Hebrews 11:37

Literal Standard Version

they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated.

King James Version (1611)
They were stoned, they were sawen asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskinnes, and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.

King James Version
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

English Standard Version
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—

New American Standard Bible
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented

New Century Version
They were stoned to death, they were cut in half, and they were killed with swords. Some wore the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor, abused, and treated badly.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

Legacy Standard Bible
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword. They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, mistreated

Berean Standard Bible
They 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.

Contemporary English Version
Still others were stoned to death or sawed in two or killed with swords. Some had nothing but sheep skins or goat skins to wear. They were poor, mistreated, and tortured.

Complete Jewish Bible
They were stoned, sawed in two, murdered by the sword; they went about clothed in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, mistreated,

Darby Translation
They 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,

Easy-to-Read Version
They were killed with stones. They were cut in half. They were killed with swords. The only clothes some of them had were sheepskins or goatskins. They were poor, persecuted, and treated badly by others.

Geneva Bible (1587)
They were stoned, they were hewen asunder, they were tempted, they were slaine with the sworde, they wandred vp and downe in sheepes skinnes, and in goates skinnes, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented:

George Lamsa Translation
Others were stoned, others were sawn apart, others died by the edge of the sword: others wandered about, wearing sheep skins and goat skins; destitute, afflicted and tormented;

Good News Translation
They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats—poor, persecuted, and mistreated.

Lexham English Bible
They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by murder with a sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, impoverished, afflicted, mistreated,

Literal Translation
they were stoned; they were tried; they were sawn in two; they died by murder of sword; they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins, being in need, being afflicted, being ill-treated;

Amplified Bible
They were stoned [to death], they were sawn in two, they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith], they were put to death by the sword; they went about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated

American Standard Version
they 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

Bible in Basic English
They were stoned, they were cut up with knives, they were tested, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins and in goatskins; being poor and in pain and cruelly attacked,

Hebrew Names Version
They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

International Standard Version
They were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins. They were needy, oppressed, and mistreated.1 Kings 21:13; 2 Kings 1:8; 2 Chronicles 24:21; Zechariah 13:4; Matthew 3:4; Acts 7:58; 14:19;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
others were stoned, others divided, others died by the edge of the sword, others wandered about clothed with skins of sheep and of goats, necessitous, afflicted, and driven out.

Murdock Translation
others were stoned; others were sawed; others died by the edge of the sword; others roamed about clothed in sheep skins and goat skins, and were needy, and afflicted, and agitated;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They were stoned, were hewen asunder, were tempted, were slaine with sword, wandred about in sheepskinnes, and goates skinnes, beyng destitute, afflicted [and] tormented:

English Revised Version
they 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, evil entreated

World English Bible
They were stoned. They were sawn apart. They were tempted. They were slain with the sword. They went around in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins, in goat-skins, destitute, afflicted, tormented:

Weymouth's New Testament
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were tried by temptation, they were killed with the sword. They went from place to place in sheepskins or goatskins, enduring want, oppression and cruelty.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thei weren stoned, thei weren sawid, thei weren temptid, thei weren deed in sleyng of swerd. Thei wenten aboute in broc skynnes, and in skynnes of geet, nedi, angwischid, turmentid;

Update Bible Version
they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were slain with the sword: they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

Webster's Bible Translation
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheep-skins, and goat-skins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

New English Translation
They were stoned, sawed apart, murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated

New King James Version
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, [fn] were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--

New Living Translation
Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.

New Life Bible
They were killed by stones being thrown at them. People were cut in pieces. They were tested. They were killed with swords. They wore skins of sheep and goats and had nothing they could call their own. They were hungry and sick. Everyone was bad to them.

