William Burkitt on Hebrews 11:39

That is, "All the fore-mentioned scripture saints, with others that lived from the beginning of the world, and the first giving out of the promise of the Messiah, Gen 3:15 all and every one of these obtained a good report through faith, that is, a good testimony that they pleased God; nevertheless they received not the promise, that is, the actual exhibition of the promise, Christ, the promised Messiah; the promise they had, but not the thing promised, this was not in their days exhibited, Christ was not then come in the flesh: this promise was made by God to the elders from the beginning, but not actually accomplished untill the fulness of time."

Learn hence, That the Old-Testament saints had from the beginning the promise of God concerning the exhibition of Christ in the flesh from the redemption of the world; which promise they were persuaded of the truth of, embraced it with desire, longing for the actual accomplishment of it, and thus enjoyed the benefit of it as well as we.