“quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight” (Hebrews 11:34 ESV).
The ancient figure of a sword is often used to represent the concept of power and authority. For instance, the New Testament book of Romans makes use of this imagery in speaking of our relationship to human government…
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:3-4).
While the book of Romans employs this concept in a figurative sense, we can point to several Biblical examples of those who “escaped the edge of the sword” in a literal manner. Some of those individuals include…
- Moses. Moses escaped the sword of Pharaoh, the leader of the world’s most powerful nation during his lifetime (Exodus 2:15).
- David. He escaped the sword of Goliath as well as Israel’s king Saul (1 Samuel 17:1-58, 1 Samuel 19:9-10).
- Elijah. Elijah escaped a death threat issued by the infamous Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1-3).
Then there is a reference to those who “were made strong out of weakness” here in Hebrews 11:34. Gideon serves as an obvious example of this quality, in addition to other Biblical personalities such as Moses, Sarah, Esther, and Samson as well. This characteristic also recalls another passage from the Biblical book of Romans…
“Who are you to judge the servants of someone else? It is their own Master who will decide whether they succeed or fail. And they will succeed, because the Lord is able to make them succeed” (Romans 14:4 GNT).
Finally, we have a reference to those who “became valiant in battle” (NKJV) within this passage. Hebrews chapter eleven provides us with several individuals who fit this description, including Abraham, Joshua, Barak, Jephthah, and David.
Yet even though this passage emphasizes the victorious nature of God’s provision, the following verses will also provide us with an important counterbalance. You see, many Godly men and women escaped the edge of the sword, but some did not. This reminds us to take an objective view of this passage and acknowledge that faith does not guarantee our success in every situation.