John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 11:13

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." — Hebrews 11:13 (ASV)

These all died in faith, etc. He enhances by comparison the faith of the patriarchs: for when they had only tasted the promises, as though fully satisfied with their sweetness, they despised all that was in the world; and they never forgot their taste, however small it was, either in life or in death.

At the same time, the expression in faith is explained differently. Some understand simply that they died in faith, because in this life they never enjoyed the promised blessings, just as today salvation is also hidden from us, being hoped for. But I rather agree with those who think that a difference between us and the fathers is expressed here; and I give this explanation — “Though God gave to the fathers only a taste of that grace which is abundantly poured out on us, though He showed them at a distance only an obscure representation of Christ, who is now set forth clearly before our eyes, yet they were satisfied and never fell away from their faith. How much greater reason, then, do we have today to persevere? If we grow faint, we are doubly inexcusable.”

It is, then, an enhancing circumstance that the fathers had a distant view of the spiritual kingdom of Christ, while we today have such a near view of it, and that they hailed the promises from afar, while we have them, as it were, quite near us. For if they nevertheless persevered even to death, what laziness it will be for us to become weary in faith when the Lord sustains us with so many aids!

If anyone were to object and say that they could not have believed without receiving the promises on which faith is necessarily founded, the answer to this is that the expression is to be understood comparatively, for they were far from that high position to which God has raised us.

Therefore, although they had the same salvation promised to them, they did not have the promises revealed to them as clearly as they are to us under the kingdom of Christ; but they were content to behold them from afar.

And confessed that they were strangers, etc. This confession was made by Jacob when he answered Pharaoh that the time of his pilgrimage was short compared with that of his fathers and full of many sorrows (Genesis 47:9).

Since Jacob confessed that he was a pilgrim in the land which had been promised to him as a perpetual inheritance, it is quite evident that his mind was not at all fixed on this world, but that he raised it above the heavens.

Therefore, the Apostle concludes that the fathers, by speaking thus, openly showed that they had a better country in heaven; for since they were pilgrims here, they had a country and a permanent dwelling elsewhere.

But if they, in spirit, amidst dark clouds, took flight to the heavenly country, what should we do today? For Christ extends His hand to us, as it were, openly from heaven, to raise us up to Himself. If the land of Canaan did not engross their attention, how much more weaned from earthly things should we be, who have no promised dwelling in this world?