Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 11:26
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
26. shall never die ] See on Joh 8:51; the form of expression is the same; ‘shall assuredly never die.’
Believest thou this? ] A searching question, suddenly put. She answers with confidence, and gives the ground of her confidence.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Whosoever liveth – He had just spoken of the prospects of the pious dead. He now says that the same prospects are before the living who have like faith. Greek, Every one living and believing on me.
Shall never die – As the dead, though dead, shall yet live, so the living shall have the same kind of life. They shall never come into eternal death. See Joh 6:50-51, Joh 6:54, Joh 6:58. Greek, Shall by no means die forever.
Believest thou this? – This question was doubtless asked because it implied that he was then able to raise up Lazarus, and because it was a proper time for her to test her own faith. The time of affliction is a favorable period to try ourselves to ascertain whether we have faith. If we still have confidence in God, if we look to him for comfort in such seasons, it is good evidence that we are his friends. He that loves God when he takes away his comforts, has the best evidence possible of true attachment to him.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. Shall never die.] Or, Shall not die for ever. Though he die a temporal death. he shall not continue under its power for ever; but shall have a resurrection to life eternal.
Believest thou this?] God has determined to work in the behalf of men only in proportion to their faith in him: it was necessary, therefore, that these persons should be well instructed concerning his nature, that they might find no obstacles to their faith. These sisters had considered him only as a prophet hitherto; and it was necessary that they should now be farther instructed, that, as God was to exert himself, they might believe that God was there.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He had before proved himself to be the resurrection, now he proveth himself to be the life. He saith, he that liveth, that liveth a natural life, if he be one who receiveth and embraces me as the true Messiah and Saviour of the world, and committeth himself and all the concerns of his soul to me, shall never die. Though his body shall die because of sin, yet his spirit shall live because of righteousness; and God shall in the great day quicken again his mortal body, through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in him, and is united to him, Rom 8:10,11. He asketh Martha if she believed this. We shall observe, that our Saviour, not here only, but Mat 9:22,28, before he wrought his miraculous operations, required peoples faith as a prerequisite. And, Mat 13:58, he could not do many mighty works in his own country, because of their unbelief. And, Mat 17:20, he tells his disciples, that the reason why they could not cure the man possessed with the devil, was because of their unbelief: so great an honour hath God given to the exercise of faith.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23-27. Jesus saith unto her, Thybrother shall rise againpurposely expressing Himself ingeneral terms, to draw her out.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me,….. Whoever will be found alive at Christ’s second coming, and is a believer in him,
shall never die, but shall be changed, and shall be for ever with Christ; and such as shall be raised to life by him, shall never die any more, not even a bodily death, and much less an eternal one, or the second death: and though believers die a corporeal death as others do, yet their souls live, and live in happiness, whilst their bodies are under the power of death; nor shall they always continue so, but being raised, shall become immortal, and die no more. So living believers in Christ shall never die more a spiritual death; they are passed from death to life, and shall never return to death more; their spiritual life cannot be lost; grace in them is an immortal seed, a well of living water springing up into everlasting life: grace may be very low in its exercise, and may seem to be ready to die; they may be in lifeless frames, and without the comforts of a spiritual life, and be under the hidings of God’s face, which is as death unto them, and may reckon themselves as free among the dead; yet the principle of life will never be extinct in them; nor shall they die the second death, which lies in an eternal separation from God, and in an everlasting sense of his wrath; that shall have no power on them, nor shall they be in the least hurt by it; for they are ordained to eternal life, and have the promise of it; they are united to Christ, and their life is secured in him; and he has redeemed them from death; and they have the Spirit of life dwelling in them, as the pledge and earnest of eternal glory.
Believest thou this? the whole of this concerning the power of Christ, and privilege of believers; every tittle of it is to be believed. And as with respect to a corporeal resurrection, so with regard to a spiritual one; that men by nature are dead in sins; that Christ is the author of the resurrection from such a state, to a spiritual life; that this life is only by Christ, and can never be lost: this is a doctrine to be believed; it is the doctrine of the Scriptures; it is according to godliness; it makes for the comfort of the people of God, and glorifies the divine perfections.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Shall never die ( ). Strong double negative with second aorist active subjunctive of again (but spiritual death, this time), “shall not die for ever” (eternal death).
