Hebrews 11:20 (ASV)

Passage

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:18 even he to whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called:

Hebrews 11:19 accounting that God [is] able to raise up, even from the dead; from whence he did also in a figure receive him back.

Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come.

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff.

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "isaac", "blessed", "jacob", "esau", "even", "concerning", and "things". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "isaac", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "accounting that God is able to raise..." into verse 21's "By faith Jacob when he was dying...", so "faith" and "isaac" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "isaac" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.