Hebrews 11:37

11:32-38 After all our searches into the Scriptures, there is more to be learned from them. We should be pleased to think, how great the number of believers was under the Old Testament, and how strong their faith, though the objects of it were not then so fully made known as now. And we should lament that now, in gospel times, when the rule of faith is more clear and perfect, the number of believers should be so small, and their faith so weak. It is the excellence of the grace of faith, that, while it helps men to do great things, like Gideon, it keeps from high and great thoughts of themselves. Faith, like Barak's, has recourse unto God in all dangers and difficulties, and then makes grateful returns to God for all mercies and deliverances. By faith, the servants of God shall overcome even the roaring lion that goeth about seeking whom he may devour. The believer's faith endures to the end, and, in dying, gives him victory over death and all his deadly enemies, like Samson. The grace of God often fixes upon very undeserving and ill-deserving persons, to do great things for them and by them. But the grace of faith, wherever it is, will put men upon acknowledging God in all their ways, as Jephthah. It will make men bold and courageous in a good cause.

Few ever met with greater trials, few ever showed more lively faith, than David, and he has left a testimony as to the trials and acts of faith, in the book of Psalms, which has been, and ever will be, of great value to the people of God. Those are likely to grow up to be distinguished for faith, who begin betimes, like Samuel, to exercise it. And faith will enable a man to serve God and his generation, in whatever way he may be employed. The interests and powers of kings and kingdoms, are often opposed to God and his people; but God can easily subdue all that set themselves against him. It is a greater honour and happiness to work righteousness than to work miracles. By faith we have comfort of the promises; and by faith we are prepared to wait for the promises, and in due time to receive them. And though we do not hope to have our dead relatives or friends restored to life in this world, yet faith will support under the loss of them, and direct to the hope of a better resurrection. Shall we be most amazed at the wickedness of human nature, that it is capable of such awful cruelties to fellow-creatures, or at the excellence of Divine grace, that is able to bear up the faithful under such cruelties, and to carry them safely through all? What a difference between God's judgement of a saint, and man's judgment! The world is not worthy of those scorned, persecuted saints, whom their persecutors reckon unworthy to live.

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in {x} sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (x) In vile and rough clothing, so were the saints brought to extreme poverty, and constrained to live like beasts in the wilderness.

They were stoned (ἐλιθάσθησαν) A characteristic Jewish punishment. See 2 Chronicles 24:20; Matthew 23:37; John 10:31; Acts 5:26; Acts 7:59; Acts 14:19. The verb λιθοβολεῖν is also used in Matthew, Luke, and Acts, and once in this epistle, Hebrews 12:20. Were sawn asunder (ἐπίσθησαν) N.T.o. As Isaiah, according to tradition. Were tempted (ἐπειράσθησαν) If the reading is correct, which seems probable, the reference is probably to inducements offered them to abandon their loyalty to God. It has seemed to many out of place, because occurring in the midst of a list of different forms of violent death.

Hebrews 11:37-38 . They were stoned — As Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, 2 Chronicles 24:21 . See also Matthew 23:31 ; they were sawn asunder — As, according to the tradition of the Jews, Isaiah was by Manasseh; were tempted — With offers of deliverance; but remaining steadfast, were then slain with the sword — As also were the eighty-five priests slain by Doeg, 1 Samuel 22:18 ; and the prophets, of whose slaughter by the sword Elijah complains, 1 Kings 19:10 . Or, as επειρασθησαν may be rendered, they were tried, and that in every possible way; by threatenings, reproaches, tortures, the variety of which cannot be expressed: and again by promises and allurements. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat-skins — Their outward condition was poor, mean, and contemptible; their clothing being no better than the unwrought skins of sheep and goats. Nothing is here intimated of their choosing mean clothing, as a testimony of mortification, but they were compelled by necessity to use such as they could find or obtain. Thus have the saints of God, in sundry seasons, been reduced to the utmost extremities of poverty and want.

But there is such a satisfaction in the exercise of faith and obedience, and such internal consolation attending a state of suffering for the sake of truth and godliness, as quite overbalance all the outward evils that can be undergone for the profession of them: and there is a future state of eternal rewards and punishments, which will set all things right, to the glory of divine justice, and the everlasting honour of the sufferers. Being destitute — That is, as Dr. Owen interprets it, of friends, and of all means of relief from them; afflicted — Various ways; the former word declares what was absent, what they had not as to outward supplies and comforts; this declares what was present with them, the various evils and positive sufferings inflicted on them; tormented — Κακουχουμενοι , malè habiti, or malè vexati, badly treated; that is, in their wandering condition they met with bad treatment continually, all sorts of persons taking occasion to vex and press them with various evils. Of whom — Of whose society, example, prayers, instructions; the world was not worthy — It did not deserve so great a blessing. The world thinks them not worthy of it, to live in it, or at least to enjoy any name or place among the men of it; but whatever they think, we know that this testimony of the apostle is true, and the world will one day confess it to be so.