New Revised Standard
They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented—

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They were stoned, were pierced through, were sawn asunder, by murder, with a sword, died, went about in sheep-skins, in goat-hides, - being in want, suffering tribulation, enduring ill-treatment:

Douay-Rheims Bible
They 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:

Revised Standard Version
They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated--

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
were stoned were hewen a sunder were tepted were slayne with sweardes walked vppe and doune in shepes skynnes in gotes skynnes in nede tribulacio and vexacio

Young's Literal Translation
they 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,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
were stoned, were hewen a sunder, were tempted, were slayne with the swerde, wente aboute in shepe skynnes and goates skynnes, in nede, in tribulacion, in vexacion,

Mace New Testament (1729)
they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandred about in sheepskins, and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented:

Simplified Cowboy Version
Others were killed by stones or pulled in half, while many died by the sword. Some had only animal skins for clothes and wandered the land as outcasts without friends or family.

Contextual Overview

³²And what yet will I say? For the time will fail me recounting about Gideon, also Barak, and Samson, and Jephthah, also David, and Samuel, and the prophets, ³³who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped mouths of lions, ³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the mouth of the sword, were made powerful out of weakness, became strong in battle, caused armies of the foreigners to give way; ³⁵women received their dead by a resurrection, and others were tortured, not accepting the redemption, that they might receive a better resurrection, ³⁶and others received trial of mockings and scourgings, and yet of bonds and imprisonment; ³⁷they were stoned, they were sawn apart, they were tried; they died in the killing of the sword; they went around in sheepskins, in goatskins—being destitute, afflicted, injuriously treated,³⁸of whom the world was not worthy; wandering in deserts, and mountains, and caves, and the holes of the earth; ³⁹and all these, having been testified to through faith, did not receive the promise, ⁴⁰God, having provided something better for us, that apart from us they might not be made perfect.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

stoned: 1 Kings 21:10, 1 Kings 21:13-15, 2 Chronicles 24:21, Matthew 21:35, Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34, John 10:31-33, Acts 7:58, Acts 7:59, Acts 14:19, 2 Corinthians 11:25

were slain: 1 Samuel 22:17-19, 1 Kings 18:4, 1 Kings 18:13, 1 Kings 19:1, 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14, Jeremiah 2:30, Jeremiah 26:23, Lamentations 4:13, Lamentations 4:14, Matthew 23:35-37, Luke 11:51-54, Acts 7:52, Acts 12:2, Acts 12:3

in sheepskins: 2 Kings 1:8, Matthew 3:4, Revelation 11:3

being destitute: Hebrews 12:1-3, Zechariah 13:9, Matthew 8:20, 1 Corinthians 4:9-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, 2 Corinthians 12:10, James 5:10, James 5:11

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 15:20 - go up and down 1 Kings 17:10 - Fetch me 2 Kings 21:16 - Manasseh Job 9:23 - he will Job 15:23 - wandereth Psalms 141:7 - bones Proverbs 28:12 - but Song of Solomon 5:7 - took Jeremiah 20:2 - smote Ezekiel 34:6 - wandered Daniel 3:28 - yielded Matthew 23:34 - ye Mark 12:3 - they Luke 20:11 - entreated 2 Corinthians 11:9 - wanted 2 Corinthians 11:27 - nakedness 1 Thessalonians 2:2 - shamefully James 2:15 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They were stoned,.... As Naboth, by the order of Ahab,

1 Kings 21:13, Zachariah in the court of the Lord's house;

2 Chronicles 24:21 and the character of Jerusalem is, that she stoned the prophets that were sent unto her, Matthew 23:37.

They were sawn asunder; to which there seems to be an allusion in

Matthew 24:51. There is no instance of any good men being so used in Scripture: perhaps reference is had to some that suffered thus in the time of Antiochus. The Jews have a tradition, that the Prophet Isaiah was sawn asunder in the times of Manasseh, and by his order; which some think the apostle refers unto; though it seems to be all fictitious, and ill put together. The tradition is in both Talmuds: in the one, the account is this: z that

"Manasseh sought to kill Isaiah, and he fled from him, and fled to a cedar, and the cedar swallowed him up, all but the fringe of his garment; they came and told him (Manasseh), he said unto them, go and saw the cedar,

ונסרו, "and they sawed the cedar", and blood was seen to come out.''

