John 11:16-27

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 11:1-16

We have in these verses, I. A particular account of the parties principally concerned in this story, John 11:1, 2. 1. They lived at Bethany, a village nor far from Jerusalem, where Christ usually lodged when he came up to the feasts. It is here called the town of Mary and Martha, that is, the town where they dwelt, as Bethsaida is called the city of Andrew and Peter, John 1:44. For I see no reason to think, as some do, that Martha and Mary were owners of the town, and the rest were their... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 11:17-32

The matter being determined, that Christ will go to Judea, and his disciples with him, they address themselves to their journey; in this journey some circumstances happened which the other evangelists record, as the healing of the blind man at Jericho, and the conversion of Zaccheus. We must not reckon ourselves out of our way, while we are in the way of doing good; nor be so intent upon one good office as to neglect another. At length, he comes near to Bethany, which is said to be about... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 11:1-44

We have tried to expound the raising of Lazarus simply as the story stands written. But we can not evade the fact that of all the miracles of Jesus this presents the greatest problem. Let us honestly face the difficulties. (i) In the other three gospels there are accounts of people being raised from the dead. There is the story of the raising of Jairus' daughter ( Matthew 9:18-26 ; Mark 5:21-43 ; Luke 8:40-56 ). There is the story of the raising of the widow's son at Nain ( Luke... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 11:11-16

11:11-16 Jesus said these things, and then he went on to say: "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping; but I am going to waken him up." "Lord," the disciples said to him, "if he is sleeping he will recover." But Jesus had spoken about his death. They thought that he was speaking about the sleep of natural sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly: "Lazarus has died, and, for your sakes, I am glad that I was not there, because it is all designed in order that you may come to believe. But let us go to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 11:17-19

11:17-19 So, when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, less than two miles away. Many of the Jews had gone to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. In order to visualize this scene we must first see what a Jewish house of mourning was like. Normally in Palestine, because of the climate, burial followed death as quickly as possible. There was a time when a funeral was an exceedingly costly thing. The finest... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 11:20-27

11:20-27 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained sitting in the house. So Martha said to Jesus: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even as things are, I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you." Jesus said to her: "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him: "I know that he will rise at the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her: "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in me will... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 11:20-27

When Martha declared her belief in the orthodox Jewish belief in the life to come, Jesus suddenly said something which brought to that belief a new vividness and a new meaning. "I am the Resurrection and the Life," he said. "He who believes in me will live even if he has died; and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." What exactly did he mean? Not even a lifetime's thinking will reveal the full meaning of this; but we must try to grasp as much of it as we can. One thing is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 11:16

Then said Thomas, who is called Didymous ,.... The former was his Hebrew name, and the latter his Greek name, and both signify a twin; and perhaps he may be so called because he was one: the same said unto his fellow disciples ; the other eleven; though the Ethiopic version reads, "to the next of the disciples"; as if he addressed himself only to one of them, to him that was nearest to him: let us also go, that we may die with him ; either with Lazarus, as some think, or rather with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 11:17

Then when Jesus came ,.... The Alexandrian copy, and all the Oriental versions add, "to Bethany"; though it seems by what follows, that he was not come to the town itself, but near it; and it looks as if it was not far from Lazarus's grave; and it was usual to bury without the city; and here he had intelligence of his, Lazarus's, death, and how long he had been dead: for he found he had lain in the grave four days already ; it is very likely that he died the same day that Mary and Martha... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 11:18

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem ,.... Which was a reason why them were so many of the Jews come there to condole the two sisters upon the death of their brother; and by this means the following miracle became more known there: it was about fifteen furlongs off ; that is, about two miles, for seven furlongs and a half made a Jewish mile, as appears from one of their canons F3 Misn. Bava Kama, c. 7. sect. 7. , which runs thus: "they do not spread nets for doves, except it be... read more

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