Hebrews 11:8 (DBY)

Passage

By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out into the place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and went out, not knowing where he was going.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]. For he that draws near to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them who seek him out.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith, Noah, oracularly warned concerning things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which [is] according to faith.

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, being called, obeyed to go out into the place which he was to receive for an inheritance, and went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned as a stranger in the land of promise as a foreign country, having dwelt in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with [him] of the same promise;

Hebrews 11:10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, of which God is [the] artificer and constructor.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "faith", "abraham", "obeyed", "place", "receive", "inheritance", and "went". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "faith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "By faith Noah oracularly warned concerning things..." into verse 9's "By faith he sojourned as a stranger...", so "called" 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 "called" and "faith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.