Hebrews 11:32-38 · Bible study
Hebrews 11:32-38 Commentary: Faith's Flawed Heroes
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the writer includes Samson, Jephthah, and suffering heroes reveals faith is not about perfection but trust in God through victory and pain.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Faith appears in both mighty victories and horrific suffering; God uses flawed people and honors enduring trust.
- Key words: ἐτυμπανίσθησαν (tortured on the rack); πλανώμενοι (wandering); ἄξιος (worthy).
- Main debate: Whether the tortures in vv.35-37 refer to specific OT figures or primarily to Maccabean martyrs (the commentaries cite both).
- Theological theme: Faith is not a guarantee of earthly deliverance; it reaches beyond this life to a “better resurrection.”
- Best use: Pastoral counseling for those who feel their suffering disproves God’s love, or who doubt that flawed believers matter to God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
32And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
34quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.
35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused their release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.
36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.
38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.
WEB World English Bible 2000
32What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets—
33who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, grew mighty in war, and caused foreign armies to flee.
35Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
36Others were tried by mocking and scourging, yes, moreover by bonds and imprisonment.
37They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheep skins and in goat skins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated—
38of whom the world was not worthy—wandering in deserts, mountains, caves, and the holes of the earth.
KJV King James Version 1769
32And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
35Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
32And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets:
33who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens.
35Women received their dead by a resurrection: and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36and others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated
38(of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves, and the holes of the earth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
32And what shall I yet say? for the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, Barak also, and Samson, and Jephthah, David also, and Samuel, and the prophets,
33who through faith did subdue kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions,
34quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of infirmities, became strong in battle, caused to give way camps of the aliens.
35Women received by a rising again their dead, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that a better rising again they might receive,
36and others of mockings and scourgings did receive trial, and yet of bonds and imprisonment;
37they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried; in the killing of the sword they died; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins--being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,
38of whom the world was not worthy; in deserts wandering, and in mountains, and in caves, and in the holes of the earth;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
32And what more do I say? For the time would fail me telling of Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, and David and Samuel, and of the prophets:
33who by faith overcame kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped lions' mouths,
34quenched [the] power of fire, escaped [the] edge of the sword, became strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, made [the] armies of strangers give way.
35Women received their dead again by resurrection; and others were tortured, not having accepted deliverance, that they might get a better resurrection;
36and others underwent trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, and of bonds and imprisonment.
37They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, died by the death of the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, evil treated,
38(of whom the world was not worthy,) wandering in deserts and mountains, and [in] dens and caverns of the earth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
32And what shall I yet say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, Barac, Samson, Jephthe, David, Samuel, and the prophets:
33Who by faith conquered kingdoms, wrought justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
34Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, recovered strength from weakness, became valiant in battle, put to flight the armies of foreigners.
35Women received their dead raised to life again. But others were racked, not accepting deliverance, that they might find a better resurrection.
36And others had trial of mockeries and stripes: moreover also of bands and prisons.
37They were stoned, they were cut asunder, they were tempted, they were put to death by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being in want, distressed, afflicted:
38Of whom the world was not worthy: wandering in deserts, in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Hebrews 11:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that verses 32-38 serve as a rhetorical crescendo in the faith chapter. Adam Clarke describes the opening phrase “What more shall I say?” as a standard Greek expression meaning the subject is inexhaustible. Barnes notes that the list is intentionally compressed: a few names stand for many unnamed examples. The Cambridge Bible and Calvin both observe that including Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah, figures whose lives are morally complex, shows that faith in Hebrews is not based on personal righteousness but on trust in God’s promises. Calvin writes that the examples of suffering in verses 35-38 prove that “saints, reduced to extreme miseries, struggled by faith so as to persevere invincible even to death.” Across traditions, the passage is understood to present two faces of faith: one that conquers and one that endures.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Faith includes flawed heroes: The inclusion of Samson, Jephthah, and others shows that faith is not moral perfection; it is trust in God despite one’s failures.
- Faith endures suffering without rescue: The Maccabean martyrs refused deliverance to obtain a better resurrection (2 Maccabees 6-7); their faith did not lead to escape but to hope.
