Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 11:8-12

"By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out unto a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a [land] not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, [so many] as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable." — Hebrews 11:8-12 (ASV)

Having given an example of faith from the fathers who lived before the flood—that is, those who were fathers of both the Gentiles and the Jews—the Apostle now specifically discusses the fathers who lived after the flood, namely, the fathers of the Jews. He presents the example of Abraham's faith, who was the father of believers and the first to receive the seal of faith before the Law.

The Apostle outlines what the patriarchs did by faith:

1. First, he shows what Abraham did.
2. Secondly, what Isaac did (Hebrews 11:20).
3. Thirdly, what Jacob did (Hebrews 11:21).
4. Fourthly, what Joseph did (Hebrews 11:22).

The section on Abraham is divided into two parts. First, the Apostle shows what Abraham did in regard to external and human matters; secondly, what he did in regard to God (Hebrews 11:17). The first part is further divided into three sections, showing what Abraham did concerning: first, his dwelling place; secondly, his descendants (Hebrews 11:11); and thirdly, his own devotion (Hebrews 11:13). Regarding his dwelling place, the Apostle first shows what Abraham did concerning his initial relocation, and secondly, what he did concerning his subsequent move (Hebrews 11:9).

To show the great authority of Abraham’s example, the author mentions the renown of his name, saying he was called Abraham by God: “You shall be called Abraham” (Genesis 17:5). He is also praised by men: “Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations” . Therefore, one who was called by God and celebrated by men is a worthy example. Secondly, he gives the example, saying, by faith Abraham obeyed. For by faith we are enabled to believe God concerning invisible things: “for obedience to the faith” (Romans 1:5). He obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). The Lord was to give him that land for an inheritance: “All the land which you see, I will give to you” (Genesis 13:15).

But did he not leave his own land with his father, Terah? Does this mean he did not leave because of God’s command, but his father’s? I answer that he left with his father with the intention of returning, but in response to the Lord’s command, he went from Mesopotamia to Syria, where he intended to remain after his father’s death. Then, in response to a further command from the Lord, he went into the land of Canaan.

Was this so wonderful that he needed faith to believe God about it? Yes, because he went out, not knowing where he was going. What is unknown is invisible. By Abraham’s obedience, we are instructed to go out from all carnal affection if we would obtain our inheritance: “Forget your people and your father's house” (Psalms 45:10); “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9, referencing Isaiah 64:4). Hence, that inheritance is unknown to us.

Then, in Hebrews 11:9, he shows what Abraham did by faith regarding his dwelling place: first, what he did, and secondly, the reason why (Hebrews 11:10).

We sometimes see a person leave his native land and go elsewhere to make a permanent home. This was not the case with Abraham, for he lived as a stranger in the land of Canaan. This is clear from the fact that he did not build a house there but lived in tents, which are portable dwellings. For this reason, Scripture always mentions tents when speaking of Abraham. Therefore, he lived there as a stranger because of the Lord’s command: “And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length” (Acts 7:5); “Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days” (Genesis 21:34). This is true regarding what the Lord was to give him freely, but not regarding what he bought.

Hence, the Apostle says, by faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as is clear from Genesis (chapters 12-21), as in a foreign land. This is evident from his living in tents. That he had no intention of returning to his native land, even if he had lived longer, is shown by the fact that he lived there successively with Isaac and Jacob. These were the children of the promise, because the promise was made to them (see Genesis 17 and 28). He says they were heirs with him of the same promise, by which we are given to understand that we should live in the world as foreigners and strangers: “And those who use the world, as though not using it to the full” (1 Corinthians 7:31); “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14).

Then, when he says, he looked forward to the city which has foundations, he shows why Abraham lingered there as a stranger: he did not consider himself as having anything on earth but was seeking a heavenly city as his inheritance. “Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Jerusalem, built as a city” (Psalms 122:2–3); “Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that will not be moved” (Isaiah 33:20).

It is called a city for several reasons:

1. Because of the unity of its citizens, which is true peace: “Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! For... he makes peace in your borders” (Psalms 147:12, 14). “My people will sit in a beautiful peace, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places” (Isaiah 32:18); “That they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:22).
2. Because it is ordered for justice and not for doing evil. Perpetual justice is there: “And the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).
3. Because it is self-sufficient in all necessary things. Whatever is needed will be there most perfectly, for it is a state made perfect by the gathering of all good things: “Jerusalem, built as a city that is bound firmly together” (Psalms 122:3).

This city has foundations, which signifies stability: “a tent that will not be moved” (Isaiah 33:20). The foundations are the first part of a building; thus, the angels are the foundations of the city: “On the holy mountains stands the city he founded” (Psalms 87:1). For men will be raised to the orders of angels.

