Oecumenius

"By faith, Enoch." From him, the abolition of death was prefigured. Indeed, through Abel, the approval of the sentence was shown, but through Enoch, it is abolition. Enoch believed that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him; therefore, he was also pleasing to God: and to such an extent was his faith that what seemed contrary also appeared. For Abel, although he had pleased God, was slain, and God did not wish to overlook his death; therefore, Enoch was pleasing to God only by faith, believing in the reward of the good. For the sake of faith, therefore, he was pleasing, and because he was pleasing, he was taken away.
"he would not see death," For he was indeed removed, and still lives: moreover, where and how, it is uncertain.
"But without faith, it is impossible to please Him." For if someone does not believe in the payment of good deeds and evils, he would not please. For who would tread the laborious path of virtue, not being convinced that there are rewards?
"For he who comes to God must believe that He is." It is not about what it is, nor about examining His essence, but one must only believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek it.
"By faith, Noah, having been warned." Connect the "by faith" with "being cautious," so that it reads: "having been warned by faith, Noah prepared an ark concerning things not yet seen, being cautious and fearful." For it was by faith that he heard what would be the flood, to be cautious and terrified.
"having been warned." Having heard from God. Elsewhere it is said, "He was warned by the Spirit." (Luke 2:26) Do you see equality? Just as the Father calls, so also does the Holy Spirit.
"of things not yet seen." He speaks of the flood.
"By which he condemned the world." He showed them to be worthy of punishment, that even when seeing the ark being constructed, they did not believe that there would be a flood.
"of the righteousness which is according to faith." What is established through faith. For that faith justified him by which he believed in God.

"By faith, Abraham was called." For he would not have followed, if he had not believed that God speaks the truth, to dwell in that land. And the very act of going out was an act of faith. For when God called, he obeyed, believing that he was being called for good.
"not knowing where he was going." And the greater aspect of faith is that he did not even know what he was being called to.
"By faith he dwelt in the land of promise." See what it says: In the land which God had promised, saying, To you I will give it and to your seed, he lived as a foreigner, and seeing that the promise of God was not yet fulfilled. For God had said he would give it. Yet he, as a stranger, dwelt in a foreign land, and thus he did not weaken in faith, but even with his descendants he regarded it as foreign; nevertheless, he still believed that it would be given to him and to his seed.
"dwelling in tents." So much did he dwell in it as a foreign land, that he did not even have a house, but dwelt in tents; for to dwell in tents is the lot of strangers and foreigners of the land, those who move from one place to another because they have no permanent possession.
"with Isaac and Jacob." And this shows their faith, that even being co-heirs, they lived in that land as strangers. And Isaac was driven out by Ishmael, while Jacob was fleeing from Esau. Neither did they therefore doubt that the land would not be given to them.
"For he waited." And by what word, he says, did these not weaken in faith, as if dwelling in a foreign land concerning the promised land? For, he says, they were not concerned with the earth, but indeed having received the land of promise, they sought the greater things and were expecting the heavenly city. For if they had been attached to the earth, they would have been shaken by not receiving it. Thus, he says, we also ought to seek the things above, and not have a word about those here.
"the city which has foundations." This is said because of its permanence and certainty, meaning it has foundations, or that it alone has foundations. For those on earth, in comparison to it, do not have foundations.
"whose builder and maker is God."The greatest praise of the one in heaven.

The phrase, "having seen from afar," some say, refers to those around Abraham regarding the return of their descendants from Egypt. But this is unfitting. We say that they were evangelized concerning the kingdom of heaven, and all that Christ preached. For if they had not heard these things, why would they call themselves foreigners and sojourners? For they did not say these things longing for an earthly homeland, since they could have returned to their own land, but they were seeking heaven. Moreover, if this were not the case, both Abel and Enoch and Noah would be found, having not received the promise from God. For neither was anything earthly promised to them. Nor did it say to Noah that he would be saved in the promise. —
"and greeted them." Being persuaded.
"they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Not of the promised (for this is not great), but of the whole world.
"make it clear." They show.
"that they are seeking a homeland." That in heaven, obviously.
"And if they had been." For that they sought the one in heaven is clear from this. For if they sought their own from which God had expelled them, they had the strength to return. For they had time for this to return to their own. But now, seeking a homeland, not returning from which they went out, it is clear that they desire something better and heavenly.
“Therefore God is not ashamed." For just as God is called the God of the world, so Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are called by Him, having made them counterparts of creation. And this is the greatest honor, to deem God to be called their God. For just as God is adorned by the patriarchs, so He is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
"for He has prepared a city for them." God is not ashamed to be called their God. And therefore, He says, He is not ashamed because He has fulfilled their desire. They desired a city in heaven, and He has prepared a city for them in it.

Two are sought here. How, having said above that God removed Enoch so that he would not see death, now has he said, "According to faith, all these died"? And again he said, "not having received the promises," although he said above that they had received the rewards of faith. For Noah was saved with his house. And Enoch was removed, and he did not see death. And Abel still speaks through his glory; and Abraham both took possession of the promised land and fathered from Sarah. — The solution. On the one hand, they all died, accept, with Enoch having been taken away. On the other hand, not having received the promises, it says about all, indicating that to those concerning Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not only land was promised, but also, through their virtue, the heavenly things. This also applies to the others. For, he says, the generous God would not have released Abel for the sake of being glorified, Enoch for the sake of being removed, Noah for the sake of escaping immediate death, or Abraham for the sake of becoming a father of children, or to take hold of the land as in a sojourn. But these things were granted to them in part. And there was a taste of the truly promised things. For it indicates that they had learned beforehand concerning the kingdom of heaven, saying, having seen them from afar and greeted them.

