Hebrews 11:17 (DBY)

Passage

By faith Abraham, [when] tried, offered up Isaac, and he who had received to himself the promises offered up his only begotten [son],

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:15 And if they had called to mind that from whence they went out, they had had opportunity to have returned;

Hebrews 11:16 but now they seek a better, that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God; for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, [when] tried, offered up Isaac, and he who had received to himself the promises offered up his only begotten [son],

Hebrews 11:18 as to whom it had been said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called:

Hebrews 11:19 counting that God [was] able to raise [him] even from among [the] dead, whence also he received him in a figure.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "only begotten Son", "faith", "abraham", "tried", "offered", "isaac", "received", and "himself". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "only begotten Son" and "faith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "but now they seek a better that..." into verse 18's "as to whom it had been said...", so "only begotten Son" and "faith" 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 "only begotten Son" and "faith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.