Hebrews 11 · Verse 27

Hebrews 11:27

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Hebrews 11:27, King James Version

Hebrews 11:27 in other translations

BSB	By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
WEB	By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
ASV	By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
YLT	by faith he left Egypt behind, not having been afraid of the wrath of the king, for, as seeing the Invisible One--he endured;
DARBY	By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as seeing him who is invisible.
BBE	By faith he went out of Egypt, not being turned from his purpose by fear of the wrath of the king; for he kept on his way, as seeing him who is unseen.
Webster	By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

What does Hebrews 11:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

27. not fearing the wrath of the king--But in Ex 2:14 it is said, "Moses feared, and fled from the face of Pharaoh." He was afraid, and fled from the danger where no duty called him to stay (to have stayed without call of duty would have been to tempt Providence, and to sacrifice his hope of being Israel's future deliverer according to the divine intimations; his great aim, see on He 11:23). He did not fear the king so as to neglect his duty and not return when God called him. It was in spite of the king's prohibition he left Egypt, not fearing the consequences which were likely to overtake him if he should be caught, after having, in defiance of the king, left Egypt. If he had stayed and resumed his position as adopted son of Pharaoh's daughter, his slaughter of the Egyptian would doubtless have been connived at; but his resolution to take his portion with oppressed Israel, which he could not have done had he stayed, was the motive of his flight, and constituted the "faith" of this act, according to the express statement here. The exodus of Moses with Israel cannot be meant here, for it was made, not in defiance, but by the desire, of the king. Besides, the chronological order would be broken thus, the next particular specified here, namely, the institution of the Passover, having taken place before the exodus. Besides, it is Moses' personal history and faith which are here described. The faith of the people ("THEY passed") is not introduced till He 11:29. endured--steadfast in faith amidst trials. He had fled, not so much from fear of Pharaoh, as from a revulsion of feeling in finding God's people insensible to their high destiny, and from disappointment at not having been able to inspire them with those hopes for which he had sacrificed all his earthly prospects. This accounts for his strange reluctance and despondency when commissioned by God to go and arouse the people (Ex 3:15; 4:1, 10-12). seeing him ... invisible--as though he had not to do with men, but only with God, ever before his eyes by faith, though invisible to the bodily eye (Ro 1:20; 1Ti 1:17; 6:16). Hence he feared not the wrath of visible man; the characteristic of faith (He 11:1; Lu 12:4, 5).

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

Barnes' Notes

Verse 27. By faith he forsook Egypt. Some have understood this of the first time in which Moses forsook Egypt, when he fled into Midian, as recorded in Ex 2; the majority of expositors have supposed that it refers to the time when he left Egypt to conduct the Israelites to the promised land. That the latter is the time referred to is evident from the fact that it is said that he did "not fear the wrath of the king." When Moses first fled to the land of Midian it is expressly said that he went because he did fear the anger of Pharaoh for his having killed an Egyptian, Ex 2:14,15. He was at that time in fear of his life; but when he left Egypt at the head of the Hebrew people, he had no such apprehensions. God conducted him out with "an high hand;" and throughout all the events connected with that remarkable deliverance, he manifested no dread of Pharaoh, and had no apprehension from what he could do. He went forth, indeed, at the head of his people when all the power of the king was excited to destroy them, but he went confiding in God; and this is the faith referred to here.

For he endured. He persevered, amidst all the trials and difficulties connected with his leading forth the people from bondage.

As seeing him who is invisible. As if he saw God. He had no more doubt that God had called him to this work, and that he would sustain him, than if he saw him with his bodily eyes. This is a most accurate account of the nature of faith. Comp. Heb 11:1.

(c) "wrath of king" Ex 10:28,29 (d) "him" 1Timm 1:17

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 27 He forsook Egypt - He believed that God would fulfill the promise he had made; and he cheerfully changed an earthly for a heavenly portion. Not fearing the wrath of the king - The apostle speaks here of the departure of Moses with the Israelites, not of his flight to Midian, Exo 2:14, Exo 2:15; for he was then in great fear: but when he went to Pharaoh with God's authority, to demand the dismission of the Hebrews, he was without fear, and acted in the most noble and dignified manner; he then feared nothing but God. As seeing him who is invisible - He continued to act as one who had the judge of his heart and conduct always before his eyes. By calling the Divine Being the invisible, the apostle distinguishes him from the god's of Egypt, who were visible, corporeal, gross, and worthless. The Israelites were worshippers of the true God, and this worship was not tolerated in Egypt. His pure and spiritual worship could never comport with the adoration of oxen, goats, monkeys, leeks, and onions.

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 11:27 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

κατέλιπενkatelipenhe leftG2641

ΑἴγυπτονAiguptonEgyptG125

μὴmēnotG3361

φοβηθεὶςphobētheishaving fearedG5399

τὸνtontheG3588

θυμὸνthumonangerG2372

τοῦtouof theG3588

βασιλέως·basileōsking;G935

τὸνtontheG3588

γὰρgarforG1063

ἀόρατονaoratonInvisible [One]G517

ὡςhōsasG5613

ὁρῶνhorōnseeingG3708

ἐκαρτέρησεν.¶ekarterēsenhe persevered.G2594

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

Cross references for Hebrews 11:27

2 Corinthians 4:18
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Exodus 2:14-15
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Exodus 4:19
And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
Exodus 10:28-29
And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
James 5:11
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Exodus 14:10-13
And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
Exodus 11:8
And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
Exodus 12:11
And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover.
1 Peter 1:8
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Matthew 10:22
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

he forsook.
Ex 10:28,29; 11:8; 12:11,37-42; 13:17-21
not fearing.
Ex 2:14,15; 4:19; 14:10-13
endured.
6:15; 10:32; 12:3; Mt 10:22; 24:13; Mr 4:17; 13:13; 1Co 13:7; Jas 5:11
seeing.
1,13; 12:2; Ps 16:8; Ac 2:25; 2Co 4:18; 1Ti 1:17; 6:16; 1Pe 1:8

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

Context

Hebrews 11:26
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Hebrews 11:27
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:28
Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

Read all of Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11:27 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Por fe dejó á Egipto, no temiendo la ira del rey; porque se sostuvo como viendo al Invisible.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Par la foi, il quitta l’Égypte, ne craignant pas la colère du roi, car il tint ferme, comme voyant celui qui est invisible.
German Elberfelder 1871	Durch Glauben verließ er Ägypten und fürchtete die Wut des Königs nicht; denn er hielt standhaft aus, als sähe er den Unsichtbaren.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Fide reliquit Ægyptum, non veritus animositatem regis: invisibilem enim tamquam videns sustinuit.