Hebrews 11:20 (DRB)

Passage

By faith also of things to come Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:18 (To whom it was said: In Isaac shalt thy seed be called:)

Hebrews 11:19 Accounting that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Whereupon also he received him for a parable.

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

Hebrews 11:21 By faith Jacob, dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and adored the top of his rod.

Hebrews 11:22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the going out of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "things", "come", "isaac", "blessed", "jacob", and "esau". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "things", 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 dying blessed each of...", so "faith" and "things" 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 "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.