Believest thou this? ( ;) Sudden test of Martha’s insight and faith with all the subtle turns of thought involved.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me,” (kai pas ho zon kai pisteuon eis eme) “And everyone who while living believes into me,” or receives me as the source of true life, comes into vital union with me, so that he has my life in Him, Joh 3:36; Joh 10:27-28; 1Jn 5:12-13; Joh 5:24.
2) “Shall never die.” (ou me apothane eis ton aiona) “Such one by no means dies, even into the age,” by the second death, Rev 2:11; Rev 20:6, until he enters into the new age, the heaven age itself, Job 19:23-27. For what men call death is a temporal sleep or rest, until soul and body are re-linked, Joh 3:15; Joh 4:14; Rom 8:11; Php_3:21.
3) “Believest thou this?” (pisteueis touto) “Do you believe this?” Job did, Job 14:13-15; Job 19:23-27. Do you really believe in me both as the Messiah and the one who has power over death, for every believer? Rev 1:8.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
26. And whosoever liveth, and believeth in me. This is the exposition of the second clause, how Christ is the life; and he is so, because he never permits the life which he has once bestowed to be lost, but preserves it to the end. For since flesh is so frail, what would become of men, if, after having once obtained life, they were afterwards left to themselves? The perpetuity of the life must, therefore, be founded on the power of Christ himself, that he may complete what he has begun.
Shall never die. The reason why it is said that believers never die is, that their souls, being born again of incorruptible seed, (1Pe 1:23,) have Christ dwelling in them, from whom they derive perpetual vigor; for, though
the body be subject to death on account of sin, yet the spirit is life on account of righteousness, (Rom 8:10.)
That the outward man daily decays in them is so far from taking anything away from their true life, that it aids the progress of it, because the inward man is renewed from day to day, (2Co 4:16.) What is still more, death itself is a sort of emancipation from the bondage of death.
Dost thou believe this? Christ seems, at first sight, to discourse about spiritual life, for the purpose of withdrawing the mind of Martha from her present desire. Martha wished that her brother should be restored to life Christ replies, that he is the Author of a more excellent life; and that is, because he quickens the souls of believers by divine power. Yet I have no doubt that he intended to include both favors; and therefore he describes, in general terms, that spiritual life which he bestows on all his followers, but wishes to give them some opportunity of knowing this power, which he was soon afterwards to manifest in raising Lazarus.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me.This is to be understood of the physical life answering to though he have died of the last verse.
Shall never die.Comp. especially Note on Joh. 8:51. He shall by no means die for ever. Not through the infinite course of ages shall there be that which makes for him the sting of death. The fact of what we call physical death is not denied, but in the fulness of the thought of life it is regarded as the passage to a new and higher life.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Ver. 26. Believest thou this? ] He saith not, Understandest thou this? For the mysteries of the Christian religion, saith Rupertus, are much better understood by believing than believed by understanding.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
liveth = is alive, referring to 1Th 4:17.
never = by no means (Greek. ou me. App-105) unto the age (Greek. eis ton aiona. App-151).
Believest. See App-150.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 11:26. , every one [whosoever]) This word, which was not employed in Joh 11:25, brings on the discourse to greater things.-) that liveth, namely, this present life of the body. The antithesis to this lies in the words, Joh 11:25, even though he die [ : though he were dead, Engl. Vers.] Those especially treated of here, are they who then were alive and saw the Son: ch. Joh 6:40, This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life.- , shall not die) Shall be exempt from death, to all eternity. The antithetic word to this is , shall live, restored to life; Joh 11:25. There is a great difference between the death [mortem] of believers before the death of Jesus Christ, and the departure [obitum; metaphor from setting of heavenly bodies] of believers after the death of Jesus Christ. These latter are altogether exempt from the judgment.[298]- ; believest thou this?) An application of the truth, in the second person, to all collectively and individually, which is often found elsewhere, and which here, by means of the unexpected interrogation, is very pungent. Thus [by means of this personal application] Martha is completely won over to faith.