And in the other a thus,

"says R. Simeon ben Azzai, I found a book of genealogies in Jerusalem, and in it was written that Manasseh slew Isaiah.''

And after relating the occasion of it, being some passages in Isaiah Manasseh was displeased with and objected to; and the prophet not thinking it worth his while to return an answer, or attempt to reconcile them with other passages, objected, knowing that the king would use him contemptuously; he is made to say,

"I will swallow (or put myself into) a cedar, they brought the cedar, ונסרו, "and sawed it asunder", and when it (the saw) came to his mouth, he expired.''

Another Jewish writer b out of the Midrash, reports it thus;

"Manasseh sought to slay him, and Isaiah fled, and the Lord remembered him, and he was swallowed up in the middle of a tree; but there remained without the tree the fringe of his garment; and then Manasseh ordered the tree to be cut down, and Isaiah died.''

And it is become a generally received opinion of the ancient Christian writers, that Isaiah was sawn asunder; as of Justin Martyr c, Origen d, Tertullian e, Lactantius f, Athanasius g, Hilary h, Cyril of Jerusalem i, Gregory Nyssene k, Jerom l, Isidorus Pelusiota m, Gregentius n, Procopius Gazaeus o, and others; but more persons seem to be designed:

were tempted; either by God, as Abraham, and Job; or by the devil, as all the saints are; or rather by cruel tyrants, to deny the faith, and renounce the worship of God, as Eleazar, and the seven brethren with their mother; at least some of them were, 2 Maccabees 6,7. Some think the true reading is επρηθησαν, "were burned"; as one of the seven brethren were in the Apocrytha,

"Now when he was thus maimed in all his members, he commanded him being yet alive to be brought to the fire, and to be fried in the pan: and as the vapour of the pan was for a good space dispersed, they exhorted one another with the mother to die manfully, saying thus,'' (2 Maccabees 7:5)

and as Zedekiah and Ahab were roasted in the fire, by the king of Babylon,

Jeremiah 29:22 though they were lying prophets, and cannot be referred to here; see Daniel 11:33. This clause is wanting in the Syriac version:

were slain with the sword; as the priests at Nob, by the order of Saul; 1 Samuel 22:18. The prophets of the Lord by Jezebel,

1 Kings 18:22 and many in the times of the Maccabees;

Daniel 11:33 and in the Apocrypha:

"And there were destroyed within the space of three whole days fourscore thousand, whereof forty thousand were slain in the conflict; and no fewer sold than slain.'' (2 Maccabees 5:14)

they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; with the wool or hair upon them; and with such Elijah and Elisha might be arrayed; since the former is said to be a hairy man, or covered with a hairy garment, as John the Baptist was, who came in his spirit and power, and also in his form; and the latter, wore the mantle of the other; 2 Kings 1:8 and to these reference may be had, who were obliged to wander about, because of those who sought their lives; and was the case of others who were forced, by reason of persecution, to quit their habitations, and wander abroad; and some clothed themselves in this manner, to show their contempt of the world, and their contentment with mean apparel; and others, because they could get no other raiment:

[being] destitute; of bodily food, as Elijah, who was fed by ravens, and by the widow of Zarephath; 1 Kings 17:6,

afflicted; pressed, drove to the greatest straits, despairing of, life, and weary of it, as the same prophet, 1 Kings 19:4,

tormented; or evilly treated, reproached, vilified, persecuted, and made the filth of the world, and the offscouring of all things.

