Hebrews 11:37, commentary and pictures

The verse describes those who trusted God enduring violent suffering — stoning, being sawn apart, threats, killing by the sword, mockings, scourgings, bonds and imprisonment — and destitute wandering in animal skins, homeless and tormented in deserts, mountains, dens and caves.
It portrays God's prophets under Jewish apostasy and under Manasseh where Isaiah was sawn asunder, the first Christians hunted and stripped by pagan powers, the Waldenses driven to the mountains, and later Reformers and dissenters robbed and tortured for refusing to renounce faith.
They refused deliverance at the price of truth, enduring in Christ's strength with eyes fixed on the heavenly country and eternal reward, esteeming His reproach greater riches than the world.
Though condemned by human tribunals as unworthy of life, they are heaven's nobility of whom the world was not worthy, to be raised by the Life-giver, clothed in white robes and glory with all pain ended.
As heroes of faith surrounding believers as witnesses, their steadfast testimony declares God able to save completely and calls believers to lay aside sin, run with patience, and accept hardship rather than yield principle.

Words and Sufferings Described

The verse lists violent sufferings endured for trust in God: being stoned, being sawn asunder, being tempted or threatened, and being slain with the sword. It describes God's prophets and messengers sent at His appointed time to receive His portion and to warn against unfaithfulness and misappropriation, who were hated for reproof and grew stubborn against entreaty and argument rather than yield when convicted of wrong, and toward whom God looked with patience and forbearance for centuries despite cruel treatment. It describes faithful builders of God's temple who counted the work dearer than life itself, so that though many fell at their post the building went steadily forward through workers raised up in every age to defend the faith. Though the world counted these faithful people unworthy of life, they are honored in heaven as God's children and await eternal glory.

The verse also lists destitute wandering: wandering about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted and tormented, homeless, poor, and without possessions or resources. It pictures the persecuted driven from homes with hard-earned possessions taken and houses burned, fleeing to the mountains to suffer hunger, fatigue, cold and nakedness with only skins of animals for clothing. Even as scattered and homeless ones they assembled to sing and praise God that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name, encouraging and cheering one another, grateful for even a miserable retreat, receiving consolation from God and looking forward with pleasing anticipation to the recompense of reward. They prized the love and favor of God far above earthly ease and worldly riches, and saw children sicken and die from cold and hunger without yielding their religion.

Its sufferings include cruel mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonment, stripes, the rack and the stake and every torture that could be invented and put into the mind of man, hunger, thirst, cold, fatigue, nakedness, and being hunted like beasts of prey wherever refuge was sought. Christians were stripped of possessions, driven from homes, mocked, scourged, imprisoned and killed, with people of every social class among those slain. Servants of God suffered hunger, thirst, torture and death rather than renounce religion or yield the principles of truth, even to laying down life for the faith. Under increased satanic power and artfulness, popes and priests exalted themselves and stirred up bitter persecution to destroy those who would not yield to delusion, bringing suffering and agony upon God's precious ones while angels kept faithful record and the adversary exulted that none would be left, and this danger of torment kept the church pure since no corrupt heart would dare declare true faith at such cost.

Its wandering means flight to desolate and solitary places — deserts and mountains, dens and caves of the earth, forests, valleys and rocky places — forced into concealment without resources, suffering and cruelly treated, with only animal skins for clothing and miserable retreats for shelter. In Rome this meant long subterranean galleries tunneled through earth and rock for building material and extending for miles beyond the walls, where thousands of suspected and outlawed Christians found shelter and home and buried their dead. From those catacombs, which served both as burial places and as homes, many martyrs will come forth when the Life-giver awakens those who fought the good fight and raises those who died for Christ. The flight of the Waldenses, driven into hiding and hunted through mountains, valleys, forests and rocky places for a pure faith, is an example of this destitute, afflicted and tormented wandering.

People and Times in History

The verse describes God's prophets and messengers during the Jewish economy and the long apostasy and backsliding of Israel. Sent at God's appointed time to receive the Lord's portion from His husbandmen and to warn the people against unfaithfulness and misappropriation, they were hated for reproof and grew more stubborn against entreaty when convicted of wrong. They were despised, humiliated, beaten and cast into prison with every indignity heaped upon them, and were stoned and slain at the instigation of the leaders because they denounced sin in those in authority. God looked with patience and forbearance for centuries on this cruel treatment of His ambassadors, who though rejected were heaven's acknowledged nobility.

