Hebrews 11:36-38
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What strikes me is the subtle escalation in suffering here; "mockings and scourgings" are bad enough, but then the text adds "yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment." This isn't just a list of hardships, but an intentional progression, showing that faith wasn't only tested by immediate pain but also by prolonged, suffocating confinement.
Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 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— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The author of Hebrews has just detailed the incredible faith of individuals who faced death and even the resurrection to escape it, but here the focus shifts. This verse broadens the scope to include those whose faith was tested through public humiliation and physical suffering, like painful beatings, chains, and lengthy imprisonments. These experiences weren't just isolated incidents but a pattern of hardship endured by many faithful people throughout history, both before and after Christ's coming, serving as further testament to unwavering trust in God.
The Bible doesn't shy away from depicting the harsh realities faced by those who followed God. This verse lists a progression of suffering that might seem to escalate.
The author of Hebrews, writing to believers facing intense pressure, doesn't just list abstract hardships. The language here, "mockings and scourings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment," shows a deliberate escalation of suffering.
From Shame to Confinement
The phrase "yea, moreover" highlights this increasing intensity, showing that some believers faced not just one, but a deepening series of trials. It’s like climbing a ladder of hardship, with each rung bringing a new, harsher experience.
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Why does the Bible highlight these intense sufferings? It wasn't just to record misery, but to reveal something profound about faith itself.
The word translated as "trial" here isn't just about enduring something unpleasant. It implies a testing, an examination, or a proving. Faith wasn't merely declared; it was demonstrated through these severe circumstances.
Faith Under Fire
This verse reminds us that faith isn't just for comfortable times; its true quality is often revealed when it's put to the ultimate test.
Understand the original words
empaigmos · Greek Noun
An attitude of hostility or contempt shown toward those who follow God. In Scripture, it often refers to the world's rejection of God's messengers and the truth of the Gospel.
hystereō · Greek Adjective
Being in a state of severe hardship, lack, or poverty. It characterizes those who have forsaken worldly comforts to remain faithful to God's calling.
thlibō · Greek Verb/Adjective
To be burdened, harassed, or suffering under external pressure. It describes the physical and emotional distress endured by the faithful while living in a fallen world.
kosmos · Greek Noun
The fallen, temporal system of humanity that is alienated from God. It stands in opposition to the kingdom of God and the values of the faithful.
The author of Hebrews points to a long history of faithful individuals facing severe persecution, from ancient prophets to contemporary believers, highlighting that suffering for faith is a consistent, albeit difficult, theme throughout God's dealings with His people.
c. 793 BC - 722 BC
Assyrian Captivity of Israel
The Northern Kingdom of Israel faced escalating pressure and eventual deportation by the Assyrian Empire, with many experiencing exile and hardship for their faith and refusal to assimilate.
c. 605 BC - 586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Judah
The Southern Kingdom of Judah experienced multiple waves of deportation to Babylon, leading to widespread suffering, imprisonment, and loss of homeland for faithfulness to God.
c. 167 BC - 160 BC— this verse
Maccabean Revolt
The Maccabean family and their followers faced brutal persecution, including mockings, scourging, torture, and imprisonment, for resisting Hellenistic religious oppression under Antiochus IV Epiphanes.
c. 4 BC - AD 30s
Life and Ministry of Jesus
Jesus and his early followers faced public ridicule, opposition, and imprisonment, as exemplified by John the Baptist and the apostles, for proclaiming a message that challenged the religious and political status quo.
c. AD 30s - AD 60s
Early Church Persecution
The nascent Christian church endured significant persecution from both Jewish authorities and Roman officials, resulting in beatings, imprisonment, and martyrdom for believers who refused to recant their faith.
This passage vividly depicts the brutal mockery and scourging endured by the Maccabean martyrs, directly paralleling the sufferings mentioned in Hebrews 11.
The imprisonment of the prophet Micaiah for speaking God's truth to King Ahab illustrates the 'bonds and imprisonment' faced by faithful individuals for their prophetic witness.
Jeremiah 20:2Jeremiah's experience of being flogged and put in stocks by Pashhur the priest highlights the severe physical suffering and public shame faced by those who delivered God's message.
Acts 16:24The imprisonment of Paul and Silas after being flogged in Philippi shows how believers in the New Testament era continued to face physical abuse and confinement for their faith.
Psalm 140:3This psalm speaks of the danger of a 'poisonous tongue' and those who 'sharpen their tongues like a sword,' reflecting the 'cruel mockings' that believers have historically endured.
ellicottHebrews 11:36: "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:"
(36) The language becomes more general, but still chiefly refers to the same troublous times. Yea, moreover of bonds.—Lasting and cruel captivity, a worse fate even than “mockings and scourgings.”
bengelHebrews 11:36: "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:"
Hebrews 11:36 . Ἐμπαιγμῶν καὶ μαστίγων ) The same words occur, 2Ma 7:7 ; 2Ma 7:1 .— πεῖραν ἔλαβον , had trial ) This phrase increases the praise of constancy. The bitterness of experience showed many their weakness, who thought themselves strong. The same form of expression occurs at Deuteronomy 28:56 . The delicate and refined (the prosperous) are unacquainted with this experience ,…
What strikes me is the subtle escalation in suffering here; "mockings and scourgings" are bad enough, but then the text adds "yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment." This isn't just a list of hardships, but an intentional progression, showing that faith wasn't only tested by immediate pain but also by prolonged, suffocating confinement.
The author of Hebrews has just detailed the incredible faith of individuals who faced death and even the resurrection to escape it, but here the focus shifts. This verse broadens the scope to include those whose faith was tested through public humiliation and physical suffering, like painful beatings, chains, and lengthy imprisonments. These experiences weren't just isolated incidents but a pattern of hardship endured by many faithful people throughout history, both before and after Christ's coming, serving as further testament to unwavering trust in God.
The author of Hebrews has just detailed the incredible faith of individuals who faced death and even the resurrection to escape it, but here the focus shifts. This verse broadens the scope to include those whose faith was tested through public humiliation and physical suffering, like painful beatings, chains, and lengthy imprisonments. These experiences weren't just isolated incidents but a pattern of hardship endured by many faithful people throughout history, both before and after Christ's coming, serving as further testament to unwavering trust in God.
"Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 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— of whom the wo…" — What strikes me is the subtle escalation in suffering here; "mockings and scourgings" are bad enough, but then the text adds "yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment." This isn't just a list of hards…
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Last reviewed October 2026
