From: Hebrews 11:32-40
The Faith of Moses, of the Judges and of the Prophets
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Commentary:
32-38. Up to this point, the passage has been recalling outstanding examples of
faith from the time of the Patriarchs down to that of Joshua (18th to 13th century
B.C.). The epistle now goes on to their exploits and sufferings, wherein their faith
brought them victory; the sacred writer then mentions the testimony of faith of he-
roes, judges, kings, prophets and martyrs from the time of the conquest of Pale-
stine to that of the Maccabees (13th to 2nd centuries B.C.). Not in any strict
chronological order, he mentions only the most important Judges (Gideon, Barak,
Samson and Jephthah), the greatest of the kings (David) and the most famous of
the early prophets (Samuel). Finally he refers to exploits and other deeds inspi-
red by faith and fidelity, without giving names.
We know from Sacred Scripture that many of these people had shortcomings
and, in some cases, committed grave sins. However, those weaknesses did not
prevent their filling key roles in God’s plans: they let themselves be used by God
to apply his policy and are therefore worthy of being proposed as examples of
faith.
33-35a. “Through faith (they) conquered kingdoms”: a reference to the men who
conquer the promised land: Barak, who overcame the Canaanites (cf. Judg 11),
Gideon, who conquered the Midianites (cf. Judg 7), Jephthah, who conquered the
Amonnites (cf. Judg 11), Samson, who defeated the Philistines (cf. Judg 14), and
David, who succeeded in subduing all the enemies of Israel (cf. 2 Sam 5:17-25;
8:1f; 10).
“Enforced justice”: a reference to the authority exercised by the Judges on a tri-
bal basis, and by Samuel and the kings over the whole of Israel (cf. 1 Sam 12:3;
2 Sam 8:15); it can also be understood as meaning those who practised righ-
teousness in God’s name and made it effective, the prophets being the outstan-
ding examples.
“Received promises”: the righteous of the Old Testament received an earnest of
the messianic promises in the form of the fulfillment of certain prophecies made
by God. Barak defeated Sisera as God had promised (cf. Judg 4:14f); Gideon
overcame the Midianites (cf. Judg 6:14; 7:7); David brought peace to the whole
land, as Nathan had predicted (cf. 2 Sam 7:11); etc.
“Stopped the mouths of lions”: a reference to feats performed by Samson (cf. Jud
14:6), David (cf. 1 Sam 17:34-35), and Benaiah (cf. 2 Sam 23:20), it especially re-
calls the episode of Daniel in the lion’s den: when thrown there by the king on ac-
count of his faith, he told him, “My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths,
and they have not hurt me” (Dan 6:22).
Sacred history also includes people who “quenched raging fire” (like the three
young men in the fiery furnace in Babylon: cf. Dan 3:21-94); or who “escaped the
edge of the sword” (as Moses did, in his flight from Pharaoh’s wrath: cf. Ex 18:4);
or like David, who “won strength out of weakness” in his victories over Goliath
and Saul (cf. 1 Sam 17:34ff; 18:11; 19:11). Thanks to his faith Elijah found protec-
tion from Jezebel’s persecution (cf. 1 Kings 19:1f); and the Jewish people were
able to escape extermination during King Ahasuerus’ reign thanks to the prayer
and intercession of Esther and Mordecai (cf. Esther 3:6ff).
Through faith King Hezekiah was miraculously cured of mortal illness (cf. Is 38)
and Samson received his strength after becoming weak and blind (cf. Judg 15:
19; 16:28-30). Faith enabled the Hebrews, under the Judges, to take on and de-
feat the pagan peoples of Palestine; it led Judith to behead Holofernes and bring
about the destruction of his army; and it enabled the Maccabees to repel the fo-
reign armies of Antiochus (cf. 1 Mac 1:38).
Then there is the example of the widow of Zarephath, who sheltered Elijah and
had her son restored when the prophet cured him (cf. 1 Kings 17:17f). And Eli-
sha brought back to life the son of the Shunammite widow (cf. 2 Kings 4:33f).
