Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
What does Hebrews 11:35 mean?
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Keep this verse inside Hebrews 11:35-39 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: Women received their dead raised to life again - As in the case of the woman of Zarephath, whose child was restored to life by Elijah, 1 Kings 17:19-24 ; and of the son of the Shunamite woman whose child was restored to life by Elisha; 2 Kings 4:18-37 . And others were tortured - The word which is used here - τυμπανιζω tumpanizo - to "tympanize," refers to a form of severe torture which was sometimes practiced.
Key words
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14 So when he was ready to die he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life.
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11 And said courageously, These I had from heaven; and for his laws I despise them; and from him I hope to receive them again.
Context in Hebrews 11
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Hebrews 11 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as faith, endurance, and final exhortation. Hebrews presents Jesus as the final revelation of God, the great high priest, the once-for-all sacrifice, and the mediator of the better covenant. Read this chapter with the wider themes of Christology, priesthood, and sacrifice in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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