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

HEBREWS 11:29KJV
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Hebrews 11:29 (KJV)

What does Hebrews 11:29 mean?

Hebrews 11:29 describes how the Israelites, trusting in God, crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, while the Egyptians who tried to follow them were drowned. The verse highlights the difference between acting by faith and acting without it, using the famous story from the Exodus.

The writer of Hebrews is reminding readers of a key moment when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites' faith allowed them to walk safely through the parted sea, but when the Egyptians attempted the same, they were overwhelmed by the returning waters. This verse is part of a larger section listing examples of faith from Israel’s history.

The Greek behind Hebrews 11:29

  • πίστις (pistis; "faith"): This word means trust or confidence, especially in God. The verse emphasizes that it was by this kind of faith that the Israelites were able to cross safely.
  • ἐρυθρὰν (erythran; "Red"): This word specifies the "Red" Sea, grounding the story in a real historical event familiar to Jewish readers.
  • ξηρᾷ (xēra; "dry"): This word means "dry" and stresses that the Israelites did not just wade through shallow water, but crossed on completely dry ground, highlighting the miraculous nature of the event.
  • καταποντίζω (katapontizō; "drowned"): This word means "to sink" or "to drown," describing what happened to the Egyptians. It underscores the danger and the deliverance involved in the story.

Why Hebrews 11:29 matters

  • Hebrews 11:29 clears up that the difference between the Israelites and Egyptians was not just nationality or circumstance, but faith—one group trusted God, the other did not.
  • The verse emphasizes that faith leads to deliverance, while mere imitation without trust in God does not guarantee the same outcome.
  • This example fits into Hebrews 11’s larger theme of showing how faith shaped the lives and destinies of people in Israel’s history, encouraging readers to trust God in their own challenges.

Where else these words appear

“Red” Greek G2063 · used in 2 verses

  • Acts 7:36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

“assaying” Greek G3984 · used in 2 verses

  • Hebrews 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

“through” Greek G1224 · used in 3 verses

  • Luke 16:26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
  • Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

“Egyptians” Greek G124 · used in 5 verses

  • Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
  • Acts 7:24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
  • Acts 7:28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?