Hebrews 11:37 . Ἐπρίσθησαν ) The Jews have an unquestioned tradition, that Isaiah was sawn asunder, by command of Manasseh, with a wooden saw; whence the most of our Christian writers apply the phrase , were sawn asunder, which is used in the Epistle to the Hebrews concerning the sufferings of the saints, to the suffering of Isaiah; Jerome, lib. 15, comm. on Isaiah. If the story told of Isaiah be fabulous, as Tostatus and others think, it really happened to other persons.— ἐπειράσθησαν , they were tempted ) The passage has four parts: the first is various, of mockings , etc.; the second various, they were stoned, they were sawn asunder; the third simple, they were tempted; the fourth simple, they were slain by the sword . The third corresponds to the first ( πεῖραν , ἐπειράσθησαν , trial or temptation, they were tempted ), the fourth to the second, and the murders are alternately mixed with tortures: they were tempted , in every way (the same word occurs, Hebrews 11:17 , ch. Hebrews 2:18 ), with threatenings, reproaches, tortures, of which the variety and novelty exceeds our vocabulary; again, with caresses ( 1 Thessalonians 3:3 , note), which are often not less harassing (disturbing to faith), and by promises and benefits; comp. once more 2Ma 6:21-22 ; 2Ma 7:24 .— ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον , they were slain with the sword ) לפי הרב , which the LXX. not in one place alone translate, ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας .

37 . they were stoned ] Zechariah ( 2 Chronicles 24:20-21 ). Jewish tradition said that Jeremiah was stoned. See Matthew 23:35-37 ; Luke 11:51 . were sawn asunder ] This was the traditional mode of Isaiah’s martyrdom. Hamburger Talm. Wörterb . s. v. Jesaia. Comp. Matthew 24:51 . The punishment was well-known in ancient days ( 2 Samuel 12:31 ). were tempted ] This would not seem an anticlimax to a pious reader, for the intense violence of temptation, and the horrible dread lest the weakness of human nature should succumb to it, was one of the most awful forms of trial which persecutors could inflict (see Acts 26:11 ), especially if the tempted person yielded to the temptation, as in 1 Kings 13:7 ; 1 Kings 13:19-26 . There is no variation in the mss. but some have conjectured eprçsthçsan “they were burned” for epeirasthçsan . In a recent outbreak at Alexandria some Jews had been burnt alive (Philo in Flacc . 20) and burnings are mentioned in 2Ma 6:11 . The reason for the position of the word, as a sort of climax, perhaps lies in the strong effort to tempt the last and youngest of the seven brother-martyrs to apostatise in 2 Maccabees 7. were slain with the sword ] “They have slain thy prophets with the sword” ( 1 Kings 19:10 ). Jehoiakim “slew Urijah with the sword” ( Jeremiah 26:23 ). The Jews suffered themselves to be massacred on the Sabbath in the war against Antiochus ( 1Ma 2:38 ; 2Ma 5:26 ).

37. stoned—as Zechariah, son of Jehoiada (2Ch 24:20-22; Mt 23:35). sawn asunder—as Isaiah was said to have been by Manasseh; but see my [2591]Introduction to Isaiah. tempted—by their foes, in the midst of their tortures, to renounce their faith; the most bitter aggravation of them. Or else, by those of their own household, as Job was [Estius]; or by the fiery darts of Satan, as Jesus was in His last trials [Glassius]. Probably it included all three; they were tempted in every possible way, by friends and foes, by human and satanic agents, by caresses and afflictions, by words and deeds, to forsake God, but in vain, through the power of faith. sword—literally, "they died in the murder of the sword." In Heb 11:34 the contrary is given as an effect of faith, "they escaped the edge of the sword." Both alike are marvellous effects of faith. In both accomplishes great things and suffers great things, without counting it suffering [Chrysostom]. Urijah was so slain by Jehoiakim (Jer 26:23); and the prophets in Israel (1Ki 19:10). in sheepskins—as Elijah (1Ki 19:13, Septuagint). They were white; as the "goat-skins" were black (compare Zec 13:4). tormented—Greek, "in evil state."

(37) They were stoned. —As Zechariah ( 2Chronicles 24:20-22 ), and—according to a Jewish tradition mentioned by Tertullian and others—Jeremiah. (See Matthew 23:35 ; Matthew 23:37 .) They were sawn asunder.—An ancient tradition, mentioned both by Jewish and by early Christian writers, relates that Isaiah was thus put to death by order of Manasseh. The following words, “they were tempted,” are very remarkable in such a position; and many conjectures have been hazarded on the supposition that a mistake of transcription has occurred. If the text is correct, the writer is speaking of the promises and allurements by which the persecutors sought to overcome the constancy of God’s servants. Slain with the sword.—See 1Kings 19:1; 1Kings 19:10; Jeremiah 26:23. They wandered about.—Rather, they went about, as outcasts; compelled to live the life of wanderers and exiles. Tormented.—Rather, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and the holes of the earth. Once more the Maccabæan persecutions seem to be chiefly in view. (See 1 Maccabees 2:28-29; 2 Maccabees 5:27; 2 Maccabees 6:11. Comp. also 1Samuel 22:1; 1Kings 18:4.)