Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 11:42
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said [it,] that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
42. And I knew ] Better, But I knew, ‘I’ being very emphatic. This verse is added to prevent misunderstanding: no one must suppose from this act of thanksgiving that there are any prayers of the Son which the Father does not hear.
I said it ] i.e. I said the words ‘I thank Thee, &c.’
that thou hast sent me ] Or, didst send Me. ‘Thou’ is emphatic; ‘Thou and no one else.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And I knew – As for me. So far as I am concerned. I had no anxiety, no doubt as to myself, that I should always be heard; but the particular ground of gratitude is the benefit that will result to those who are witnesses. Jesus never prayed in vain. He never attempted to work a miracle in vain; and in all his miracles the ground of his joy was, not that he was to be praised or honored, but that others were to be benefited and God glorified.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
I know that thou always willest those things which I will; and I will nothing but what thou willest, and hast sent me to do in the world; so as in these things it is impossible but that thou shouldest always be ready to grant what I ask of thee; nay, there is no need of my asking. I only give thee thanks for the peoples sake, who here stand by; who believe thee to be the true God, and to have an Almighty power; but will not as yet believe that I am thy Son, by thee sent into the world, and that I do the works which I do in thee and from thee. We read of many miracles wrought by Christ without any prayer first put up to his Father, Mat 8:3; 9:6; Mar 5:41; 9:25; Luk 7:14, using only an authoritative word; nor need he have used any here, but only for the further conviction of the people that he was sent of God, that God whom they owned as their God: he prayeth and giveth thanks to God before them all.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
42. Andrather, “Yet.”
I knew that thou hearest mealways, but because of the people that stand by I said it, that theymight believe that thou hast sent meInstead of praying now, Hesimply gives thanks for answer to prayer offered ere He left Perea,and adds that His doing even this, in the audience of the people, wasnot from any doubt of the prevalency of His prayers in any case, butto show the people that He did nothing without His Father, but allby direct communication with Him.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And I knew that thou hearest me always,…. Which was not only a support to the faith of Christ, as man, but is also to his people, whose advocate, intercessor, and mediator he is.
But because of the people which stand by, I said [it]; that he was heard, and always heard by God; and, therefore must have great interest in his affection, and knowledge of his will; yea, their wills must be the same:
that they may believe that thou hast sent me: for if he had not sent him, he would never have heard him in anything, and much less in everything; wherefore this was a full proof, and clear evidence of his divine mission.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And I knew ( ). Past perfect of used as imperfect. This confident knowledge is no new experience with Jesus. It has “always” () been so.
Which standeth around ( ). Second perfect active (intransitive) articular participle of . It was a picturesque and perilous scene.
That they may believe ( ). Purpose clause with and first ingressive aorist active subjunctive of , “that they may come to believe.”
That thou didst send me ( ). First aorist active indicative of and note position of side by side. This claim Jesus had long ago made (5:36) and had repeatedly urged (John 10:25; John 10:38). Here was a supreme opportunity and Jesus opens his heart about it.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The people [ ] . In view of the distinction which John habitually makes between the Jews and the multitude, the use of the latter term here is noticeable, since Jews occurs at vv. 19, 31, 36. It would seem to indicate that a miscellaneous crowd had gathered. Rev., the multitude. See on 1 19.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1 ) “And I knew that thou hearest me always:– (ego de edein hoti pantote mou akoueis) “Yet I knew that you always hear me,” my petitions, prayers and requests, Joh 11:22; Joh 8:29. He was always in union with the Father, doing the will of the Father. And the prayer was for a visual demonstration to the viewers that Divine glory should be given to all that is done by every believer in life.
2) ”But because of the people which stand by I said it,” (alla dia ton ochlon ton periestota eipon) “But because of the crowd standing around about, I said it,” for the benefit or help of the people, to teach them that even I sought to glorify the Father. Nothing anyone does should be in vain glory, Php_2:5-9; Gal 5:26, Php_2:3-4; Joh 12:29-30.
3) “That they may believe that thou hast sent me.” (hina pisteusosin hoti su me apesteilas) ”In order that they may believe that you did and have sent, commissioned, or mandated me,” to come and do the miracles that I do; That men might believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, with power to save, was the priority purpose He had in His miracle deeds, Mar 2:10-11; Joh 3:2; Joh 20:30-31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
42. And I knew that thou hearest me always. This is an anticipation, lest any one should think that he did not stand so high in favor with the Father, as to be able easily to perform as many miracles as he chose. He means, therefore, that there is so great an agreement between him and the Father, that the Father refuses him nothing; and even that he had no need to pray, because he only executed what he knew that the Father had enjoined; but in order that men may be more fully assured that this is truly a divine work, for this reason he called on the name of the Father. It will perhaps be objected, Why then did he not raise all the dead? The reply is easy. A certain fixed limit was assigned to miracles by the purpose of God, so far as he knew to be sufficient for confirming the Gospel.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(42) And I knew that thou hearest me always.The meaning depends upon the emphatic position of the pronoun, I, for My part, knew. It is not for My own sake that I speak these words. This union of the will of the Father and the Son, by which every prayer of the Son was an expression of the will of the Father, and every work of the Father was in harmony with the will of the Son, was not exceptional, but the law of His human life. There is ever the consciousness, I and My Father are one (Joh. 10:30).