It is applied to the persecution of faithful witnesses for truth and righteousness under Manasseh, when some were killed and others endured cruel treatment, deprivation, imprisonment and homelessness. They were killed, driven from society, and left to wander deprived and afflicted while remaining witnesses for God and the right. Isaiah was among the first to fall, sawn asunder because he faithfully reproved the sins of the nation.

It describes Christians in the first centuries when pagan powers tried to destroy Christianity. Stripped of possessions and driven from homes, mocked, scourged, imprisoned and killed, they were hunted like beasts of prey wherever they sought refuge and forced into concealment without resources. People of every social class were among those slain without mercy.

In Rome this meant the long subterranean galleries tunneled through earth and rock for building material and extending for miles beyond the walls. There thousands of suspected and outlawed Christians found shelter and home when driven to wander in deserts and mountains and hide in dens and caves, and there they buried their dead. Many martyrs buried there in obscurity will come forth when the Life-giver awakens those who fought the good fight and raises those who died for Christ.

It describes the Waldenses driven from homes with hard-earned possessions taken and houses burned, fleeing to the mountains and hunted through valleys, forests and rocky places for a pure faith. They suffered hunger, fatigue, cold and nakedness with only skins of animals for clothing, grateful even for a miserable retreat, with children sickening and dying from cold and hunger without yielding religion. Yet as scattered and homeless ones they assembled to sing and praise God that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ's name, encouraging and cheering one another. They prized the love and favor of God far above earthly ease and worldly riches, received consolation from God, and looked forward with pleasing anticipation to the recompense of reward.

Its picture of scorn, hatred, persecution and death applies to the Reformers who would not renounce faith and suffered for Christ's sake while opposing papal power and idolatry. It applies to dissenters from the popular faith in the Dark Ages when religious intolerance triumphed, robbed of goods and tortured for religious principle. Under popes and priests exalting themselves, Satan increased in power and artfulness to stir up bitter persecution to destroy devoted followers who would not yield to delusion, bringing suffering and agony by the rack, the stake and every torture that Satan and evil angels could invent and put into the mind of man.

It was fulfilled in seventeenth-century England when the Church of England following Rome persecuted dissenters, expelling thousands of godly pastors and forbidding on pain of heavy fines, imprisonment and banishment any religious meetings except those sanctioned by the church. Those who could not refrain from gathering to worship God according to conscience met in dark alleys, in obscure garrets, and at midnight in the woods, in the sheltering depths of the forest as a temple of God's own building to pour out souls in prayer and praise. Many suffered in want, pain and torment while remaining true in worship and testimony, jails were crowded, families were broken up, and many were banished to foreign lands. Many were driven across the ocean to America where they laid the foundations of civil and religious liberty, for God was with His people and persecution could not prevail to silence their testimony.

It describes the faithful builders of God's temple through the centuries of fierce persecution that followed the establishment of the Christian church. In every age workers were raised up to defend the faith and hold truth in its purity, counting the work dearer than life itself, so that though many fell at their post the building went steadily forward. Prophets sent to bear firm testimony and ministers sent to do a special work were attacked and imprisoned, and under Satan's deceptive influence men invented every cruelty to force abandonment of faith. When ecclesiastical and civil authorities tried to crush truth by imprisonment, torture, fire and sword, many sealed faith with blood yet persecution only extended the truth.

Faith That Endured Persecution

Hebrews 11:37 belongs to the chapter on faith, which records the experience of the faithful and urges its instruction to be taken to heart. That chapter calls believers to turn away from discouraging things seen and to seek a better country, the heavenly city built by God.

Those sufferers refused deliverance when it required abandoning truth, valuing truth above life lived in disobedience and sin. They suffered hunger, thirst, torture and death rather than renounce their religion or yield the principles of truth, even to laying down life for the faith. They endured in the strength and grace of Jesus, sustained and strengthened with the Lord holding them by the hand. In His name they braced themselves successfully against opposing evils and difficulties in their way, and their faith was tested and purified.

With the eye of faith fixed on the glorious future, eternal life and the recompense of the reward, they esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than worldly riches and honor. The richest things earth can offer appeared valueless to them, and sustained by hope and faith they could call these sufferings light afflictions and account them small in comparison with that reward. The early believers rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ who had been crucified for them, trusting God, and their endurance comforts and encourages God's people facing the future time of trouble. Their steadfast endurance in destitution, affliction and torment, and their fearless testimony even while willing to give up life, declares that the One they trust is able to save completely.

