Lexical Summary tumpanizó: To torture, to beat, to drum Original Word: τυμπανίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance torture. From a derivative of tupto (meaning a drum, "tympanum"); to stretch on an instrument of torture resembling a drum, and thus beat to death -- torture. see GREEK tupto HELPS Word-studies 5178 tympanízō (the root of the English term "tympani-drum") – properly, to torture. 5178 (tympanízō) originally meant "to beat a drum" and was later used for torturing someone in conjunction with the beating of a drum – hence the expression, "beating to death" (cf. B. F. Westcott at Heb 11:35). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom tumpanon (a kettle drum) Definition to beat a drum, to torture by beating NASB Translation tortured (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5178: τυμπανίζωτυμπανίζω: (τύμπανον); 1. to beat the drum or timbrel. 2. to torture with the tympanum, an instrument of punishment: ἐτυμπανίσθησαν (Vulg.distenti sunt), Hebrews 11:35 (R. V. were tortured (with margin, Or, beaten to death)) (Plutarch, mor., p. 60 a.; joined with ἀνασκολοπίζεσθαι, Lucian, Jup. trag. 19); the tympanum seems to have been a wheel-shaped instrument of torture, over which criminals were stretched as though they were skins, and then horribly beaten with clubs or thongs (cf. our 'to break upon the wheel'; see English Dicts. under the word STRONGS NT 5178a: τυπικῶςτυπικῶς (from the adjective τυπικος, and this from τύπος); adverb, by way of example (prefiguratively): ταῦτα τυπικῶς συνέβαινον ἐκείνοις, these things happened unto them as a warning to posterity (R. V. by way of example), 1 Corinthians 10:11 L T Tr WH. (Ecclesiastical writings.) The verb typanizō grows out of the noun tympanon, a drum or frame stretched tight with hide. In judicial settings of the Hellenistic world the same word described a wheel-like rack whose taut surface held the body while blows were administered. Hence the term came to denote torture by repeated, rhythmic beating—“to be beaten like a drum.” This grisly picture underlies its single New Testament use and colors every theological reflection that follows. Old Testament and Intertestamental Background While typanizō never appears in the Hebrew canon, the Septuagint and later Jewish literature preserve vivid episodes in which faithful Israelites were “tympanized.” Most notable are Eleazar and the seven brothers with their mother under Antiochus IV (2 Maccabees 6–7; 4 Maccabees 5–18). Bound to the tympanon, they were flayed, dismembered, and roasted yet refused apostasy. These accounts were well known in first-century Judaism and provided ready examples of steadfast faith. They also forged an explicit link between suffering and eschatological hope, for the martyrs anticipated resurrection (2 Maccabees 7:9, 14, 23, 36). Use in Hebrews 11:35 Hebrews 11 rehearses victories achieved “by faith,” yet follows triumph with tragedy to show that loss for God’s sake is no less a victory. Verse 35 contrasts two groups of women: some “received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection”. The participle etympanisthēsan pictures believers stretched on the torturer’s drum. The writer deliberately recalls the Maccabean martyrs but broadens the application: any saint who endures torment rather than deny the Lord stands in their company. Deliverance and death alike serve God’s purpose; the decisive issue is persevering faith that looks beyond the present age to “a better resurrection.” Theology of Suffering and Resurrection Hope 1. Suffering can be God-ordained testimony. Typanizō reminds readers that faith may be authenticated, not nullified, by violent opposition (2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12–16). Ministry Significance • Pastoral Care. Congregations facing hostility—whether social ostracism, legal penalties, or physical violence—find in Hebrews 11:35 a theological framework for their pain. Shepherds can affirm grief while steering hearts toward eternal recompense. Illustrations from Church History Polycarp, Ignatius, and countless unnamed believers in subsequent centuries faced torture analogous to typanizō. Their letters and testimonies repeatedly cite Hebrews 11:35, confirming the passage’s formative role in shaping Christian martyr theology. Reformation-era confessions likewise recognize persecution as a mark of the true church, drawing upon the same biblical heritage. Pastoral Reflections and Application 1. Teach eschatology practically. Presenting resurrection not as abstraction but as concrete incentive mirrors Hebrews 11. Summary Strong’s Greek 5178 compresses within its single New Testament occurrence a theology of courageous faith under torture, a bridge to Jewish and Christian martyr traditions, and a call to every generation to cherish eternal reward above temporal relief. In the cadence of the drum the church hears both the agony of the saints and the approaching footsteps of the resurrected Lord who will wipe away every tear. |
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