[298] Condemnation: ch. Joh 5:24, He that henreth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 11:26
Joh 11:26
and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?-He here speaks of spiritual life and death. He who believes in Jesus shall never die spiritually. He saw Marthas inability to realize the truths he was teaching, and pointedly asked if she believes his teaching.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
never die
i.e. the “second death.” Cf. Rev 2:1; Rev 20:6.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
whosoever: Joh 3:15-18, Joh 4:14, Joh 5:24, Joh 6:50, Joh 6:54-58, Joh 8:52, Joh 8:53, Joh 10:28, Rom 8:13, 1Jo 5:10-12
Believest: Joh 9:35, Joh 14:10, Mat 9:28, Mat 26:53, Mar 9:23
Reciprocal: Deu 30:20 – thy life Psa 22:29 – and none Psa 68:20 – unto Psa 133:3 – even life Isa 26:19 – my dead Eze 37:3 – O Lord God Eze 47:9 – every thing Mar 16:16 – that believeth and Luk 20:38 – for all Joh 5:19 – and Joh 5:26 – so hath Joh 5:40 – that Joh 6:27 – which the Joh 6:57 – even Joh 8:51 – If Joh 11:44 – he that Joh 14:6 – the life Joh 17:2 – give Act 2:28 – made Act 3:15 – Prince Act 16:31 – Believe Rom 4:11 – father Rom 5:10 – we shall Rom 8:10 – but 1Co 6:14 – by 1Co 15:13 – General 1Co 15:45 – a quickening 2Co 4:14 – that Gal 3:22 – to Eph 2:1 – you Phi 3:10 – and the power Col 1:18 – the firstborn 2Ti 1:10 – who Heb 7:8 – he liveth 1Pe 2:4 – a living 1Jo 1:2 – the life 1Jo 4:9 – we 1Jo 5:11 – this Rev 20:12 – I saw
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joh 11:26. And whosoever liveth That Isaiah , 1 st, A natural life; whosoever lives in this world, whether he be Jew or Gentile, and wherever, in whatever country or age he lives; and believeth That is, believeth while he liveth in this world, while he is here, in this state of probation; for, after death, it will be too late to believe. Or, 2d, Whosoever believeth, and liveth a spiritual life, and continues to believe, that he may continue so to live. For he that lives and believes, is he that lives by faith, a faith that influences his conversation: he that, by faith, is born again to a heavenly, holy, and divine life; to whom, to live is Christ, and whose life is continually derived from Christ. Such a one shall never die A promise this which ensures a blessed immortality, 1st, To the soul: he who, being united to Christ by faith, lives a spiritual life by virtue of that union, shall never die; his spiritual life shall never be extinguished, but perfected in eternal life. For, as the soul, being in its nature spiritual, is therefore immortal; so, if by faith it live here a spiritual life, consonant to its nature, its felicity shall be immortal too. And there shall be no interruption of its life, as there is of the life of the body. The body indeed dies, or sleeps rather, but not for ever, as the original expression here used, , , applied to it, is rendered by some. For, 2d, This promise ensures future life and happiness to it also. All the difficulties that attend the state of the dead are here overlooked by our Lord, and made nothing of, while he speaks of himself as the resurrection and the life. Though the body be dead because of sin; though the sentence of death passed upon it be just; though the effects of death be dismal; though the bands of death be strong; though the body be not only dead, but putrefied; though the scattered dust be so mixed with common dust, that no art of man can distinguish, much less separate them; yet we are sure it shall live again. Christ asks Martha, Believest thou this? Canst thou take my word for it, and rely firmly on its accomplishment? Reader, when we hear the word of Christ concerning the great things of the other world, we should seriously ask ourselves, Do we believe this? This truth in particular; this, which is attended with so many difficulties; this, which is suited to my case? Doth my belief of it realize it to me, and give my soul an assurance of it? so that I can say, not only this I believe, but thus I believe. Marthas mind was occupied with the idea of her brothers being raised to life in this world; before Christ gave her hopes of that, he directed her thoughts to another life, and another world. As if he had said, That is of comparatively little importance, but believest thou this that I tell thee concerning a future state? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make half that impression upon us which they do, if we did but believe the things of eternity as we ought.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Furthermore every living person who believes in Jesus will not experience eternal spiritual death. This is another promise of salvation but also of eternal security.
Jesus then asked Martha to affirm her faith in Him as the One who will raise the dead and who now gives eternal life. He was questioning her faith in Him, not her faith in doctrines. She had already expressed her faith in the doctrine of the resurrection (Joh 11:24).