ's complete redemptive work and its application to His people.
• "that they should not be made perfect apart from us": This key clause reveals the concept of corporate perfection. It asserts that the ultimate glorification of Old Testament saints is tied to the ultimate glorification of New Testament believers. It negates individual perfection apart from the whole body of Christ. All of God's people, from Abraham to the last believer, form a single, unified redeemed community whose ultimate perfection, full inheritance, and entry into glory will occur together at the eschatological climax of history. It's not about worthiness, but God's unified redemptive timetable and His desire for a perfected bride – one people – for His Son.

Hebrews 11 40 Bonus section

The concept of "corporate solidarity" is a crucial underlying theme in this verse. It moves beyond individual salvation to emphasize the unified body of Christ throughout history. The "cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1) isn't just an inspiring example from the past; it's a present spiritual reality of a unified community waiting together for the final perfection. This verse subtly counters any individualistic view of salvation that separates believers from one another or from those who came before them. It demonstrates that God desires a full "family" to be brought to glory, not isolated individuals. Furthermore, the delay of perfection for Old Testament saints points to the absolute necessity and completeness of Christ's sacrifice; their blood sacrifices and covenant adherence were provisional, pointing forward to the final and definitive work of Christ that alone could bring all to full consummation. The "something better" is definitively found in Christ alone.

Hebrews 11 40 Commentary

Hebrews 11:40 stands as a profound theological statement summarizing God's overarching redemptive plan, revealing His divine intentionality in orchestrating salvation history. The Old Testament saints, though commended for their unwavering faith, died without fully receiving the ultimate promises—specifically, the realities ushered in by Christ's life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and the resultant New Covenant. God had purposefully reserved "something better" not just for New Testament believers, but as a corporate destiny for all His people. This "better" refers to the final eschatological state of glorification, full redemption, and entry into God's eternal presence in the new creation, made possible and completed by Christ's sacrifice.

The most striking aspect of this verse is the concept of corporate perfection: the Old Testament saints would not achieve their ultimate glorified state "apart from us." This means that God’s plan ensures that all His elect from every age are perfected simultaneously in one grand culmination. They are not ushered into their final reward alone; their glorification is intrinsically linked to and will occur concurrently with the ultimate perfection of those who have lived and died in faith under the New Covenant. This illustrates the unity of God's people across all dispensations, forming a single, complete body of Christ. It eliminates any potential rivalry or separation between believers of different eras, uniting them under Christ's singular, all-sufficient work. This shared destiny underscores God’s magnificent plan for a united people, one new humanity, brought to complete glory together in and through their shared Lord, Jesus Christ. This grand unity serves as an encouragement, reminding believers that their perseverance now contributes to a larger, eternal design that includes countless faithful saints from history.