Hebrews 11:2 (KJV)

Passage

For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "elders", "obtained", "good", and "report". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "elders" and "obtained", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Now faith is the substance of things..." into verse 3's "Through faith we understand that the worlds...", so "elders" and "obtained" 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 "elders" and "obtained" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.