Why did the tortured believers in Hebrews 11:35 not accept deliverance?
They refused deliverance because escaping torture would have required renouncing their faith. Under testing, they chose to remain faithful rather than deny their faith, and they did not flinch even when persecuted. Their refusal shows steadfast commitment, since they could have escaped by abandoning their faith.
Les explains that Hebrews 11:34-35 first describes believers who quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, and turned armies to flight. Then verse 35 shows the other side: women received their dead raised to life, but others were tortured and did not accept deliverance. Les teaches that they were being tested and probably could have escaped by simply renouncing their faith, but they did not. He compares this to Foxe's Book of Martyrs, where early church believers suffered horrible persecutions and, for the most part, never flinched; they went to their death singing hymns, just like Paul and Silas in Philippi.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: