Hebrews 11 · Verse 23

Hebrews 11:23

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.

Hebrews 11:23, King James Version

Hebrews 11:23 in other translations

BSB	By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.
WEB	By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
ASV	By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
YLT	By faith Moses, having been born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child comely, and were not afraid of the decree of the king;
DARBY	By faith Moses, being born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful; and they did not fear the injunction of the king.
BBE	By faith Moses was kept secretly by his father and mother for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a fair child; and they had no fear of the king's orders.
Webster	By faith Moses when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

What does Hebrews 11:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

23. parents--So the Septuagint has the plural, namely, Amram and Jochebed (Nu 26:59); but in Ex 2:2, the mother alone is mentioned; but doubtless Amram sanctioned all she did, and secrecy. being their object, he did not appear prominent in what was done. a proper child--Greek, "a comely child." Ac 7:20, "exceeding fair," Greek, "fair to God." The "faith" of his parents in saving the child must have had some divine revelation to rest on (probably at the time of his birth), which marked their "exceeding fair" babe as one whom God designed to do a great work by. His beauty was probably "the sign" appointed by God to assure their faith. the king's commandment--to slay all the males (Ex 1:22).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 23. By faith Moses, when he was born. That is, by the faith of his parents. The faith of Moses himself is commended in the following verses. The statement of the apostle here is that his parents were led to preserve his life by their confidence in God. They believed that he was destined to some great purpose, and that he would be spared, notwithstanding all the probabilities against it, and all the difficulties in the case.

Was hid three months of his parents. By his parents. In Ex 2:2, it is said that it was done by his mother. The truth doubtless was, that the mother was the agent in doing it--since the concealment, probably, could be better effected by one than where two were employed--but that the father also concurred in it is morally certain. The concealment was at first, probably in their own house. The command seems to have been (Ex 1:22,) that the child should be cast into the river as soon as born. This child was concealed in the hope that some way might be found out by which his life might be spared.

Because they saw he was a proper child. A fair, or beautiful child-- αστειον. The word properly means, pertaining to a city, (from αστυ, a city;) then urbane, polished, elegant; then fair, beautiful. In Acts 7:20, it is said that he was "fair to God," (Marg. ;) that is, exceedingly fair, or very handsome. His extraordinary beauty seems to have been the reason which particularly influenced his parents to attempt to preserve him. It is not impossible that they supposed that his uncommon beauty indicated that he was destined to some important service in life, and that they were on that account the more anxious to save him.

And they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Requiring that all male children should be given up to be thrown into the Nile. That is, they were not so alarmed, or did not so dread the king, as to be induced to comply with the command. The strength of the faith of the parents of Moses appears,

(1.) because the command of Pharaoh to destroy all the male children was positive, but they had so much confidence in God as to disregard it.

(2.) Because there was a strong improbability that their child could be saved. They themselves found it impossible to conceal him longer than three months; and when it was discovered, there was every probability that the law would be enforced, and that the child would be put to death. Perhaps there was reason also to apprehend that the parents would be punished for disregarding the authority of the king.

(3.) Because they probably believed that their child was destined to some important work. They thus committed him to God instead of complying with the command of an earthly monarch; and, against strong probabilities in the case, they believed that it was possible that in some way he might be preserved alive. The remarkable result showed that their faith was not unfounded.

(b) "hid three months" Ex 2:2 (*) "of" "by" (c) "king's commandment" Ex 1:16,22.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 23 By faith Moses, etc. - See the notes on Exo 2:2, and Act 7:20 (note). We know that Moses was bred up at the Egyptian court, and there was considered to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter; and probably might have succeeded to the throne of Egypt: but, finding that God had visited his people, and given them a promise of spiritual and eternal blessings, he chose rather to take the lot of this people, i.e. God as his portion for ever, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin, which, however gratifying to the animal senses, could only be προσκαιρον, temporary. After the 23d verse, there is a whole clause added by DE, two copies of the Itala, and some copies of the Vulgate. The clause is the following: Πιστει μεγας γενομενος Μωΰσης ανειλεν τον Αιγυπτιον, κατανοων την ταπεινωσιν των αδελφων αὑτου. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, slew the Egyptian, considering the oppression of his own brethren. This is a remarkable addition, and one of the largest in the whole New Testament. It seems to have been collected from the history of Moses as given in Exodus, and to have been put originally into the margin of some MS., from which it afterwards crept into the text.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 11:20-31

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. Jacob lived by faith, and he died by faith, and in faith. Though the grace of faith is of use always through our whole lives, it is especially so when we come to die. Faith has a great work to do at last, to help the believer to die to the Lord, so as to…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 11:20-31 →

Hebrews 11:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΠίστειPisteiBy faithG4102

ΜωϋσῆςMōusēsMosesG3475

γεννηθεὶςgennētheishaving been bornG1080

ἐκρύβηekrubēhe was hiddenG2928

τρίμηνονtrimēnonthree monthsG5150

ὑπὸhupobyG5259

τῶνtōntheG3588

πατέρωνpaterōnparentsG3962

αὐτοῦautouof himG846

διότιdiotibecauseG1360

εἶδονeidonthey sawG1492

ἀστεῖονasteion[was] beautifulG791

τὸtotheG3588

παιδίονpaidionlittle childG3813

καὶkaiandG2532

οὐκouknotG3756

ἐφοβήθησανephobēthēsanthey did fearG5399

τὸtotheG3588

διάταγμαdiatagmaedictG1297

τοῦtouof theG3588

βασιλέως.¶basileōsking.G935

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 11:23

Exodus 1:22
And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
Exodus 1:16
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
Hebrews 13:6
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Exodus 2:2-10
And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. …
Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Isaiah 41:14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Acts 7:20
In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father’s house three months:
Luke 12:4-5
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Isaiah 8:12-13
Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.
Psalms 118:6
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Daniel 3:16-18
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Isaiah 51:12
I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

faith.
Ex 2:2-10; Ac 7:20
a proper child.That is, a fine, beautiful, or fair child, as our translators render [asteios ] in Ac 7:20; which was in their time the sense of proper, from the French propre.
and they.
13:6; Ps 56:4; 118:6; Isa 8:12,13; 41:10,14; 51:7,12; Da 3:16-18
Da 6:10; Mt 10:28; Lu 12:4,5
the king's.
Ex 1:16,22

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Hebrews 11:22
By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Hebrews 11:23
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Hebrews 11:24
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;

Read all of Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11:23 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Por fe Moisés, nacido, fué escondido de sus padres por tres meses, porque le vieron hermoso niño; y no temieron el mandamiento del rey.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Par la foi, Moïse, étant né, fut caché trois mois par ses parents, parce qu’ils virent que l’enfant était beau, et ils ne craignirent pas l’ordonnance du roi.
German Elberfelder 1871	Durch Glauben wurde Moses, als er geboren wurde, drei Monate von seinen Eltern verborgen, weil sie sahen, daß das Kindlein schön war; und sie fürchteten das Gebot des Königs nicht.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Fide Moyses, natus, occultatus est mensibus tribus a parentibus suis, eo quod vidissent elegantem infantem, et non timuerunt regis edictum.