who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,
Parallel translations
- WEB who, through faith subdued kingdoms, worked out righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
- KJV Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
- BSB who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,
- NKJV who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
- NLT By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,
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
Through faith these conquered kingdoms, did justice, obtained promises, and shut the mouths of lions. God gave his people great victories as they trusted him.
Overview
This verse begins a summary of faith's triumphs drawn from Israel's history—military victories, righteous rule, fulfilled promises, and deliverance such as Daniel's from the lions (Daniel 6). These were not human achievements but the fruit of trusting God. Faith lays hold of God's power and his promises, the same faith that finds its fullness in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Heb 6:12–15that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.
- Ps 144:1–2By David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to battle:
- Heb 10:36For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
- 2 Tim 4:17But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
- 2 Sam 5:4–25David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.
- Ps 144:10You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
- Gal 3:16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. He doesn’t say, “To descendants ”, as of many, but as of one, “To your offspring ”, which is Christ.
- Judg 14:5–6Then went Samson down with his father and his mother to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared against him.
- Heb 11:4–8By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
- 1 Pet 5:8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- Dan 6:20–23When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?
- Heb 11:17By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son,
- Ps 18:32–34the God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect?
- 2 Sam 8:1–14After this, David struck the Philistines and subdued them; and David took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the Philistines.
- 1 Sam 17:33–36Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
- Ps 91:13You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.
- 2 Sam 7:11–17and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover Yahweh tells you that Yahweh will make you a house.
- Ps 44:2–6You drove out the nations with your hand, but you planted them. You afflicted the peoples, but you spread them abroad.
- Josh 6:1–13Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the children of Israel. No one went out, and no one came in.
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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 11:33 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
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