That is, "from which, figuratively speaking," it is possible to understand it this way: From where Abraham also brought Isaac in a figure. For he says, he demonstrated some overwhelming obedience, and faith that overcame even the laws of nature, he again receives the son, not as one who offered him, but with a great addition and value of his own faith. For he brought him bearing a figure and a likeness to the Son of God and God. Such things faith is able to accomplish. If, however, you take the common point in the figure from both Abraham and Isaac, that one served as a type of the Father and as a figure and likeness through the offering of the child, while Isaac served as a type of the Son, thus the aforementioned understanding is fulfilled. So great a gain, he says, faith brought to Abraham, that having offered his son, he received him back with the greatest addition.
Of which addition was this? The one in the figure, both in relation to the Father and in relation to the Son to be brought forth. That is to say, He brought forth the Son for such a gain, in which the Father willed for both to be made a type of approach to be accomplished upon the Son. In the figure, God brought forth Isaac; that is, because of the faith and willingness of Abraham, although a ram was presented, and then not brought forth by Abraham, but by God Himself, who also brought forth. Thus, God accepted the sacrifice, as if bringing forth Isaac Himself through the figure and the substitution of the ram. Therefore, it is said, from where He brought him forth, as Isaac, in the parable and substitution of the ram, that is, as the purpose was fulfilled, and the willingness of his faith, therefore, God accepted the sacrifice of Abraham.

"By faith, Abraham offered up Isaac." By what faith? That God is able to raise him even from the dead.
"being tested." God tested Abraham, not because he himself wanted to learn about Abraham (for how could He who searches our hearts be alone in this?); (Ps. 7:10) but rather, he would make it evident to us.
"his only begotten." For in case anyone say that he still had a child, and was expecting the promise to be fulfilled through him, he willingly offered Isaac, for he says, he was not the only begotten; he was only begotten in terms of the promise, since he also had Ishmael.
"to whom it was said." Thus, it is said, as to the apparent, God seems to command the opposite of what He promised. And yet Abraham did not waver. For how could Isaac be called his seed, when he was commanded to sacrifice Isaac? Nevertheless, he did not hesitate even then.
"considering that God was able even to raise him from the dead." Do you see how by faith Abraham did everything? For he believed that God could even raise him from the dead after he was sacrificed.
"from which, figuratively speaking." And Abraham himself and Isaac himself. For it is fitting concerning the two. But see this, "figuratively." Abraham was a type of God the Father, and Isaac, of the Son of God. For since God was about to provide us with something great, the sacrifice of His Son, being very compassionate, so that we might not think that we are saved by grace alone, He made it necessary to deliver Christ. And the necessity is thus: "Just as," he says, "Abraham was willing to deliver his only-begotten for me to death, so also I," he says, "must deliver my Only-begotten to death for the sake of men." And the "figuratively," we can also understand this way, connecting it to the person of Isaac: He brought Isaac, and made him a figure and a type and an example of Christ, so that just as Isaac was sacrificed according to Abraham's intention, so also Christ was sacrificed, in truth. And thus, the "figuratively," understand; that is, he says, he brought Isaac in a figure, that is, instead of the type and the example. For he indicated the ram, and having given it instead of him, he received Isaac. But the first interpretation, as I think, is much better.

For he believed so much, he says, in what was to come, that he also adored with the staff, thinking he was seeing what was to come. For from the two sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, kings were to arise from the seed of Ephraim. Therefore, revealing the kingdom to his seed, he adored at the top of the staff of Manasseh. It is written in the book of Genesis thus: "And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years." (Gen. 47:28)And the days of Jacob's life were one hundred and forty-seven years. And the days of Israel drew near to die, and he called his son Joseph and said to him: "If I have found grace in your sight, put your hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers; carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place. And he said, I will do as you have said. And he said, Swear to me. And he swore to him. And Israel bowed himself upon the head of the bed." (Gen. 47:29-31) —
By faith, Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning his bones. For he believed so much that they would come out of Egypt, that he also swore that his bones would be carried away. What then? So that always remembering the oaths of Joseph, they might see also the matters concerning the exodus. For who would have sworn that his bones would be carried away, if he did not strongly believe that they would go out?

Where he had listed righteous men who acted with faith, he also speaks about the parents of Moses, who were of no reputation. encouraging them, and almost saying: They were so obscure yet had faith, but you waver? For what reason did they hide him for three months, and this despite a royal decree that male children should be immediately killed? It is clear that they believed he would be saved. But what was the source of their faith? From the fact that the child was beautiful. For, he says, without divine grace, he would not have been such from the swaddling clothes.
“By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused.” For he did this, hoping to receive greater goods than those present. And the phrase “refused” indicates that he was determined to alienate himself."
"to enjoy the momentary pleasures of sin," He called it a sin, not to collaborate or to suffer together with the people of God: not to enjoy the benefits of this sin. Whose? So that he would not be afflicted with the sufferings of the people of God.
"greater riches than the treasures of Egypt." He did not say; he considered the greater wealth of the treasures in Egypt to be the goods laid up in heaven, but rather, showing more of his virtue, he said, "the reproach of Christ," that is, to be reproached as Christ was. "Who made you ruler over us?" (Ex. 2:14) For this is what Christ also heard, "By what authority do you do these things?" (Matt. 21:23) It is the shame of being reproached for the sake of Christ. "The rock was Christ." (1 Cor. 10:4) But he, for that rock and to give water from it (Ex. 27:1), was greatly reviled by the Jews.