Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 11:6
When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
6. When he had heard therefore ] Omit ‘had.’ The connexion is a little difficult. ‘Therefore’ after the statement in Joh 11:5 prepares us for ‘He set out immediately,’ but instead of that we have the reverse. ‘Therefore,’ however, really leads on to Joh 11:7, and consequently there should be only a semicolon at the end of Joh 11:6. When, therefore, He heard that he is sick, then indeed He abode two days in the place where He was; then after this He saith, &c. The question why Christ remained the two days is futile: such was the Divine Will with regard to the mode of working this miracle and to His Messianic work generally. His life was a perfect fulfilment of the Preacher’s rule; ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven’ (Ecc 3:1; comp. Joh 11:9, Joh 2:4). There was a Divine plan, in conformity with which He worked.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He abode two days – Probably Lazarus died soon after the messengers left him. Jesus knew that (Joh 11:11), and did not hasten to Judea, but remained two days longer where he was, that there might not be the possibility of doubt that he was dead, so that when he came there he had been dead four days, Joh 11:39. This shows, moreover, that he intended to raise him up. If he had not, it could hardly be reconciled with friendship thus to remain, without any reason, away from an afflicted family.
Where he was – At Bethabara Joh 1:28; Joh 10:40, about 30 miles from Bethany. This was about a days journey, and it renders it probable that Lazarus died soon after the message was sent. One day would be occupied before the message came to him; two days he remained; one day would be occupied by him in going to Bethany; so that Lazarus had been dead four days Joh 11:39 when he arrived.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Though he loved him and his sisters with a tender love, yet he did not presently go to them, to comfort Mary and Martha in their sorrow; nor yet to cure Lazarus, and prevent his death; but stayed still two days in the place where he was. He loved Mary, and Martha, and Lazarus, but he more loved the honour and glory of his Father, which was to be manifested in his raising of Lazarus from the dead. We must not judge of Christs love to us by his mere external dispensations of providence; nor judge that he doth not love us because he doth not presently come in to our help, at our times, and in such ways and methods as we would think reasonable.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. When he heard he was sick, heabode two days still . . . where he wasat least twenty-fivemiles off. Beyond all doubt this was just to let things come to theirworst, in order to display His glory. But how trying, meantime, tothe faith of his friends, and how unlike the way in which love to adying friend usually shows itself, on which it is plain that Maryreckoned. But the ways of divine are not as the ways of humanlove. Often they are the reverse. When His people are sick, in bodyor spirit; when their case is waxing more and more desperate everyday; when all hope of recovery is about to expirejust then andtherefore it is that “He abides two days still in the sameplace where He is.” Can they still hope against hope? Oftenthey do not; but “this is their infirmity.” For it is Hischosen style of acting. We have been well taught it, and should notnow have the lesson to learn. From the days of Moses was itgiven sublimely forth as the character of His grandestinterpositions, that “the Lord will judge His people and repentHimself for His servants”when He seeth that their power isgone (De 32:36).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
When he had heard therefore that he was sick,…. Though Christ had heard that Lazarus was sick, and by such good hands, a message being sent him by his sisters, to acquaint him with it; and though he had such a very great love for him, and the whole family, yet he did not go directly to him, and to his assistance:
but he abode two days still in the same place where he was; at Bethabara, beyond Jordan; this he did to try the faith and patience of the sisters of Lazarus, and that the miracle of raising him from the dead might be the more manifest, and his own glory might be the more illustrious, and yet equal, if not greater tenderness and love be shown to his friends.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
That he was sick ( ). Present active indicative retained in indirect discourse after a secondary tense ().
Two days ( ). Accusative of extent of time.
In the place where he was ( ). Incorporation of the antecedent into the relative clause, “in which place he was.” It was long enough for Lazarus to die and seemed unlike Jesus to the sisters.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1 ) “When he had heard therefore that he was sick,” (hos oun ekousen hoti asthenei) “Then when he heard that he (Lazarus) ailed,” was physically ill, in a serious way, Joh 11:1-4.
2) “He abode.” (tote men emeinen) “He then remained or lingered,” with purpose and intent regarding His response to the report, Ecc 3:1; Joh 6:6. Jesus never became hasty in His actions or conduct in any manner to excite His disciples, 1Co 14:40.
3) “Two days still in the place where he was.” (en ho en topo duo hemeras) “in the (same) place where he was for a period of two days,” in Bethabara beyond Jordan, some 28 to 30 miles away in Perea to the northeast, Joh 1:28; Joh 10:40. It was a very long day’s journey there and then Jesus lingered two more days before starting up to the town of Bethany, where He was to find Lazarus who had been dead for four days, Joh 11:39; Mat 15:23; Luk 18:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) When he had heard therefore.Better, When He heard therefore . . .
He abode two days still.It is usual to explain this delay as caused by His wish to test the faith of the sisters, or by the nature of the work which He was then doing, and was unwilling to leave. But the first reason passes over the fact that their faith had been shown in their message to Him; and the second postulates His presence at Bethany as necessary for the restoration of Lazarus. (Comp. Joh. 4:49-50.) A juster view is that which remembers the principle which He had taught at the first miracle (Joh. 2:4), that the hours of His work were marked out by signs that He alone could read, but that every hour had its work, and every work its hour. (Comp. Joh. 11:4; Joh. 11:9, and Joh. 9:3-4.)
