John 11:1-36

The Death of Lazarus

11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ¹  11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil ²  and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) ³  11:3 So the sisters sent a message ⁴  to Jesus, ⁵  “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, ⁶  but to God’s glory, ⁷  so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ⁸  11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) ⁹ 

11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus ¹⁰  was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 11:7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” ¹¹  11:8 The disciples replied, ¹²  “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders ¹³  were just now trying ¹⁴  to stone you to death! Are ¹⁵  you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, ¹⁶  “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, ¹⁷  because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁸  11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, ¹⁹  he stumbles, ²⁰  because the light is not in him.”

11:11 After he said this, he added, ²¹  “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. ²²  But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, ²³  “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about ²⁴  his death, but they ²⁵  thought he had been talking about real sleep.) ²⁶ 

11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad ²⁷  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ²⁸  But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus ²⁹ ) ³⁰  said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” ³¹ 

Speaking with Martha and Mary

11:17 When ³²  Jesus arrived, ³³  he found that Lazarus ³⁴  had been in the tomb four days already. ³⁵  11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles ³⁶  from Jerusalem, ³⁷  11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region ³⁸  had come to Martha and Mary to console them ³⁹  over the loss of their brother.) ⁴⁰  11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ⁴¹  11:21 Martha ⁴²  said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant ⁴³  you.” ⁴⁴ 

11:23 Jesus replied, ⁴⁵  “Your brother will come back to life again.” ⁴⁶  11:24 Martha said, ⁴⁷  “I know that he will come back to life again ⁴⁸  in the resurrection at the last day.” 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live ⁴⁹  even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. ⁵⁰  Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, ⁵¹  “Yes, Lord, I believe ⁵²  that you are the Christ, ⁵³  the Son of God who comes into the world.” ⁵⁴ 

11:28 And when she had said this, Martha ⁵⁵  went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, ⁵⁶  “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” ⁵⁷  11:29 So when Mary ⁵⁸  heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 11:30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 11:31 Then the people ⁵⁹  who were with Mary ⁶⁰  in the house consoling her saw her ⁶¹  get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep ⁶²  there.

11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people ⁶³  who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved ⁶⁴  in spirit and greatly distressed. ⁶⁵  11:34 He asked, ⁶⁶  “Where have you laid him?” ⁶⁷  They replied, ⁶⁸  “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. ⁶⁹  11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn ⁷⁰  said, “Look how much he loved him!”

[11:1]  ¹ tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”

[11:2]  ² tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”

[11:2]  ³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It is a bit surprising that the author here identifies Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, since this event is not mentioned until later, in 12:3. Many see this “proleptic” reference as an indication that the author expected his readers to be familiar with the story already, and go on to assume that in general the author in writing the Fourth Gospel assumed his readers were familiar with the other three gospels. Whether the author assumed actual familiarity with the synoptic gospels or not, it is probable that he did assume some familiarity with Mary’s anointing activity.

[11:3]  ⁴ tn The phrase “a message” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.

[11:3]  ⁵ tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:4]  ⁶ tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”

[11:4]  ⁷ tn Or “to God’s praise.”

[11:4]  ⁸ sn So that the Son of God may be glorified through it. These statements are highly ironic: For Lazarus, the sickness did not end in his death, because he was restored to life. But for Jesus himself, the miraculous sign he performed led to his own death, because it confirmed the authorities in their plan to kill Jesus (11:47-53). In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ death is consistently portrayed as his ‘glorification’ through which he accomplishes his return to the Father.

[11:5]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It was necessary for the author to reaffirm Jesus’ love for Martha and her sister and Lazarus here because Jesus’ actions in the following verse appear to be contradictory.

[11:6]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:7]  ¹¹ sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).

[11:8]  ¹² tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”

[11:8]  ¹³ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the previous references and the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19, and “Jewish religious leaders” in vv. 24, 31, 33.

[11:8]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “seeking.”

[11:8]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “And are.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:9]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[11:9]  ¹⁷ tn Or “he does not trip.”

[11:9]  ¹⁸ sn What is the light of this world? On one level, of course, it refers to the sun, but the reader of John’s Gospel would recall 8:12 and understand Jesus’ symbolic reference to himself as the light of the world. There is only a limited time left (Are there not twelve hours in a day?) until the Light will be withdrawn (until Jesus returns to the Father) and the one who walks around in the dark will trip and fall (compare the departure of Judas by night in 13:30).

[11:10]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “in the night.”

[11:10]  ²⁰ tn Or “he trips.”

[11:11]  ²¹ tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”

[11:11]  ²² tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “asleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term, especially in light of the disciples’ confusion over what Jesus actually meant (see v. 13).

[11:12]  ²³ tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”

[11:13]  ²⁴ tn Or “speaking about.”

[11:13]  ²⁵ tn Grk “these.”

[11:13]  ²⁶ tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.

