For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Parallel translations
- WEB For he looked for the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
- KJV For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
- ESV For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
- NKJV for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
- NASB for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
- NLT Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Abraham endured as a tent-dweller because he was looking ahead to a permanent, God-built city. His true hope was heavenly and eternal, not earthly.
Overview
This verse explains why Abraham was content to live in tents: he set his hope on "the city which has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God." Unlike his temporary dwellings, this city is permanent and divinely established—the heavenly Jerusalem (12:22). His faith reached beyond the earthly land to the eternal dwelling God prepares for his people through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 13:14For here we do not have a permanent city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.
- Phil 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
- 2 Cor 5:1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
- Heb 12:22Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels
- John 14:2In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
- Heb 3:4And every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.
- Rev 21:2I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- Rev 21:10–27And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,
- Heb 12:28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- Isa 14:32What answer will be given to the envoys of that nation? “The LORD has founded Zion, where His afflicted people will find refuge.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.
How Hebrews 11:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.