All these examples show the effectiveness of faith, when it involves a person’s
whole life and lifestyle, influencing both everyday events and great exploits.
35b-36. Faith not only enables people to perform exploits and miracles: it also
enables them to persevere in doing good and to bear all kinds of moral and phy-
sical pain, even torture and the most cruel forms of death. And so the text refers
to various sorts of suffering inflicted on the prophets and many other just mem-
bers of the people of Israel.
The writer may have in mind, for example, the death of Eleazar (cf. 2 Mac 6:19ff)
and of the seven brothers (cf. 2 Mac 7), who underwent most cruel torture during
the persecution mounted by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The king had promised
them their lives if they gave up their faith and laws by eating forbidden meat; but
they stayed true to God and were mercilessly martyred.
However, they had unshakeable faith in the rightness of God’s judgment and in
future resurrection (2 Mac 7:19, 14, 23, 29). They desired to “rise again to a bet-
ter life”: they put their faith in an incomparably more valuable, more real, life than
that of a few more years on earth, which would have been the reward of apostasy.
“They did not escape death,” St Thomas writes, “not because God was not loo-
king after them but so that they might obtain eternal life, which is a more excel-
lent thing than being set free from any present affliction or being raised up again
to this life” (”Commentary on Heb.”, 11, 5).
The example of these men and women whom faith strengthened to endure suffe-
ring, should encourage Christians to face persecution courageously and defend
their faith at all costs. “Let us pray to God that we do not suffer persecution, but
if that does happen, let us bear it bravely. It befits a prudent man not to fling him-
self lightly into danger, but it befits a brave man to rise to the occasion when
danger falls on him” (”Hom. on Heb.”, 5).
37-38. Some righteous men were stoned for their faith — Zechariah, for example,
who was killed by order of King Joash (cf. 2 Chron 24:2021); Naboth, condemned
to death through the lies spread by Jezebel (cf. 1 Kings 21:13); and the prophet
Jeremiah also, according to an ancient tradition. Others were sawn in two — Isai-
ah, for example, whom another Jewish tradition says was martyred by King Ma-
nasseh.
Elijah, in flight from persecution, went around dressed in skins (cf. 1 Kings 19:
3ff); similarly Mattathias and his sons during the war against the Seleucid kings,
were forced to hide in the mountains and had only goatskins to wear (cf. 1 Mac
2:28).
In our own time there are also people who profess their faith in God by undergo-
ing comparable persecution; but usually hatred of Christ and his followers takes
more subtle forms.
40. This verse is the conclusion following from all the examples provided. The
righteous of the Old Law were outstanding for their faith and endurance, but for
all that they did not have the strength that the grace of Christ bestows; Jesus re-
marked, when John the Baptist was praised to him, “Truly, I say to you, among
those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet
he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Mt 11:11); and he
reminded his disciples of their privileged position: “Blessed are the eyes which
see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see
what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it”
(Lk 10:23-24; cf. Mt 13:16-17).
God did not deny their reward to the righteous of the Old Testament, but he
postponed it until heaven’s gates were opened by the death and resurrection of
our Lord. They too now enjoy eternal life and they will attain their final perfecting
when their bodies rise in glory on the last day. God is like a good father, St John
Chrysostom comments, who says to his beloved children when they finish their
work, that he will not give them their supper until their other brothers come back
also. “And you, are you annoyed because you have not received your reward?
What should Abel do, then. He was the first to gain the victory, but remained un-
crowned. And Noah? And all those of those times who are waiting for you and for
those who will come after you? Do you not see how much better off we are? That
is why he says: God in his providence had arranged something better for us. And,
in order that it should not be thought that those people were superior to us be-
cause they received their crown earlier, God disposed that all should be crowned
at the very same time; and he who won his many years earlier will be crowned
along with you [...]. For if we are all the one body, this body will the more rejoice
if all are crowned at the same time and not one by one” (”Hom. on Heb.”, 28).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.