Hebrews 11:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

NIV: Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.

NASB: Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;

CSB: Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

NLT: Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.

KJV: Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

NKJV: Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

The first phrase in this verse completes a list begun in verse 33. This catalog of feats was given to remind the reader of God's incredible blessing on the faith of Old Testament believers. Heroes were listed, such as Gideon and Samson (Hebrews 11:32). Accomplishments such as military success and miraculous survival were also given to support the writer's main point (Hebrews 11:33–34). That general idea is that God rewards true faith—which means trust. The sign given at the start of this verse is the most potent of all: resurrection from death.

Prior verses mentioned "Samuel and the prophets," and the miracle of resurrection occurred in the ministries of two of the Old Testament's greatest prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Both were credited with raising a dead person back to life. Elijah did so for a widow's son (1 Kings 17:17–24) and Elisha for a Shunammite woman's child (2 Kings 4:18–37). This, of course, represents the ultimate victory: a conquering of death itself!

This verse also transitions into a list which is less positive, but equally important. The purpose of this entire letter has been to encourage persecuted Christians to "hold fast" to their faith (Hebrews 3:6; 10:23). After describing the faithful, trusting, steadfast examples of heroes of the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews begins to remind his readers just what those earlier figures had to endure in order to achieve those results. The point, as intended here, is that God was faithful to these believers, and they trusted Him despite their suffering. Since they were able to endure, and we have all the more reasons to believe, we ought to be faithful, as well.

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.