z T. Hieros. Sanhedrin, fol. 28. 3. a T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 49. 2. b Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 12. 2. c Dialog. cum Tryph. p. 249. d In Jer. Homil. 19. p. 197. in lsa. Homil. 1. fol. 101. & in Matt. Homil. 26. fol. 51. e De Patientia, c. 14. Scorpiace, c. 8. f De vera sapientia, l. 4. c. 11. g Vol. I. de Incarnat. p. 55, 65. Vol. II. dicta & Interpret. Parab. p. 325, 353. h Contr. Constant, p. 199. & enarrat. in Psal. cxviii. p. 465. i Cateches. 2. sect. 9. p. 29. & Cateches. 13. sect. 3. p. 169. k Vol. II. de Castigat. p. 749. l In Isa. lvii. 2. m L. 4. Ep. 205. n Disputat. cum Herbano Judaeo, p. 19. o In Reg. l. 4. c. 21. 16.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They were stoned - A common method of punishment among the Jews; see the notes on Matthew 21:35, Matthew 21:44. Thus, Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, was stoned; see 2 Chronicles 24:21; compare 1 Kings 21:1-14. It is not improbable that this was often resorted to in times of popular tumult, as in the case of Stephen; Acts 7:59; compare John 10:31; Acts 14:5. In the time of the terrible persecutions under Antiochus Epiphanes, and under Manasseh, such instances also probably occurred.

They were sawn asunder - It is commonly supposed that Isaiah was put to death in this manner. For the evidence of this, see introduction to Isaiah, 2. It is known that this mode of punishment, though not common, did exist in ancient times. Among the Romans, the laws of the twelve tables affixed this as the punishment of certain crimes, but this mode of execution was very rare, since Aulius Gellius says that in his time no one remembered to have seen it practiced. It appears, however, from Suetonius that the emperor Caligula often condemned persons of rank to be sawn through the middle. Calmet, writing above a hundred years ago, says, “I am assured that the punishment of the saw is still in use among the Switzers, and that they put it in practice not many years ago upon one of their countrymen, guilty of a great crime, in the plain of Grenelles, near Paris. They put him into a kind of coffin, and sawed him lengthwise, beginning at the head, as a piece of wood is sawn; “Pict. Bib.” It was not an unusual mode of punishment to cut a person asunder, and to suspend the different parts of the body to walls and towers, as a warning to the living; see 1 Samuel 31:10, and Morier’s Second Journey to Persia, p. 96.

Were tempted - On this expression, which has given much perplexity in critics, see the notes of Prof. Stuart, Bloomfield, and Kuinoel. There is a great variety of reading in the mss. and editions of the New Testament, and many have regarded it as an interpolation. The difficulty which has been felt in reference to it has been, that it is a much milder word than those just used, and that it is hardly probable that the apostle would enumerate this among those which he had just specified, as if to be tempted deserved to be mentioned among sufferings of so severe a nature. But it seems to me there need be no real difficulty in the case. The apostle here, among other sufferings which they were called to endure, may have referred to the temptations which were presented to the martyrs when about to die to abandon their religion and live. It is very possible to conceive that this might have been among the highest aggravations of their sufferings. We know that in later times it was a common practice to offer life to those who were doomed to a horrid death on condition that they would throw incense on the altars of a pagan god, and we may easily suppose that a temptation of that kind, artfully presented in the midst of keen tortures, would greatly aggravate their sufferings. Or suppose when a father was about to be put to death for his religion, his wife and children were placed before him and should plead with him to save his life by abandoning his religion, we can easily imagine that no pain of the rack would cause so keen torture to the soul as their cries and tears would. Amidst the sorrows of martyrs, therefore, it was not improper to say that they were tempted, and to place this among their most aggravated woes. For instances of this nature. see 2 Macc. 6:21, 22; 7:17, 24.

Were slain with the sword - As in the case of the eighty-five priests slain by Doeg 1 Samuel 22:18; and the prophets. of whose slaughter by the sword Elijah complains; 1 Kings 19:10.

They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins - Driven away from their homes, and compelled to clothe themselves in this rude and uncomfortable manner. A dress of this kind, or a dress made of hair, was not uncommon with the prophets, and seems indeed to have been regarded as an appropriate badge of their office; see 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4.