The stoning, beating and slaying of the Lord's chosen centuries ago reveals the principle and spirit underlying all persecution of God's servants. Its outward character changes with the times but its spirit stays the same, so reproach, falsehood, imprisonment, stripes and death still follow those faithful in duty while the great work moves on. When ecclesiastical and civil authorities use imprisonment, torture, fire and sword to crush truth, the work still goes forward because persecution only extends the truth and makes clearer the contrast between the work of Satan and the work of God. Under Satan's deceptive influence men invented every cruelty to force abandonment of faith, with Satan increasing in power and artfulness to stir his representatives to destroy the devoted who would not yield to delusion. Prophets sent to bear firm testimony against cruel satanic workings and ministers sent to do a special work and give a special message were attacked and imprisoned, and many died under what they endured to keep the truth pure in every age. Angels kept faithful record of suffering and agony by rack, stake and every torture put into the mind of man, while Satan and evil angels exulted that none would be left, yet the very danger of torment kept the church pure since no corrupt heart would dare declare true faith at such cost.

Their faith shows that faith can work in believers today with the same power wherever hearts of faith become channels for God. Continuing to trust God and follow the marked path He outlines strengthens faith through trials and prepares for service.

Vindication and Eternal Reward

Though the world counted these faithful sufferers unworthy of life, they are honored in heaven as God's children and await eternal glory. Though rejected while grace was resisted, they were heaven's acknowledged nobility whom the world did not deserve. Condemned by human tribunals as the vilest criminals, their earthly disgrace does not stand, for their vindication reverses that verdict.

Many martyrs buried in obscurity will come forth when the Life-giver awakens those who fought the good fight and raises those who died for Christ. This belongs to Christians in the first centuries when pagan powers tried to destroy Christianity, who were stripped of possessions, driven from homes, hunted like beasts of prey wherever they sought refuge, left without resources, suffering and cruelly treated. Forced into concealment, they wandered destitute, afflicted and tormented in deserts and mountains and hid in dens and caves of the earth. In Rome this meant the miles-long subterranean galleries tunneled through earth and rock for building material beyond the walls, where thousands of suspected and outlawed Christians found shelter and home and buried their dead.

Their earthly lot before deliverance was from garrets, hovels, dungeons, scaffolds, mountains, deserts, caves of the earth and caverns of the sea, as poor, suffering and mistreated millions going down to disgraceful graves because they steadfastly refused to yield to Satan's deceptive claims. That condition is reversed at their vindication: they are no longer feeble, afflicted, scattered and oppressed, but are ever with the Lord, standing before the throne in robes richer than the most honored of earth and crowns more glorious than earthly monarchs, with pain and weeping forever ended and every cause of grief removed. God will judge them rightly, reverse the verdicts of earth, gather them to Christ and give them white robes as His redeemed people.

The early Christians rejoiced to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ who had been crucified for them, trusting God and remaining faithful through exile in mountains and deserts, imprisonment, hunger, cold, torture and martyrdom. Their endurance and faith comfort and encourage God's people who will face the future time of trouble. Their suffering, in which faithful people were killed in cruel ways, driven from home and left destitute and afflicted, with Christians of every social class slain without mercy, fulfilled Jesus' warning that His followers would suffer for their testimony.

Call to Follow Their Example

Their faithfulness to God made them heroes of faith whose lives were set before the world as examples, that their light might shine upon those in darkness. That faithful example led others to glorify God. They belong to the great cloud of witnesses surrounding believers.

As witnesses they breasted the evils and difficulties in their way and in the Lord's name braced themselves successfully against opposing forces, sustained and strengthened with the Lord holding them by the hand. Their recorded experience carries instruction that readers are to take to heart. Their example calls believers to lay aside every weight of evil habit and practice formed by following natural disposition, and the easily besetting sin, and to run with patience the race set before them while magnifying the truth before a watching world.

Their wandering in affliction and torment, unworthy as the world was of them, shows that privation, hardship, separation from family, and much self-denial belong to carrying truth to others as God leads step by step, without studying personal convenience or shrinking from hardship. That life rebukes ministers who complain that preaching separates them from families and makes their lot hard, who study their own convenience, shrink at hardships, and seek an easier lot and a less self-denying position. It rebukes forgetting that this earth is no resting-place for Christians, much less for chosen ministers. It rebukes forgetting Christ who left His riches and glory in heaven to come to earth to die, and forgetting the command to love one another even as He loved. It also rebukes forgetting those who wept and prayed over the truth and step by step made it plain.

The robbing of goods and torturing for religious principle that dissenters from the popular faith suffered when religious intolerance triumphed in the Dark Ages is repeated in the same spirit and actions in prosecution for working on Sunday.