Hebrews 11:33 (GNV)

Passage

Which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obteined the promises, stopped the mouthes of lions,

Nearby Context

Hebrews 11:31 By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them which obeyed not, when she had receiued the spies peaceably.

Hebrews 11:32 And what shall I more say? for the time would be too short for me to tell of Gedeon, of Barac, and of Sampson, and of Iephte, also of Dauid, and Samuel, and of the Prophets:

Hebrews 11:33 Which through faith subdued kingdomes, wrought righteousnesse, obteined the promises, stopped the mouthes of lions,

Hebrews 11:34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sworde, of weake were made strong, waxed valiant in battell, turned to flight the armies of the aliants.

Hebrews 11:35 The women receiued their dead raised to life: other also were racked, and woulde not be deliuered, that they might receiue a better resurrection.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "through", "subdued", "kingdomes", "wrought", "righteousnesse", "obteined", and "promises". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "through", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "And what shall I more say for..." into verse 34's "Quenched the violence of fire escaped the...", so "faith" and "through" 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 "faith" and "through" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.