The third brother was brought forward. People begged him to eat and save his life. But he cried out that he was raised by the same parents and with the same beliefs as his brothers, and he would not break their bond. He was not going to give up what they all shared.
The torturers used racking devices to dislocate his hands and feet. They tore off his skin and dragged him to the wheel. His spine came apart as the machine turned, and blood poured from his body. Even dying, he declared that he suffered because of God's instruction and virtue, and that the tyrant would face endless punishment for his cruelty.
The fourth brother was brought next. Again, guards urged him to show respect to the king and spare himself. He refused. He said no fire was hot enough to make him a coward. He swore by his brothers' deaths and by the life of the godly that he would not betray the brotherhood they shared. He dared the king to think up new tortures.
Antiochus ordered his tongue to be cut out. But the fourth brother stretched out his tongue willingly and said: even without words, God hears those who are silent. You can take the tongue, but you cannot silence our faith. God will find you, the one who cut out this instrument of praise.
Historical Context
This chapter continues the account of the brothers' martyrdom. Each brother's death follows a similar pattern: an offer to give in, a bold refusal, torture, and a final declaration of faith. This repetition was intentional, the author wanted readers to feel the weight of each choice and each death.
Cutting out a person's tongue was a particularly cruel punishment used to silence someone who kept speaking against authority. The fourth brother's response, offering his tongue willingly and saying God still hears, turned an act of cruelty into a powerful statement of faith. It showed that no ruler could ever truly silence a person who trusts in God.
