Hebrews 11:2 (LSB)

Passage

For by it the men of old gained approval.

Nearby Context

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

Hebrews 11:2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was approved as being righteous—God approving his gifts—and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gained" and "approval". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gained" and "approval", 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 assurance of things..." into verse 3's "By faith we understand that the worlds...", so "gained" and "approval" 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 "gained" and "approval" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.