Hebrews 11:37 (DBY)

Passage

They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, died by the death of the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, evil treated,

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead again by resurrection; and others were tortured, not having accepted deliverance, that they might get a better resurrection;

Hebrews 11:36 and others underwent trial of mockings and scourgings, yea, and of bonds and imprisonment.

Hebrews 11:37 They were stoned, were sawn asunder, were tempted, died by the death of the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, evil treated,

Hebrews 11:38 (of whom the world was not worthy,) wandering in deserts and mountains, and [in] dens and caverns of the earth.

Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained witness through faith, did not receive the promise,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "stoned", "sawn", "asunder", "tempted", "died", "death", and "sword". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "stoned", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 36's "and others underwent trial of mockings and..." into verse 38's "of whom the world was not worthy...", so "sheep" and "stoned" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "stoned" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.