The Meaning of Hebrews 11:29 Explained

Hebrews 11:29

KJV: By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

YLT: By faith they did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, were swallowed up;

Darby: By faith they passed through the Red sea as through dry land; of which the Egyptians having made trial were swallowed up.

ASV: By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were swallowed up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

By faith  they passed through  the Red  sea  as  by  dry  [land]: which  the Egyptians  assaying  to do  were drowned. 

What does Hebrews 11:29 Mean?

Context Summary

Hebrews 11:23-31 - Making The Far-Seeing Choice
Faith-we cannot say it too often-is the direct vision of the soul. It doesn't reason, it doesn't ask for evidences, it doesn't seek the corroboration of spies sent forward to explore the land. It is to the spiritual world what the five senses are to things around us. It is even more than this; it is our power of deriving the help of the Unseen to carry out and complete the work of our life.
Moses saw Him who is invisible, and drew on God with a mighty faith that reckoned on Him as being more real than Pharaoh, and secured His divine cooperation. First, he ascertained God's will at the place where the bush burned with fire; and then set about doing his part, depending upon God to do His. Of course, it brought him into collision with the whole might of Pharaoh and Egypt, but he didn't even fear it. The destroying Angel had no terrors for the blood-sheltered people. The waters lined up on each side to let them pass. Strongly built walls fell to the ground. Let us be sure that we are on the line of God's purposes, then trust Him and fear naught. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 11

1  What faith is
6  Without faith we cannot please God
7  The examples of faithfulness in the fathers of old time

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 11:29

Which assaying to do [ης πιεραν λαβοντες]
Literally, “of which taking trial” (second aorist active participle of λαμβανω — lambanō to take). The idiom πειραν λαμβανειν — peiran lambanein occurs in Deuteronomy 28:56, in N.T. only here and Hebrews 11:36, though a classical idiom (Demosthenes, etc.). Were swallowed up First aorist passive indicative of καταπινω — katapinō to drink down, to swallow down (Matthew 23:24). [source]
Passed through [διέβησαν]
Only three times in N.T. See Luke 16:26; Acts 16:9. The simple Βαίνην does not occur in N.T. [source]
The Red Sea [τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν]
Called by the Israelites the sea, Exodus 14:2, Exodus 14:9, Exodus 14:16, Exodus 14:21, Exodus 14:28, etc., and, specially, the sea of Suph (sedge, seeds ). In lxx always as here except Judges 11:16, where it is θάλασσα Σὶφ i.e. Suph. By the Greeks the name was at first applied to the whole ocean from the coast of Ethiopia to the island of Taprobana or Ceylon. Afterward, when they learned of the existence of an Indian Ocean, they applied the name merely to the sea below Arabia, and to the Arabian and Persian gulfs. [source]
Which the Egyptians assaying to do [ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αιγύπτιοι]
The A.V. has assaying, according to the older English usage. Assay is now chiefly used of the testing of precious metals; but in the sense of try it is found in Piers Ploughman, Gower, Chaucer, Shakespeare. Lit. of which (sea ) the Egyptians having taken trial. The phrase πεῖραν λαμβάνειν totake trial occurs also in lxx, Deuteronomy 28:56. In N.T. only here and Hebrews 11:36. [source]
Were drowned [κατεπόθησαν]
Lit. were drunk down. See on Matthew 23:24. Comp. lxx, Exodus 15:4, and in N.T. 1 Corinthians 15:54; 2 Corinthians 2:7; 2 Corinthians 5:4. [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 11:29 mean?

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land which an attempt having made the Egyptians were swallowed up
Πίστει διέβησαν τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν Θάλασσαν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς γῆς ἧς πεῖραν λαβόντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι κατεπόθησαν

Πίστει  By  faith 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
διέβησαν  they  passed  through 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διαβαίνω  
Sense: to pass through, cross over.
Ἐρυθρὰν  Red 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐρυθρός  
Sense: the Red Sea.
Θάλασσαν  Sea 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θάλασσα  
Sense: the sea.
διὰ  through 
Parse: Preposition
Root: διά  
Sense: through.
ξηρᾶς  dry 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ξηρός  
Sense: dry.
γῆς  land 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
πεῖραν  an  attempt 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πεῖρα  
Sense: a trial, experience, attempt.
λαβόντες  having  made 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λαμβάνω  
Sense: to take.
Αἰγύπτιοι  Egyptians 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Αἰγύπτιος  
Sense: an Egyptian.
κατεπόθησαν  were  swallowed  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: καταπίνω  
Sense: to drink down, swallow down.