Hebrews 11:37

They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; STONED - as Zechariah, son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20-14; Matthew 23:35). SAWN ASUNDER - as Isaiah was said to have been by Manasseh; but see 'Introduction to Isaiah.' TEMPTED - by their foes, in the midst of tortures, to renounce their faith: the most bitter aggravation. Or, by those of their own household, as Job was (Estius); or by the fiery darts of Satan, as Jesus in his last trials (Glassius). Probably it included all three; in every possible way, by friends, foes, human and Satanic agents, by caresses an...

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 en...

Verse 37. _THEY WERE STONED_] As Zechariah, the son of Barachiah or Jehoida, was, between the altar and the temple; see the account, 2 Chronicles 24:21; and _See the notes on "_Matthew 23:35_"_. And as Naboth the Jezreelite, who, on refusing to give up his father's inheritance to a covetous king, because it had respect to the promise of God, was falsely accused and stoned to death; 1 Kings 21:1. _THEY WERE SAWN ASUNDER_] There is a tradition that the Prophet Isaiah was thus martyred. In _Yevamoth_, fol. 49, 2, it is thus written: "Manasseh slew Isaiah; for he commanded that he should be slain with a wooden saw. They then brought the saw, and cut him in

THEY WERE STONED - A common method of punishment among the Jews; see the notes on Matthew 21:35, Matthew 21:44. Thus, Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, was stoned; see 2 Chronicles 24:21; compare 1 Kings 21:1. It is not improbable that this was often resorted to in times of popular tumult, as in the case of Stephen; Acts 7:59; compare John 10:31; Acts

EXPOSITION HEBREWS 11:1 NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE _ _OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. On the senses in which the word ὑπόστασις (translated "substance") may be used, see under Hebrews 1:2. As to the sense intended here, views differ. There are three possible ones, expressed in the text and margin of the A.V., _substance, ground, _and _confidence. _The first is understood by the Fathers generally, the idea being supposed to be that, inasmuch as things not yet experienced, but only hoped for, become real to us by faith, faith is metaphysically their substance, as substantiating them to us. So Theophilus: Οὐσίωσις τῶν μήπω ὄντων ὑπόστασις τῶν μὴ ὑφεστηκότων:_ _and Chrysostom, who

THEY WERE STONED,.... As Naboth, by the order of Ahab, 1 Kings 21:13, Zachariah in the court of the Lord's house; 2 Chronicles 24:21 and the character of Jerusalem is, that she stoned the prophets that were sent unto her, Matthew 23:37. THEY WERE SAWN ASUNDER; to which there seems to be an allusion in Matthew 24:51. There is no instance of any good men being so used in Scripture: perhaps reference is had to some that suffered thus in the time of Antiochus. The Jews have a tradition, that the Prophet Isaiah was sawn asunder in the times of Manasseh, and by his ord

This is a very familiar chapter, but it is none the less precious. It is the roll of the heroes of faith. Here you have a list of the men who believed in God, and who therefore did great things. Hebrews 11:1. _Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report._ «The elders» that is, those who lived in the ancient times wrought wondrous works by faith, and the «report» of them still encourages others to try to do likewise. Hebrews 11:3. _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._ That is one of the earliest lessons of faith. We do not discover the secrets of Creation by mere re

HEBREWS 11:37 evpri,sqhsan {C} The presence in most manuscripts of the rather general statement evpeira,sqhsan (“they were tempted”) amid the author’s enumeration of different kinds of violent death has long been regarded by commentators as strange and unexpected. Many have suggested that evpeira,sqhsan is the corruption of some other word more suitable to the context, or that it entered the text as the result of inadvertent scribal dittography of evpri,sqhsan. Among the conjectural emendations of evpeira,sqhsan the following have been proposed (the name of the scholar who, it appears, first proposed it is enclosed within parentheses): evprh,sqhsan (Gataker),...

IV. PRACTICAL INSTRUCTIONS AND EXHORTATIONS CHAPTER 11 _ 1. Faith in regard to creation and salvation (Hebrews 11:1)_ 2. The patience of faith (Hebrews 11:8) 3. The energy of faith (Hebrews 11:23) Hebrews 11:1 The disastrous effect of unbelief has been pointed out in the earlier part of this epistle (Hebrews 3:12; Hebrews 3:19; Hebrews 4:2) a

The rest of the history would take too long to survey in detail, and the writer contents himself with suggesting it by a few striking allusions. He mentions certain outstanding names, then refers in general terms to the many famous deeds that had been wrought by faith (_e.g._ the achievements of brave and just kings, of Daniel and his comrades, of prophets and patriots). Faith had manifested itself not only in great deeds, but in sufferings nobly born. (Hebrews 11:35 ff.). In this account of memorable sufferings use is made not only of the OT history but of legends that had grown out of it_ e.g._ that Isaiah had been sawn asunder (p. 436), that other prophets had been murdered or persecuted. In Hebrews 11:35 there seems to be a reference to a cherished incident of Jewish history which was later than