Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 11:20-26

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, [leaning] upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw he was a goodly child; and they were not afraid of the king`s commandment. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh`s daughter; choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he looked unto the recompense of reward." — Hebrews 11:20-26 (ASV)

Previously, the Apostle gave an example of Abraham’s faith; here he gives the example of the faith of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, beginning with Isaac. He says, therefore, that by faith in things to come—that is, things that extended into the future—Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau. He blessed them for things to come, or with a blessing which extended to the future, for his words had their efficacy from God’s power alone.

Through this blessing, the younger ruled the older. But this did not pertain to them personally, but to the two peoples that came from them: over Edom I will stretch out my shoe (Psalms 107:10). For the Edomites, who came from Esau, were subject to the people of Israel. This signified that the younger people—that is, the Gentiles—were to supplant the older people, namely, the Jews, by faith: Many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 8:11). But that blessing, which concerned the future faith of the Gentiles, was given by faith because it looked to something in the future.

Next, when he says, by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, he continues with Jacob’s faith. He mentions what Jacob did in blessing the two sons of Joseph, as recorded in Genesis 48. There it is stated that when Joseph was informed of his father’s illness, he brought his two sons, whom Jacob then blessed by crossing his hands. With this gesture, he chose Ephraim over Manasseh in dignity, because royal dignity came from Ephraim through Jeroboam. This blessing was by faith because it was revealed to him that this is how it would be in the future. This blessing referred to the peoples who came from them and not to them personally.

Likewise, by faith he...worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff. This is recorded in Genesis 49, where it is stated that he made Joseph swear to bury him in the tomb of his fathers. After the oath, he adored the top of the coffin, as our version has it; or at the top of his staff, as the Septuagint says; or at the top, as it is in the Greek. All of these interpretations can stand. He was old and carried a staff, or perhaps he took Joseph’s scepter until he swore the oath. After returning it, he worshipped—not the staff or Joseph, as some have wickedly thought, but God Himself. He did this while leaning on the top of his staff, moved by the consideration of Christ’s power, which Joseph’s power prefigured. As the prefect in Egypt, Joseph carried a scepter as a sign of his power: You that rule them with a rod of iron (Psalms 2:9).

Alternatively, if he worshipped at the top, the meaning is the same, because he worshipped Christ, who was signified by that staff. This is just as we adore the Crucified One and the Cross because of Christ, who suffered on it. Therefore, properly speaking, we do not adore the Cross itself, but Christ crucified on it.

Then, in verse 22, he continues with the example of Joseph’s faith. He mentions two things stated in the last chapter of Genesis, where Joseph said to his brothers in verse 24, God will visit you, and commanded them to carry his bones out of that place. Thus, his faith concerned two things. First, he believed that the promise God made would be fulfilled by the return of the children of Israel to the promised land. Second, he believed that Christ would be born and would rise from the dead in that land, and many with Him. Therefore, he desired to have a part in that resurrection. The Apostle says, therefore, By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites—this relates to the first point—and gave commandment regarding his bones, which relates to the second.

But why did he not have himself carried back at once, like his father? I answer that he was not able to, because he no longer had the power he possessed at the time of his father’s death. Second, he knew that the children of Israel were to suffer many afflictions after his death. Therefore, to assure them of their deliverance and return to the promised land, he wanted his body to remain with them as a source of consolation. Consequently, Moses took it with him, just as each tribe took the body of its own patriarch, as Jerome says.

Next, when he says, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, he continues with the fathers who were under the Law. This period begins with Moses: Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justice ; The law was given by Moses (John 1:33). That period is divided into three parts: before the departure from Egypt, during the departure, and after the departure. Therefore, the Apostle does three things:

1. He shows what happened before the departure.
2. He shows what happened during the departure (v. 27).
3. He shows what happened in the promised land (v. 32).

Regarding the first part, he does two things: first, he shows what occurred at Moses’ birth, and second, what Moses himself did (v. 24).

Here he touches on the history given in Exodus 1, namely, that Pharaoh commanded the male children to be killed so that the Israelites would not multiply. Second, it is recorded that Moses’ parents, seeing that he was a beautiful child, hid him for three months, an act which the Apostle attributes to their faith. They believed that someone would be born to free them from their slavery. Therefore, from the child’s beauty, they believed that some power of God was in him. For they were simple country people who toiled, working with clay and bricks: A man is known by his look . From this we see that although faith is about invisible things, we can nevertheless be assured in it through certain visible signs: Confirming the word with signs that followed (Mark 16:20). The fact that they did this from faith and not from mere natural affection is evident, because they were not afraid of the king’s edict. Thus, they exposed themselves to danger, which they would not have done unless they had believed that something great was in store for the child: Do not fear them that kill the body (Matthew 10:28).

On the other hand, one might object that they later exposed him, and therefore it was not by faith that they preserved him. I answer that they exposed him not to destroy him but to keep him from being discovered and killed. They placed him in a small basket, committing him to divine providence, for they believed he would likely be killed if he were found among them.

Then, in verse 24, he shows what Moses did by faith: first, what he did, and second, that what he did pertained to faith (v. 26b).

Here he touches on the history recorded in Exodus 2, where it is stated that Pharaoh’s daughter had him nursed by his own mother and adopted him as her son. But Moses refused to be her son, not in word, but in deed, because against Pharaoh’s will he killed an Egyptian who had harmed a Hebrew. Therefore, the Apostle says, By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be afflicted with the people of God, than to have the pleasure of sin for a time.

This indicates his marvelous virtue. For there are two things that people desire most: pleasure and delight in external things. And they flee most from their opposites: pain and affliction (which are opposed to pleasure), and poverty and humiliation (which are opposed to delight). But Moses chose the latter two. He preferred pain and affliction to the temporary pleasure of sin, which is always associated with sin. He also chose poverty for Christ’s sake: It is better to be humbled with the meek, than to divide spoils with the proud (Proverbs 16:19); I have chosen to be an abject in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tabernacles of sinners (Psalms 83:11).

Regarding the first choice, he says, rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God, whom Pharaoh afflicted, than to have the pleasure of sin for a time. He would have had this pleasure if he had joined the Egyptians in afflicting the children of Israel. Regarding the second choice, that he chose poverty, he says, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches. This means he chose it for the sake of his faith in Christ, for which he endured reproach even from his own brothers, as stated in Exodus 2:14: Will you kill me, as you did yesterday kill the Egyptian? This reproach was a prefigurement of the reproaches Christ would have to endure from the Jews: My heart has expected reproach and misery (Psalms 68:21). But he considered these two things—affliction and reproach—to be greater riches than the treasures of the Egyptians: The riches of salvation, wisdom and knowledge (Isaiah 33:6).

Then, when the Apostle says, for he looked unto the reward, he shows that these actions of Moses pertained to faith in Christ. It should be noted that some things are good and delightful in themselves, while other things are sorrowful and evil. No one chooses evil things for their own sake, but only for the sake of some end. For example, a sick person chooses a bitter medicine, preferring something unpleasant to something pleasant by reason of a greater good that can be obtained through it. In the same way, the saints, by their hope for the ultimate end of eternal happiness, chose affliction and poverty over riches and pleasures, because riches and pleasures would have hindered them from attaining the end for which they hoped. Blessed are you when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you... Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven (Matthew 5:11); I am your protector and your reward exceedingly great (Genesis 15:1). Therefore, the Apostle says that Moses did this because he looked with the eyes of faith to the reward, which he hoped to receive from it. Thus, faith is the substance of things to be hoped for; the evidence of things that appear not, as was stated above.