Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
faith.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
that the universe was formed
The term "universe" refers to all of creation, encompassing both the heavens and the earth. This aligns with the Genesis account of creation, where God speaks the universe into existence. The formation of the universe is a testament to God's power and sovereignty, as seen in passages like Psalm 33:6, which states, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made."
at God’s command
This phrase underscores the power of God's word. The creation narrative in Genesis 1 repeatedly uses the phrase "And God said," illustrating that creation was an act of divine will and command. The concept of God's word as powerful and creative is echoed in John 1:1-3, where Jesus, the Word, is described as the agent of creation.
so that what is seen
This refers to the physical, visible world. The visible creation is a reflection of God's invisible attributes, as stated in Romans 1:20, which explains that God's eternal power and divine nature are understood through what has been made.
was not made out of what was visible
This phrase highlights the doctrine of creation ex nihilo, meaning "out of nothing." It affirms that God did not use pre-existing materials to create the universe, contrasting with ancient creation myths that often involved gods shaping chaos. This concept is foundational to understanding God's omnipotence and the nature of faith, as believers trust in the unseen and the power of God's word.
• Faith is the lens that lets us grasp realities we cannot touch or test in a lab. Hebrews 11:1 calls faith “the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see.”
• Our confidence rests on God’s trustworthy character, not human speculation (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• Scripture insists that faith comes by hearing “the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17), so believing God’s testimony about creation is a natural act of faith.
• Walking “by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7) keeps us anchored when cultural assumptions contradict divine revelation.
• The verse points back to Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Everything—from galaxies to grains of sand—has an intentional origin.
• “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made” (Psalm 33:6); nothing evolved randomly or autonomously.
• Peter reminds believers that “long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed” (2 Peter 3:5), underscoring continuity between Old and New Testament witness.
• Revelation 4:11 celebrates that all things “were created” and “have their being” because God willed it.
• Creation happened through divine speech: “For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm” (Psalm 33:9).
• Each Genesis day opens with “And God said,” highlighting the power of His word.
• God’s word is never idle—Isaiah 55:11 assures it accomplishes what He desires.
• Psalm 148:5 invites all creation to praise the Lord “for He commanded, and they were created,” echoing Hebrews 11:3.
• The visible cosmos—the stars we gaze at, the soil beneath our feet—testifies to its Maker (Romans 1:20).
• “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1), turning everyday sights into ongoing sermons.
• Colossians 1:16 affirms that “all things visible and invisible” were created through and for Christ, binding the seen world to its unseen Source.
• Scripture presents creation ex nihilo—out of nothing material. Genesis 1:3 records, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light,” without pre-existing raw materials.
• John 1:3 reinforces: “Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
• This truth humbles human pride; matter is not eternal, God is.
• It also assures believers that the same God who called the universe into being can intervene powerfully in our lives.
Hebrews 11:3 teaches that believers, relying on God’s reliable word, grasp a foundational reality: the entire universe sprang into existence by God’s sovereign command, without pre-existing matter. Everything we see reveals an invisible yet all-powerful Creator who speaks and accomplishes His purposes. Understanding creation by faith anchors our worldview, fuels our worship, and fortifies our trust that the God who formed worlds can shape our present and future.
(3) Through faith.--Rather, By faith, as in the following verses. The first place is not given to "the elders," for the writer's object is to set forth the achievements of faith. With these, he would say, the Scripture record is filled. Even where there is no mention of this principle we must trace it in the lives of God's servants; even where there is no history of men, there is a necessity for the exercise of faith by ourselves, and the first words of Scripture teach this lesson.That the worlds were framed.--Literally, that the ages have been prepared. The remarkable expression which was used in Hebrews 1:2 is here repeated. The complete preparation of all that the successive periods of time contain is the idea which the words present. The narrative of the first chapter of Genesis ascribes the whole creation of "the heaven and the earth" to God; and associates with "a word of God" every stage in the preparation and furnishing of the earth. (See Note on Hebrews 1:2.) This is the first lesson of that record. But it does not stand alone, as is taught more plainly still by the next clause.
So that things which are seen.--A slight alteration in the Greek is necessary here--"the thing seen" (or "what is seen") being the true reading. A more important point is a change in the aspect of the whole clause, which the Greek seems to require. As the English words stand, they point out the significance of the statement of Scripture respecting the creative act: we believe the writer intended rather to state the divine purpose in relation to that first creation and all subsequent acts that are included in the "preparing of the ages." "In order that what is seen should not have come into being out of things which appear." This is probably the true meaning of the clause. In the narrative of the first chapter of Genesis God would have us learn a lesson for the whole course of human history and development. As the visible universe did not take its being out of what was apparent, so what from time to time is seen does not arise of itself out of what is manifest to man's natural perceptions. Not only is the eternity of matter denied, but from the beginning a warning has been given against a materialistic philosophy. The first page of Scripture is designed to teach the constant presence and work of the Creator. This lesson we learn and apply by faith; and the result of its application is seen in many points of the history which follows. In that history the operation of faith is twofold. The writer's most obvious design is to call attention to the faith possessed by "the elders," and its wonderful triumphs; but it is in many cases by the same faith that we interpret the Scripture record so as to discover this to have been their guiding principle. But seldom does the Old Testament directly speak of faith, and hence the importance of this verse (which some have thought incongruous, since it retards the exhibition of the elders' faith) as throwing light on our interpretation of the teaching of God's word.
Verse 3. - By faith we perceive that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen (or, that which is seen) have (or, has) not been made of things which do appear. "By the word of God" has reference to "and God said," of Genesis 1, which chapter enunciates the primary article of all definite religions faith, viz. the existence and operation of God, as the unseen Author of the visible universe. Even without a revelation to declare this, faith's office is to apprehend it from observation of the phenomena themselves; as is intimated in Romans 1:20, where even to the Greek "the invisible things of God from the creation of the world" are said to be "clearly seen, being understood [νοούμενα: cf νοοῦμεν in the passage before us] by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." The drift of both passages is the same, viz. this, and no more - that faith recognizes an unseen power and Godhead behind, and accounting for, the seen universe. Commentators, who - taking μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων as equivalent to ἐκ μὴ φαινομένων, and hence seeking to explain what is meant by "non-apparent things" - perceive here a reference either to the formless void (Genesis 1:2) out of which the present creation was evolved, or to the Platonic conception of eternal ideas in the Divine mind, read into the text what is not there.