Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in war, turned to flight the armies of foreigners.
Read Chapter 11
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Stopped the mouths of lions, Hebrews 11:34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. See how they were in death itself, Daniel encompassed by the lions, the three children abiding in the furnace, the Israelites, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, in various temptations; and yet not even so did they despair. For this is Faith; when things are turning out adversely, then we ought to believe that nothing adverse is done, but all things in due order.
Escaped the edge of the sword. I think that he is again speaking of the three children.
Out of weakness were made strong. Here he alludes to what took place at their return from Babylon. For out of weakness, is out of captivity. When the condition of the Jews had now become desperate, when they were no better than dead bones, who could have expected that they would return from Babylon, and not return only; but also wax valiant and turn to flight armies of aliens? 'But to us,' some one says, 'no such thing has happened.' But these are figures of the things to come.