- Faith achieves visible victories: Verses 33-34 recount historical conquests (David, Gideon) demonstrating that faith can produce tangible earthly results.
What is clear: Faith in God is expressed both in triumph and in trial, and God honors those who trust Him regardless of the outcome.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Inclusion of Samson and Jephthah | Both are celebrated as examples of faith despite moral failures; the author intends to show faith is trust in God, not personal perfection. | Some readers question whether Samson’s suicide and Jephthah’s vow can be called faith; others argue their actions show reliance on God’s promises in their context. |
| Historical referents for the tortures | The description of torture, mockery, stoning, and sawing in vv.35-37 draws on both Old Testament accounts (e.g., Zechariah stoned) and Jewish tradition (Isaiah sawn apart). | Protestant commentators often limit references to canonical OT figures; Catholic and Orthodox exegetes also point to the Maccabean martyrs as key background for the shift to suffering. |
| Meaning of 'better resurrection' | All traditions see this as the hope of bodily resurrection to eternal life, contrasting with temporary restorations of dead children in v.35. | Some Reformed interpreters emphasize the surpassing glory of the resurrection of the just; Catholic interpreters include an intermediate state of purifying before the final resurrection. |
| Tension between victory and suffering | The passage intentionally pairs conquest and martyrdom to show that faith is not bound to any one outcome. | Pentecostal and charismatic traditions strongly emphasize the victory side; Reformed and Lutheran traditions highlight the suffering side as normative for the faithful. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The author of Hebrews draws from Israel’s history recorded in Judges and Samuel. Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah were judges raised up when “the children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight” (Judges 4:1; 6:8; 13:1; 11:1-12). Their stories include military victory, but also personal failure. Samson’s violent death (Judges 16:28-30) and Jephthah’s tragic vow (Judges 11:30-40) show that faith can co-exist with deep imperfection.
The list then moves to David and Samuel, representing the united kingdom and the prophetic tradition. The phrase “the prophets” (v.32) sweeps up the entire prophetic office (Wesley, Matthew Henry). The second half of the passage (vv.35-38) shifts from victory to torture. The Greek word etumpanisthēsan (v.35) refers to a specific form of execution: being beaten to death on a rack, like the tympanum drum (Barnes, Cambridge Bible). Clarke and the Cambridge Bible connect these sufferings to the Maccabean martyrs described in 2 Maccabees 6-7, where Jewish believers refused to violate the Law and were tortured instead. The image of being “sawn apart” (v.37) was associated in Jewish tradition with the prophet Isaiah’s martyrdom under King Manasseh (Cambridge Bible). The phrase “of whom the world was not worthy” (v.38) inverts the assumption that these wanderers were outcasts: instead, the world did not deserve their presence (Calvin, Barnes). Their hiding in “dens and caves” echoes Elijah’s flight (1 Kings 19:9) and the 100 prophets Obadiah protected (1 Kings 18:4).
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants that affect the meaning of this passage. In verse 37, a few later manuscripts add “they were tempted” (ἐπειράσθησαν) after “sawn apart,” but the word appears already in verse 36 as “trial” (πεῖραν). The overwhelming manuscript evidence supports the reading printed in the critical editions. The differences among translations (e.g., “violence of fire” vs. “power of fire”) reflect translation choices, not textual variants.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this passage has been a source of strength for Christians facing persecution. In the fourth century, John Chrysostom (cited by Calvin) used verse 35 to show that refusing deliverance for a better resurrection is the highest faith. During the Reformation, Protestant commentators like Calvin and the Geneva Bible emphasized that both conquerors and sufferers are models of faith, countering any idea that earthly success proves God’s favor. In Catholic tradition, verses 35-38 have been read in the liturgy of martyrs, highlighting the hope of resurrection that sustained them. The phrase “of whom the world was not worthy” has been inscribed on memorials for unknown martyrs. In modern times, the passage is often used to comfort believers who struggle with chronic illness, hidden suffering, or the apparent absence of visible deliverance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Faith’s catalog is open-ended (v.32). The author’s “time would fail me” invites readers to see their own story continuing the list.
