“Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”
King James Version (KJV)
11:32 After Samuel, the prophets are properly mentioned. David also was a prophet; but he was a king too. The prophets - Elijah, Elisha, &c., including likewise the believers who lived with them.
11:33-34 David, in particular, subdued kingdoms. Samuel (not excluding the rest) wrought righteousness. The prophets, in general, obtained promises, both for themselves, and to deliver to others. Prophets also stopped the mouths of lions, as Daniel; and quenched the violence of fire, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. To these examples, whence the nature of faith clearly appears, those more ancient ones are subjoined, (by a transposition, and in an inverted order,) which receive light from these. Jephthah escaped the edge of the sword; Samson out of weakness was made strong; Barak became valiant in fight; Gideon put to flight armies of the aliens. Faith animates to the most heroic enterprises, both civil and military. Faith overcomes all impediments effects the greatest things; attains to the very best; and inverts, by its miraculous power the very course of nature. #2Sa 8:1|,&c.; 1Sa 8:9,&c.; 1Sa 13:3,&c.; #Da 6:22|; Da 3:27; Jud 12:3; Jud 15:19,&c.; #Jud 16:28|,&c.; Jud 4:14,&c.; Jud 7:21.
11:35 Women - Naturally weak. Received their dead - Children. Others were tortured - From those who acted great things the apostle rises higher, to those who showed the power of faith by suffering. Not accepting deliverance - On sinful terms. That they might obtain a better resurrection - An higher reward, seeing the greater their sufferings the greater would be their glory. #1Kin 17:22|; 2Kin 4:35
11:36 And others - The apostle seems here to pass on to recent examples.
Heb 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire. See the case of "the Hebrew children" in Da 3:19-28. Escaped the edge of the sword. See 1Sa 18:10,11.