Hebrews 11:38 (GNV)

Passage

Whom the world was not worthie of: they wandered in wildernesses and mountaines, and dennes, and caues of the earth.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:36 And others haue bene tryed by mockings and scourgings, yea, moreouer by bondes and prisonment.

Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, they were hewen asunder, they were tempted, they were slaine with the sworde, they wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes, and in goates skinnes, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented:

Hebrews 11:38 Whom the world was not worthie of: they wandered in wildernesses and mountaines, and dennes, and caues of the earth.

Hebrews 11:39 And these all through faith obteined good report, and receiued not the promise,

Hebrews 11:40 God prouiding a better thing for vs, that they without vs should not be made perfite.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "worthie", "wandered", "wildernesses", "mountaines", "dennes", "caues", and "earth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "worthie", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "They were stoned they were hewen asunder..." into verse 39's "And these all through faith obteined good...", so "world" and "worthie" 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 "world" and "worthie" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.