Hebrews 11:32

And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David, Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

This brings us to a break in the author's method, as he leaves off a more or less detailed reference to various outstanding exponents of faith and speaks more generally of a whole group of the faithful, covering the period after Israel's entry into Canaan during the time of the judges, and extending to the time of the monarchy. A summary of the significant deeds of each of those mentioned will be given, with special regard of how each fits into the list of the exemplars of faith.

Gideon destroyed the altar of Baal, and with only a handful of men, delivered Israel from the ravages of the Midianites (Judges 6-7). Gideon was visited and encouraged by an angel, and followed closely the instructions leading to his great victory.

Barak (Judges 5) is a surprise in the list, since he refused to take the field of battle against Sisera unless the prophetess Deborah went with him; yet, as Bruce says:

His very refusal may have been in its way a token of faith; his insistence on having Deborah was perhaps an expression of his faith in God whose servant and spokeswoman Deborah was.[41]

Samson (Judges 13-16) was born in answer to prayer and the promise of an angel who appeared to his parents; he was a Nazarite from birth and was moved by the spirit of the Lord, to whom he prayed, and by whose special powers he performed feats of superhuman strength throughout his tragic life.

Jephthah is usually remembered for his rash vow (Judges 11-12); but it is his faith that comes to the mind of the author. Jephthah spoke one word that should be the motto of every believer on earth, "I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back" (Judges 11:35).

David the man after God's own heart, is the only king of Israel in the list; and his deserving to be so stems not from his flagrant sin, but from his willingness, in humility and penitence, to confess it and seek God's forgiveness. If one compares David's behavior in the matter of his adultery with Bathsheba and Nathan's rebuke of it, with that which might have been universally expected in those times of any oriental despot, he will be impressed with the superiority of David's actions in accepting God's law and making it apply to himself as well as to his subjects. It is to that ancient king of Israel that people are yet indebted for the concept that not even a king is above the law. David was inspired of God, uttered great prophecies of the coming Messiah, wrote the marvelous book of Psalms, and gathered the material for the construction of Solomon's temple. On the whole, he was an inspiring example of faith.

Samuel is another of the noblemen of faith, born in response to prayer to the service of God from earliest childhood, and one who lived a remarkably blameless life, almost his only sin being parental indulgence of his godless sons (1 Samuel 8:1-5).

And the prophets is an inclusion of all those inspired men through whom the word of the Lord was delivered to men for the purpose of shedding light on the moral and religious problems of their own times, as well as for the enlightenment of people regarding the coming of God's Holy One, the Messiah, into the world in the fullness of time. The words of the prophets were providentially designed to make a positive and certain identification of Jesus Christ as God's Son when he should appear on earth. See "Faith of the Prophets" below.

Subdued kingdoms is not to be understood as the work of each man mentioned in this verse; but, as Milligan said, this means only "that they all did these things as a class of men distinguished by their faith in God."[42] Gideon, for instance, subdued the kingdom of the Midianites. Others were distinguished in other ways. The same applies to the whole catalogue of deeds listed here.

Wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions - refers to general achievements of the above mentioned group of men, all but the last achievement being characteristic of the whole group of men, and the latter having reference to the exploits of at least three of them, David (1 Samuel 17:36), Samson (Judges 14:6), and Daniel (Daniel 6:22); but, from the particular words, it would seem that Daniel especially was in the author's mind, though not mentioned, except as included in "the prophets."

[41] F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 332.

[42] R. Milligan, op. cit., p. 326.