John 11:31 - Exposition

The Jews therefore who were with her in the house, and were comforting her . If the "Jews" (see note, John 11:19 ) were comforting Mary, and ( John 11:37 ) recognized his love in its Divine depths, and if (see John 11:45 ) ( πολλοὶ ) "many believed on him," and only ( τινές ) some of them ( John 11:46 ) made the stupendous miracle a new occasion for expressing their inveterate malignity, there is no reason to import the element of hostility into the word ἰδόντες . When they observed Mary, that she suddenly rose and (silently) went out (of the house), followed her, supposing that she goeth £ to the grave to wail there . This custom was followed widely in the East, £ and is still observed in Roman Catholic communities. The word κλαίω is to be carefully distinguished from δακρύω of John 11:35 ; it denotes the loud expressive wailing and manifestation of grief of which so many instances occur, while the latter word means the shedding of tears. " Wailing " is often the regulated expression of professional grief; "weeping" the irresistible burst of personal sorrow. The first may be violent and obtrusive, the other silent and pathetic.