The founder of this city is God, not the wisdom of human skill: “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). Two things are required to build a city: first, the authority of the ruler, who establishes it and is called its founder, and from whom it takes its name, as Rome from Romulus. In this way, God is called the founder of that city: “in the city of our God... God will establish it forever” (Psalms 48:8). The second is the way it is constructed, which commends the wisdom of the architect. Thus, God is called its architect, because it was built according to the design and wisdom of God: “Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, his holy mountain!” (Psalms 48:1). The proper arrangement of a work commends the workman, and divine wisdom will never be so resplendent as it is there; therefore, God is greatly to be praised.

Then, when he says, by faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, he shows what Abraham's wife obtained by faith. In this regard, he does two things: first, he shows what she obtained personally; secondly, what she obtained in her children (Hebrews 11:12).

There were two defects in his wife that made it seem almost impossible for her to conceive. One was that she was sterile: “Now Sarai was barren” (Genesis 11:30). The other was that, due to her age, she was not naturally able to bear children: “The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah” (Genesis 18:11). The Apostle touches on these two defects, first when he says, being barren, and secondly, when he says, even when she was past the age. Yet in spite of all this, she received the power to conceive by faith—either her own or Abraham’s. For even though it was naturally impossible for a ninety-year-old woman to conceive from a man of one hundred, they both believed God, for whom nothing is difficult. Hence, he says, since she considered him faithful who had promised.

On the contrary, it seems that Abraham did not believe, because in Genesis 17:17 he asked: “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Likewise, regarding Sarah, it is stated in Genesis 18:12: “So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?’” I answer that Abraham’s laughing was not due to doubt, but to wonder. “He did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20–21). Therefore, his laughter was not rebuked by God, who knows the hearts of all.

Sarah, however, did doubt at the first promise. But when the angel referred to the power of God, saying, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14), she then believed. This was, as it were, a second promise. Therefore, the author says God promised again, because when He promised the first time, she did not believe, but only when He promised again.

It should be noted that all the miraculous conceptions in the Old Testament were a figure of that greatest of miracles which occurred in the incarnation. It was necessary that Christ’s birth from the Virgin be prefigured by certain events to prepare souls to believe. But it could not be prefigured by something equal, because a figure necessarily falls short of what is prefigured. Therefore, Scripture foreshadows the Virgin Birth through the births from barren women, namely, Sarah, Hannah, and Elizabeth. But there is a difference: Sarah received the power to conceive from God miraculously, but from human seed. In the Blessed Virgin, however, God even prepared that most pure matter from her blood, and with that, the power of the Holy Spirit was present in place of seed. For the Word was made flesh not from human seed but by a mystical breathing.

Then, when he says, therefore from one man, he shows what she obtained in her children by God’s power: a multiplication of descendants as a reward for faith. From one man, namely, Abraham, they sprang: “I called him alone, and blessed him and made him many” (Isaiah 51:2). Secondly, his condition should be considered, because he was as good as dead, for he was already an old man, as was stated above.

But on the other hand, since Abraham, described as "as good as dead," fathered sons by another wife after Sarah died (as stated in Genesis 25:1-2), it seems incorrect to describe him this way. I answer that an old man can well produce children with a young woman, but not with an old one. Consequently, his power to procreate was dead in regard to Sarah, but not in regard to others. Or, one might say that "from one" refers to Sarah’s womb, already as good as dead: “the barrenness of Sarah's womb” (Romans 4:19); “Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you” (Isaiah 51:2).

Thirdly, the difference between those who came from Abraham should be considered. For, as it is stated in Romans 9:6-8, not all who are of the seed of Abraham are his true children, but only the children of the promise are counted as his offspring. Therefore, his descendants are divided into two branches: the good and the wicked. The good are signified by the stars, of whom he says that they have sprung forth as the stars of heaven in number: “The stars shone in their watches and were glad” . But the wicked are signified by the sand of the seashore, because the wicked Jews of Abraham’s seed conformed to the Gentiles. The sand is everywhere battered by the waves of the sea, just as the wicked are by the winds of the world: “But the wicked are like the tossing sea” (Isaiah 57:20). The Jews were not entirely sand, but as the sand, because they shared their wickedness with the Gentiles: “I have placed the sand as the bound for the sea” (Jeremiah 5:22).

Again, sand is sterile and fruitless; so, too, the wicked are sterile of all good works. Hence, he says, they sprang forth as the innumerable sand which is by the seashore. The figure is a hyperbole. Or it is described as innumerable not because it cannot be counted, but because it cannot be counted easily: “I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17).