[11:15]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

[11:15]  ²⁸ sn So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples’ belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples’ faith previous to this in John’s Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.

[11:16]  ²⁹ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[11:16]  ³⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:16]  ³¹ sn One gets the impression from Thomas’ statement “Let us go too, so that we may die with him” that he was something of a pessimist resigned to his fate. And yet his dedicated loyalty to Jesus and his determination to accompany him at all costs was truly commendable. Nor is the contrast between this statement and the confession of Thomas in 20:28, which forms the climax of the entire Fourth Gospel, to be overlooked; certainly Thomas’ concept of who Jesus is has changed drastically between 11:16 and 20:28.

[11:17]  ³² tn Grk “Then when.”

[11:17]  ³³ tn Grk “came.”

[11:17]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:17]  ³⁵ tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).

[11:18]  ³⁶ tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[11:18]  ³⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:19]  ³⁸ tn Or “many of the Judeans” (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e); Grk “many of the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities (“the chief priests and the Pharisees”) are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8.

[11:19]  ³⁹ tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”

[11:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[11:20]  ⁴¹ sn Notice the difference in the response of the two sisters: Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains sitting in the house. It is similar to the incident in Luke 10:38-42. Here again one finds Martha occupied with the responsibilities of hospitality; she is the one who greets Jesus.

[11:21]  ⁴² tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[11:22]  ⁴³ tn Or “give.”

[11:22]  ⁴⁴ sn The statement “whatever you ask from God, God will grant you” by Martha presents something of a dilemma, because she seems to be suggesting here (implicitly at least) the possibility of a resurrection for her brother. However, Martha’s statement in 11:39 makes it clear that she had no idea that a resurrection was still possible. How then are her words in 11:22 to be understood? It seems best to take them as a confession of Martha’s continuing faith in Jesus even though he was not there in time to help her brother. She means, in effect, “Even though you weren’t here in time to help, I still believe that God grants your requests.”

[11:23]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:23]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”

[11:24]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “Martha said to him.”

[11:24]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “will rise again.”

[11:25]  ⁴⁹ tn That is, will come to life.

[11:26]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “will never die forever.”

[11:27]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “She said to him.”

[11:27]  ⁵² tn The perfect tense in Greek is often used to emphasize the results or present state of a past action. Such is the case here. To emphasize this nuance the perfect tense verb πεπίστευκα (pepisteuka) has been translated as a present tense. This is in keeping with the present context, where Jesus asks of her present state of belief in v. 26, and the theology of the Gospel as a whole, which emphasizes the continuing effects and present reality of faith. For discussion on this use of the perfect tense, see ExSyn 574-76 and B. M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, 291-97.

[11:27]  ⁵³ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[11:27]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”

[11:28]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:28]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).

[11:28]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “is calling you.”

[11:29]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19.

[11:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.

[11:31]  ⁶² tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).

[11:33]  ⁶³ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8, “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, and the word “people” in v. 31.

[11:33]  ⁶⁴ tn Or (perhaps) “he was deeply indignant.” The verb ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimhsato), which is repeated in John 11:38, indicates a strong display of emotion, somewhat difficult to translate – “shuddered, moved with the deepest emotions.” In the LXX, the verb and its cognates are used to describe a display of indignation (Dan 11:30, for example – see also Mark 14:5). Jesus displayed this reaction to the afflicted in Mark 1:43, Matt 9:30. Was he angry at the afflicted? No, but he was angry because he found himself face-to-face with the manifestations of Satan’s kingdom of evil. Here, the realm of Satan was represented by death.

[11:33]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “greatly troubled.” The verb ταράσσω (tarassw) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimhsato). John uses it in 14:1 and 27 to describe the reaction of the disciples to the imminent death of Jesus, and in 13:21 the verb describes how Jesus reacted to the thought of being betrayed by Judas, into whose heart Satan had entered.

[11:34]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “And he said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:34]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “Where have you placed him?”

[11:34]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.

[11:35]  ⁶⁹ sn Jesus wept. The Greek word used here for Jesus’ weeping (ἐδάκρυσεν, edakrusen) is different from the one used to describe the weeping of Mary and the Jews in v. 33 which indicated loud wailing and cries of lament. This word simply means “to shed tears” and has more the idea of quiet grief. But why did Jesus do this? Not out of grief for Lazarus, since he was about to be raised to life again. L. Morris (John [NICNT], 558) thinks it was grief over the misconception of those round about. But it seems that in the context the weeping is triggered by the thought of Lazarus in the tomb: This was not personal grief over the loss of a friend (since Lazarus was about to be restored to life) but grief over the effects of sin, death, and the realm of Satan. It was a natural complement to the previous emotional expression of anger (11:33). It is also possible that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus because he knew there was also a tomb for himself ahead.

[11:36]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, as well as the notes on the word “people” in vv. 31, 33.