Hebrews 11:10 (LSB)

Passage

for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise,

Hebrews 11:10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she regarded Him faithful who had promised.

Hebrews 11:12 Therefore there were born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "looking", "city", "foundations", "whose", "architect", and "builder". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "looking" and "city", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "By faith he sojourned in the land..." into verse 11's "By faith even Sarah herself received ability...", so "looking" and "city" 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 "looking" and "city" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.