What Old Testament figures might Hebrews 11:37 be referencing with "stoned" or "sawn in two"? Setting the Scene: Hebrews 11:37 “They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated.” (Hebrews 11:37) Those Who Were Stoned Likely figures Scripture (and later Jewish testimony) brings to mind: • Zechariah son of Jehoiada – 2 Chronicles 24:20-22 records how King Joash ordered this prophet stoned “in the courtyard of the house of the LORD.” Jesus later cites his murder in Matthew 23:35 as emblematic of Israel’s rejection of God’s messengers. • Naboth of Jezreel – Though not a prophet, 1 Kings 21 portrays the false accusation and stoning of Naboth at Jezebel’s direction. Elijah condemns Ahab for this crime, and Hebrews may group all righteous sufferers together. • Jeremiah – While the book of Jeremiah ends with his removal to Egypt (Jeremiah 43-44), a strong Jewish tradition (echoed by Tertullian and other early writers) says he was later stoned by his own countrymen at Tahpanhes for preaching against idolatry. • Other unnamed prophets – Jesus laments, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her” (Matthew 23:37). Acts 7:52 echoes the same pattern. Hebrews is sweeping them all into its hall of faith. Those Who Were Sawn in Two One principal figure stands out: • Isaiah – Early Jewish writings (e.g., the Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 49b; the apocryphal Ascension of Isaiah) report that King Manasseh had Isaiah “sawn in two with a wooden saw.” Though this detail is not in the canonical text of 2 Kings 21 or Isaiah, the tradition was well-known by the first century. The writer of Hebrews, under the Spirit’s guidance, treats it as reliable testimony of Isaiah’s martyrdom. Scripture Echoes That Support These Links • 2 Kings 21:16 – “Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from one end to the other.” Isaiah’s death would fit that tragic reign. • Isaiah 6:11 – Isaiah asks, “How long, O Lord?” and hears of judgment until “cities lie in ruins.” His own martyrdom under Manasseh exemplifies that message. • 2 Chronicles 36:16 – “They mocked God’s messengers, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets.” Hebrews 11:37 summarizes those persecutions. • Matthew 23:29-36 – Jesus places Zechariah’s blood “between the temple and the altar” at one end of a timeline that reaches Abel, underscoring how long stoning had been a tool against the righteous. • Acts 7:54-60 – Stephen’s own stoning mirrors Zechariah’s and affirms the pattern described in Hebrews. Why These Examples Matter • They prove God’s Word true: persecution did not silence His prophets; it amplified their witness. • They remind believers that faithfulness is sometimes costly. Our call is not comfort but obedience. • They point to Christ, the ultimate “Stone the builders rejected” (Psalm 118:22), who endured a greater death and opened a living way for all who trust Him. |
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