‘Women received their dead by a resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.'
It is noteworthy that he deliberately keeps on including women (note Sarah (Hebrews 11:11), Moses' mother (Hebrews 11:23) and Rahab (Hebrews 11:31) and now here). They are represented in each section. Both men and women equally exercised faith in God's promises, although in different ways.
Women received their dead back because they believed God could and would do what He had promised (compare 1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:17-37). Other believers accepted death through torture (literally by being ‘placed on a rack and beaten to death'. See 2Ma 6:19; 2Ma 6:28; 2Ma 6:30 where this happened to Eleazar) because they were confident of a better resurrection (see 2Ma 7:9; 2Ma 7:14; 2Ma 7:29). Whether in life or death their faith was in God and His promises.