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And what more shall I say? Time will not allow me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets,
Hebrews 11:32 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB What more shall I say? For the time would fail me if I told of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets;
  • KJV And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
  • NKJV And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
  • NASB And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
  • NLT How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The author says time would fail to recount all the faithful—Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. The roll of faith is far longer than can be told.

Overview

Turning from detailed examples to a rapid summary, the author names judges, the king David, the prophet Samuel, and "the prophets" generally. Despite their varied and sometimes flawed lives, all are commended for faith. The sheer abundance of witnesses underscores that the life of faith has marked God's people throughout history, all pointing toward its perfecter, Jesus (12:2).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 33

  • 1 Sam 1:20So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
  • 1 Sam 16:1Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
  • 1 Sam 16:13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
  • Judg 13:1–16Again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD, so He delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
  • Judg 11:1–12Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father.
  • John 21:25There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written.
  • 1 Sam 12:11So the LORD sent Jerubbaal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel, and He delivered you from the hands of your enemies on every side, and you dwelt securely.
  • Acts 2:29–31Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
  • Acts 3:24Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.
  • 1 Sam 3:1–12And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare and visions were scarce.
  • Rom 4:1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has discovered?
  • Rom 7:7What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
  • Rom 3:5But if our unrighteousness highlights the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict His wrath on us? I am speaking in human terms.
  • Acts 10:43All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”
  • 2 Pet 1:21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
  • 1 Pet 1:10–12Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully,
  • Acts 13:20All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
  • Luke 13:28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves are thrown out.
  • Judg 4:1After Ehud died, the Israelites again did evil in the sight of the LORD.
  • Judg 6:11Then the angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
  • Judg 13:24So the woman gave birth to a son and named him Samson. The boy grew, and the LORD blessed him.
  • 1 Sam 2:18Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
  • 1 Sam 2:11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
  • 1 Sam 28:3–25Now by this time Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had removed the mediums and spiritists from the land.
  • 1 Sam 17:1–18Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war at Socoh in Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah in Ephes-dammim.
  • Luke 16:31Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
  • Jer 15:1Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.
  • Acts 13:22–36After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
  • Jas 5:10Brothers, as an example of patience in affliction, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
  • Ps 99:6Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called to the LORD and He answered.
  • Matt 5:12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.
  • Rom 6:1What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase?
  • 2 Pet 3:2by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Hebrews videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Hebrews 11:32YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on HebrewsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Hebrews is sustained worship of Christ: better than angels, Moses, and the priests; the great High Priest after Melchizedek who by one sacrifice perfects forever those he saves.

How Hebrews 11:32 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.