Hebrews 11:4 (GNV)

Passage

By faith Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice then Cain, by the which he obtained witnes that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: by the which faith also he being dead, yet speaketh.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:2 For by it our elders were well reported of.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we vnderstand that the world was ordeined by the worde of God, so that the things which we see, are not made of things which did appeare.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered vnto God a greater sacrifice then Cain, by the which he obtained witnes that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: by the which faith also he being dead, yet speaketh.

Hebrews 11:5 By faith was Enoch translated, that he should not see death: neither was he found: for God had translated him: for before he was translated, he was reported of, that he had pleased God.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is vnpossible to please him: for he that commeth to God, must beleeue that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "abel", "offered", "vnto", "greater", "sacrifice", "cain", and "obtained". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "abel", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Through faith we vnderstand that the world..." into verse 5's "By faith was Enoch translated that he...", so "faith" and "abel" 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 "abel" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.