But because of the people which stand by I said it.Better, because of the multitude. He had before instructed the disciples and the sisters. He would instruct the multitude also, so that to them this miracle may be more than a wonder, and may teach them that He is sent of God. (Comp. Notes on Joh. 9:29; Joh. 9:31; Joh. 10:21.)
That which He said must be the words I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. Some have referred them to the words of Joh. 11:4, but this is in itself improbable, and is besides excluded by the reference to the multitude.
That they may believe that thou hast sent me.The pronoun is again emphatic. His words mean That Thou and none beside Thee. They had ascribed the sight given to the blind to deceit, or the work of a demon. This sign is preceded by a thanksgiving to the God of heaven in the presence of them all. It is a solemn appeal, proving His divinity at once by the confidence in which He utters it, and by the answer which Heaven gives to it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
42. Because of the people I said it Said what? The I thank thee of the previous verse. That thank was not a prayer, but an acknowledgment of previously heard prayer. That thank was uttered not purely for God’s sake, nor for Jesus’s sake, but also for the hearers’ sake. So is all social and public vocal prayer. In the very act of audible prayer the minister teaches the congregation what are their wants and the proper subjects of their prayer. So that there is rightly a preaching even in the public praying. Otherwise all prayer might be purely mental. Clarke supposes the audible prayer to God was intended to show that the miracle was not by Satanic power but truly divine.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it , that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
Ver. 42. And I knew that thou hearest me always ] And he always liveth to make intercession for his; who therefore may boldly believe, that they shall want nothing that is good for them, since he is “All in all” with the Father, and may have what he will. In any strait go but to God, and cry as he did, Conqueror tibi lachrymis Iesus Christi, I lament to you by the tear of Jesus Christ, and doubt not of a gracious return of thy prayer.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
because of. Greek. dia, as in Joh 11:15.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 11:42. , I) Jesus seems to have made this declaration after some pause.-, I knew) Jesus shows to the people, that He returned thanks to the Father, not as though it were for something new to Himself, and such as He had not experienced before. The filial intimacy of Jesus in relation to the Father was far too great, to admit of being fully expressed by speech among men.-, always) even after the death of Lazarus.-, Thou hearest) The Father, when hearkening to Him, replied sometimes by a voice from above, but generally by a most immediate effecting [of the Sons desire].-, I said) this, and gave thanks. So , I have said [I have called you friends, Engl. Vers.], ch. Joh 15:15, of something that had been just said.[303][303] , that they may believe) Such was the result, ver. 45.-V. g.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 11:42
Joh 11:42
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.-He wished all to know that it was God who did through him what would be done that all might believe that he was sent of God. Jesus prayed only for the things that would bring honor and glory to God-only for those things that were well-pleasing to the Father. God always hears prayers that are made in accord with his will and for his honor and glory. If any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. (Joh 9:31). Jesus gave to him a pure, holy, undivided worship, and did his will with faultless obedience. It was his meat and drink to do his Fathers will. He hungered to do his will as the hungry man desires to eat and drink. Doing the will of God brought strength to him as meat and drink bring strength to the weary. Jesus knew God would hear him at all times. But because of the multitude that standeth around I said it. That is, he wanted to let them know he raised the dead by the power of God, and that all might know that he was sent by God and spoke only the words of God, hence that the people might believe that God sent him.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
I knew: Joh 11:22, Joh 8:29, Joh 12:27, Joh 12:28, Mat 26:53, Heb 5:7, Heb 7:25
but: Joh 11:31, Joh 12:29, Joh 12:30
that they: Joh 11:45-50, Joh 9:24-34, Joh 10:37, Joh 10:38, Joh 20:31, Mat 12:22-24
that thou: Joh 3:17, Joh 6:38-40, Joh 7:28, Joh 7:29, Joh 8:16, Joh 8:42, Joh 10:36, Joh 17:8, Joh 17:21, Joh 17:25, Rom 8:3, Gal 4:4, 1Jo 4:9, 1Jo 4:10, 1Jo 4:14
Reciprocal: Exo 4:5 – That they Exo 40:26 – General Num 16:28 – Hereby 1Ki 9:3 – I have heard 1Ki 17:24 – Now by this 1Ki 18:36 – and that I have 2Ki 4:33 – prayed 2Ki 19:20 – I have heard Psa 20:4 – General Isa 49:8 – In an Joh 6:27 – for him Joh 8:28 – and that Joh 9:31 – him Joh 12:37 – General Joh 17:3 – and Jesus Joh 18:11 – my Joh 19:35 – that ye 1Jo 5:14 – he
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
Jesus never had any doubts of his Father’s assistance, but the people might have had some questioning in their minds about it. This thought is suggested by verse 37, where they intimated that Jesus had been unable to prevent the death of Lazarus. Now if these same people hear him appeal to his Father, and then see the favorable response to that appeal, they will know they were wrong in their accusation as to his failure to intervene and prevent Lazarus from dying.