- Faith works through victories (vv.33-35a). God uses fallible people to subdue kingdoms, stop lion’s mouths, and raise the dead.
- Faith endures through suffering (vv.35b-38). A different kind of faith, refusing release, accepting torture, points to a better resurrection.
Five-point outline
- The rhetorical limit (v.32): Why the writer stops listing names.
- National deliverance through flawed leaders (vv.33-34): Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, all with moral failures.
- Domestic miracles (v.35a): Women receiving dead children back by resurrection.
- Public martyrdom (vv.35b-37): Torture, mockery, stoning, and sawing.
- The world’s unworthiness (v.38): God’s valuation of his suffering servants.
Illustration hooks
- A memorial wall. Like a war memorial that includes both decorated soldiers and unknown prisoners, faith’s hall of fame holds those who conquered and those who suffered silently.
- Team photos with an empty chair. The writer implies there is room for more, our own faith will one day be part of the roll call.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God use people with messy pasts? Samson and Jephthah suggest yes.
- If I suffer for my faith and see no victory, is my faith weak? The text says no, suffering itself can be faith’s highest expression.
Leading a Discussion
This passage forces us to think about faith in both success and suffering. The writer piles together heroes whose lives look very different from ours, and some whose lives look disturbingly like ours.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 32-34. Why do you think the author includes Samson and Jephthah, given their moral failures?
- What does it mean to “through faith subdue kingdoms” (v.33)? How does that connect to the promise that seemed unfulfilled? (See vv.39-40.)
- Verse 35 contrasts women receiving dead children back with others being tortured for a “better resurrection.” How do you reconcile these two outcomes under the same heading of faith?
- The phrase “not accepting deliverance” (v.35) suggests a conscious choice. What does that tell you about the faith of the Maccabean martyrs?
- Verse 38 says “the world was not worthy” of those who wandered in caves. How does that statement flip the world’s judgment on its head? Have you ever felt that your faith made you an outsider?
- What is the “better resurrection” that the tortured ones sought? How does that hope shape how we face hardship or persecution today?
- This passage ends with “these all … did not receive the promise” (v.39). How does that prepare us for the coming of Jesus in the next chapter? Does it encourage or trouble you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Judges 4:1 | The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, when Ehud was dead. |
| Judges 6:8 | Yahweh sent a prophet to the children of Israel; and he said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you out of the house of bondage. |
| Judges 6:11 | Yahweh’s angel came and sat under the oak which was in Ophrah, that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. |
| Judges 11:1 | Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor. He was the son of a prostitute. Gilead became the father of Jephthah. |
| Judges 11:12 | Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the children of Ammon, saying, “What do you have to do with me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” |
| Judges 13:1 | The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years. |
| Judges 13:16 | Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel. |
| Judges 13:24 | The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The child grew, and Yahweh blessed him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that the apostle commends these figures only for their faith, not for every aspect of their lives. Even deeply flawed individuals like Samson and Jephthah demonstrated genuine confidence in God, despite their sins and imperfect understanding. Faith, Barnes argues, can coexist with great moral failing.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that faith shines even more brightly in believers who endured torture and death without deliverance than in those who received miraculous rescues. Their willingness to suffer rather than accept release, hoping for a better resurrection, proves faith’s power more clearly than any earthly victory. He adds that when the world casts out such saints, it shows the world itself is unworthy of them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator anchors each phrase in the passage to specific figures and events from Judges through Maccabees. He notes the special reference to the Maccabean martyrs, who refused deliverance for a better resurrection, and that the pairing of names reverses chronological order.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes present a sweeping catalog of faith's works, from subduing kingdoms to suffering torture. The commentator highlights that these believers endured such extremes that the world was not worthy of them, showing faith's power in both triumph and affliction.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that true faith shows itself in both spectacular victories and in patient endurance of the most cruel tortures. These saints refused deliverance offered at the cost of denying God because they fixed their hope on a better resurrection. The world was not worthy of such believers.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that the apostle, acting like a skilled speaker, deliberately cuts his list short. The rhetorical question "What shall I more say?" signals that the subject is inexhaustible, so he offers only a summary, trusting readers to fill in the details from their knowledge of Scripture.