Hebrews 11:18 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "been", "said", "isaac", "shall", and "seed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "been", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "By faith Abraham when tried offered up..." into verse 19's "counting that God was able to raise...", so "called" and "been" 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 "called" and "been" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.