Being destitute, afflicted, tormented - The word “tormented” here means tortured. The apostle expresses here in general what in the previous verses he had specified in detail.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 37. They were stoned — As Zechariah, the son of Barachiah or Jehoida, was, between the altar and the temple; see the account, 2 Chronicles 24:21; and See the notes on "Matthew 23:35". And as Naboth the Jezreelite, who, on refusing to give up his father's inheritance to a covetous king, because it had respect to the promise of God, was falsely accused and stoned to death; 1 Kings 21:1-14.

They were sawn asunder — There is a tradition that the Prophet Isaiah was thus martyred. In Yevamoth, fol. 49, 2, it is thus written: "Manasseh slew Isaiah; for he commanded that he should be slain with a wooden saw. They then brought the saw, and cut him in two; and when the saw reached his mouth, his soul fled forth." St. Jerome and others mention the same thing; and among the Jews the tradition is indubitable.

Were tempted — επειρασθησαν. I believe this word has vexed the critics more than any other in the New Testament. How being tempted can be ranked among the heavy sufferings of the primitive martyrs and confessors is not easy to discern, because to be tempted is the common lot of every godly man. This difficulty has induced learned men to mend the text by conjecture: Beza proposes επυρωθησαν, they were branded. Junius, Piscator, and others, propose επυρασθησαν, they were burnt alive. Gataker thinks επρησθησαν, a word of the same import, should be preferred. Tanaquil Faber gives the preference to επηρωθησαν, they were mutilated - had different parts of their bodies lopped off. Sir Norton Knatchbull contends for επαρτησαν, they were transfixed, or pierced through. Alberti thinks the original reading was εσπειρασθησαν, they were strangled. About as many more differences have been proposed by learned men, all hearing a very clear resemblance to the words now found in the Greek text. By three MSS. the word is entirely omitted; as also by the Syriac, Arabic of Erpen, the AEthiopic, and by Eusebius and Theophylact. Of all the conjectures, that of Knatchbull appears to me to be the most probable: they were transfixed or impaled; and even the present reading might be construed in this sense.

Were slain with the sword — As in the case of the eighty-five priests slain by Doeg, see 1 Samuel 22:18; and the prophets, of whose slaughter by the sword Elijah complains, 1 Kings 19:10. Probably the word means being beheaded, which was formerly done with a sword, and not with an axe; and in the east is done by the sword to the present day.

They wandered about in sheepskins — μηλωταις Sheepskins dressed with the wool on. This was probably the sort of mantle that Elijah wore, and which was afterwards used by Elisha; for the Septuagint, in 2 Kings 2:8-13, expressly say: Και ελαβεν Ἡλιας την μηλωτην αὑτου· and Elijah took his SHEEPSKIN (mantle.) Και ὑψωσε την μηλωτην Ἡλιου, ἡ επεσεν επανωθεν αὑτου· And he (Elisha) took the SHEEPSKIN of Elijah which had fallen from off him. It was most probably on this account, as Dr. Macknight conjectures, that Elijah was called a hairy man, 2 Kings 1:8; and not on account of having a preposterously long beard, as those marrers of all the unities of time, place, circumstances, and common sense, the painters, represent him. And it is likely that the prophets themselves wore such garments, and that the false prophets imitated them in this, in order that they might gain the greater credit. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision-neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive, Zechariah 13:4; δερριντριχινην, a hairy skin, SEPT., probably the goatskins mentioned above. In general, this was an upper garment; but, in the cases to which the apostle alludes, the sheepskin and goatskin seem to have been the only covering.

Being destitute — υστερουμενοι. In want of all the comforts and conveniences of life, and often of its necessaries.

Afflicted — In consequence of enduring such privations.

Tormented — κακουχουμενοι. Maltreated, harassed, variously persecuted by those to whom they brought the message of salvation.