Hebrews 11:35

Women received their dead raised to life again:— By a resurrection; by a restoration to life. What kind of punishment, or rather cruel usage, is alluded to in the next clause, or whether the word be used as a general term for torturing and putting to extremity of pain, may be hard to say: but as here are several particular kinds of cruelty mentioned, it seems probable that this is one of that sort. They appear to interpret the word very naturally, who understand it of beating with clubs till the poor man dies. The word indeed is used in a more extensive sense, for putting to death in any violent manner, without taking in the idea of being beaten to death with clubs: but in this place it seems to be used in its proper sense. The history of Eleazer may be alluded to, who is said to have come of his own accord, επι το τυμπανον, which we render, to the torment. Exodus 6:19; Exodus 6:28. It is certain that he is said to have been ready to die with stripes, and that he endured sore pains in body by being beaten; but by stripes we are not to imagine him ready to die from the effects of whips or thongs, or such sort of small instruments, but ταις πληγαις, with bruises, such as arise from being stricken with a great stick or club, Hebrews 11:30. And when it is said that he came of his own accord to the τυμπανον, to the torment, it means that he came voluntarily to the suffering of this horrid bastinading. It is well known that this punishment is still used in the east, and is common among the Turks at this day. See Exodus 8:11; Exodus 8:14 and Parkhurst on the word Τυμπανιζω.