Hebrews 11:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Many prophets and righteous men," says the Lord, "desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Mt 13:17).

Did the righteous know all the future? Certainly. If the Son of God was not revealed to those who could not receive Him because of their weakness, then without doubt He was revealed to those made glorious by virtues.

So Paul now says that they knew the future, that is, the resurrection of Christ.

Either he says this, or his words "by faith concerning things to come" refer not to the age to come, but to what was going to happen here afterward.

Otherwise, how could a man living in a foreign land give such blessings? And again, why did he himself not experience the fulfillment of the blessing he had received?

How could he have promised his sons so many blessings, while he himself lived in a foreign land, if he had not believed that God would grant what was promised? What does "concerning things to come" mean? Either it refers to the blessings of the age to come, for they knew of the resurrection and these blessings were intelligible to them. Or it refers to blessings on this earth, which they themselves, or their descendants, were to receive. He prefers Jacob to Esau as virtuous, as one who had received the rights of the firstborn, and as in every way worthy of preference.

After Abraham's death, Isaac also lived by faith in the awaited Messiah. By faith in the future, he blessed first his younger son Jacob, and then his elder son Esau, who had already sold his birthright to his brother.

In doing this, Isaac, already ancient, old, and blind, discerned the future lot of his sons.

To Jacob he handed on the blessing given by God to Abraham and his seed in the person of the elder member of the family.

That is, he handed on the promise of the Messiah from his line, the promise of the Savior. To Esau he foretold dependence on Jacob and a warlike life in raids and hunting.

By faith Isaac blessed his son Jacob, and then Esau, concerning things to come. That is, the blessing of each was fulfilled after many centuries (Gen. 27:27 ff.).

For he would not have given invisible blessings if he had not believed that the deed would follow the words.

Having prayed for them before God, that what was to come might descend upon their generations, he attained what he asked by faith. For it was not they themselves who enjoyed the fruits of the blessing, but their descendants. He believed that each of them would be given what he asked of God. For Jacob he entreats God strongly, but for Esau more weakly. Therefore the Apostle placed Jacob first, as one beloved of God: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Mal. 1:2). "Concerning things to come" means what would be for them in the present life, not in the future one.

"By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come." The Apostle mentioned Jacob first, and then Esau, not according to the order of birth, but according to the order of the blessing.

Isaac also revealed his faith when he blessed his sons. He showed firm faith in the significance of his blessing (Gen 27:33), and then faith in the fulfillment of the promise concerning posterity given to Abraham.

Only with faith in this promise do Isaac's words about the future fate of his sons become understandable (cf. Gen 27:27-29, 37-40).

Jacob also proved his faith in God by making Joseph's sons the founders of two powerful tribes, which were to come into being long afterward.

Moreover, just before this, he had received from Joseph an oath that he would not leave his father's bones in Egypt.