Bible Strands

Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The anonymous author of Hebrews addresses a Jewish-Christian community under pressure to revert to Judaism. This verse states the principle that undergirds the faith examples bracketing it (Enoch, v. 5; Noah, v. 7).

The words — εὐαρεστῆσαι (euarestēsai), "to please [Him]," is a rare verb occurring only here in the New Testament. Its root carries the sense of being acceptable or agreeable to another person, not merely performing correctly.

The thread — The same seeking motif runs through Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, and Matthew 6:33. The immediately preceding verse (Hebrews 11:5) already applied the principle to Enoch, described as "one who pleased God."

Why it lands — It makes belief in God's existence and in His character as a rewarder of seekers a precondition, not a reward. The bar is not moral achievement but the orientation of the approach itself.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

χωρὶςchōrisWithoutδὲdenowπίστεωςpisteōsfaithἀδύνατονadunaton[it is] impossibleεὐαρεστῆσαι·euarestēsaito please [Him];πιστεῦσαιpisteusaiTo believeγὰρgarforδεῖdeiit behoovesτὸνtonthe oneπροσερχόμενονproserchomenondrawing nearτῷtō<the>θεῷtheōto GodὅτιhotithatἔστινestinHe existsκαὶkaiand [that]τοῖςtoisto thoseἐκζητοῦσινekzētousinearnestly seeking outαὐτὸνautonHimμισθαποδότηςmisthapodotēsa rewarderγίνεται.¶ginetaiHe becomes.

King James Version

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Cross-references