Hebrews 11:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

NIV: quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

NASB: quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

CSB: quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

NLT: quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

KJV: Quenched 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.

NKJV: quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

This verse continues a list of feats achieved by the faithful heroes of the Old Testament. According to this passage in Hebrews, these accomplishments were the result of faith in God. That "faith" was defined as trust, looking forward, and despite doubts or fears (Hebrews 11:1–3). Legendary names such as Gideon and Samson were listed here for their success—not resulting from their moral perfection, but because they were enabled by faith in God (Hebrews 11:32–33). The prior verse began a list of deeds which become more and more impressive, peaking in verse 35 with a reference to resurrection from death.

The prior verse ended with a reference to rescue from the jaws of lions, as in the incident where Daniel survived a night in the lions' den (Daniel 6:19–23). This verse opens with another reference from Daniel, where three faithful believers were saved from death in a fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24–30).

Other incidents mentioned here echo events which happened in the Old Testament, all given to prove that God's people could count on Him to be faithful to His promises (Genesis 17:6–8). These include rescue from certain death (Jeremiah 39:16–18), victory against impossible odds (2 Kings 19:32–35), success in conquest over a wicked Canaanite people (Joshua 6:20–21), and victory over foreign invaders (Judges 7:19–23).

Verse 35 will cap off this list of incredible occurrences, then transition into an important part of the writer's intent: to encourage believers not to give up in the face of hardships.

Hebrews 11:32—12:2 is one of Scripture's most stirring and inspirational passages. The theme of earlier verses was Old Testament heroes who exemplified faith, defined as a forward-looking trust in God. The emphasis of these examples moved from general faith, to faith in the face of hard choices, to faith resulting in victory. Here, the writer includes all of these, in a rapid-fire list of people who demonstrated the power of true, godly faith. As a letter delivered to persecuted Jewish Christians, these examples are meant to be encouraging and inspiring, as well as convicting. God waited to deliver the ultimate fulfillment of His promises so that we—those who are alive now—would have an opportunity to be saved. Given that privilege, Christians ought to strive to endure, and to hold fast, living out that same godly faith.

True, godly faith is defined as trust, relying on God when looking to the future, and obeying even when we don't fully understand all details. The great figures of the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Moses, and David, all lived according to this type of faith. Ultimately, that means trusting God's intent to make good on His promises from an eternal perspective. The model of faith presented by those people, in light of the struggles they faced, ought to inspire Christians towards a more confident, purposeful faith.

Up to this point, the book of Hebrews has given extensive evidence proving that Jesus Christ, and the new covenant He brought about, is God's ultimate plan for mankind's salvation. Chapter 10 provided an additional warning about the danger of falling away from this truth. Chapter 11 begins by clarifying the meaning of the word ''faith,'' primarily by listing examples of Old Testament figures who exemplify it. The ultimate application of this knowledge should be a motivation to ''hold fast'' to the gospel, despite hardships. That encouragement is a major theme of chapter 12.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.