A comparison with Joh. 11:11 makes it certain that Lazarus was dead before they set out for Juda, but he was living when the words of Joh. 11:4 were spoken. The fact of death may have determined the hour of their departure.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Therefore In consequence of his regard to this family he pursued a course apparently cold, really supremely kind. He did not come; he waited until the disease should be unto death in order that it might not be unto death. Strauss absurdly objects that it was immoral for Jesus to allow Lazarus thus to die in order to raise him from the dead. But would it have been less immoral for him to have permitted his death without any purpose to raise him? Is it immoral for God to allow the human race to die in order to a resurrection?
Abode two days There appears something quite felicitous in the identification by Wieseler of these two days with the to day and to morrow of Luk 13:32. And then the passage, Luk 13:22, will be identified with this present journey to Bethany. And then the profoundly interesting details of Luk 13:22 to Luk 17:10, are a narrative of Jesus’s teachings after the reception of this message from the sisters of Bethany. See Harmony, p. 101. And we see why in the parable Lazarus is the name chosen, (Luk 16:27, where see note,) for one desired to be raised from the dead. While the man he loved is dying, Jesus is performing his living mission preparatory to his own death and resurrection.
Place where he was Near or at Bethabara, east of the Jordan. (See map.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘When therefore he heard that he was sick he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.’
On hearing the news of Lazarus’ illness, which would take some time to reach Him, Jesus remained where He was for a further two days. We are probably not to see this as a deliberate act to enhance the miracle, but rather as a statement of fact, and an indication that all things, even the terminal illness of a beloved friend, had to take their place as far as His ministry was concerned. He clearly considered that the important business that He had on hand had to take precedence over the personal needs of his friends, although He was, of course, aware of the course things would take..
It was not that He was impervious to their grief. Rather it was that He could not fail to continue to do God’s present work because of personal friendship. Indeed it was important that men should realise that God’s work must always have precedence (although this must never be taken as an excuse for failing in our personal responsibilities. There was no replacement for Jesus. His presence was essential to the work. With us it may be different).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 11:6-7 . ] Resumption of the narrative after the observation in Joh 11:5 .
After Joh 11:6 a colon only ought to be placed, for the course of the narrative is this: “When He now heard that he was sick, He remained there , indeed, etc.; (but) then ,” etc.
] logically is quite correct after : then , indeed ( turn quidem ), when He heard, He did not immediately go away, but remained still two days. There is no corresponding after , as one would naturally expect, because the adversative relation, which was in view at first, has given way to one of simple succession (comp. Klotz, ad Devar . p. 539; Stallbaum, ad Plat. Phaed . p. 89 A; Baeumlein, Partic . p. 163).
] deinde postea (Cic. p. Mil . 24), as in the Classics also (comp. Plat. Phaedr . p. 258 E: ) synonymous adverbial expressions are frequently conjoined (Khner, II. p. 615; Fritzsche, ad Marc . p. 22). Comp. , which occurs frequently even in Homer; Ngelsbach on the Ilias , p. 149, Exo 3 .
The question why Jesus did not at once leave for Bethany is not solved by the assumption, that He designed to test the faith of the parties concerned (Olshausen; Gumlich also mixes this reason up with his otherwise correct view), which would, in opposition to Joh 11:5 , have amounted to a harsh and arbitrary delaying on His part; nor is it explained by the similar notion, that the message of Joh 11:4 was meant first to produce its effect (Ebrard), as though there had not been without that time enough for this; just as little is it accounted for by the supposition that important business connected with His work in Peraea still detained Him (Lcke, Krabbe, Neander, Tholuck, Lange, Baumgarten), for John gives not the slightest hint of such a reason, and it is a purely priori assumption. It is to be explained by a reference back to Joh 11:4 , according to which Jesus was conscious of its being the divine will that the miracle should be performed precisely under the circumstances and at the time at which it actually was performed, and no otherwise (comp. Joh 2:4 ), for the glory of God. The divine , of which He was conscious, decided Him, and that, under a moral necessity, lest He should act , to remain still; the same again impelled Him at once to depart, when, in virtue of His immediate knowledge, He became aware of the death of His friend. Comp. on Joh 11:17 . All the more groundless was it to make use of the delay of Jesus as an argument against the historical truth of the narrative (Bretschneider, Strauss, Weisse, Gfrrer, Baur, Hilgenfeld), according to which Jesus intentionally allowed Lazarus to die, in order that He might be able to raise him up again (Baur, p. 193).
] for they were in Peraea, Joh 10:40 . The more definite goal, Bethany , is not at first mentioned; but is specified afterwards, Joh 11:11 ; Joh 11:15 . The less reason, therefore, is there for finding a special design in the use of the words . . (Luthardt: “into the land of unbelief and hostility”), a meaning which Godet and Gumlich import also into .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Ver. 6. He abode two days ] Waiting to be gracious, but as a God of judgment, he knows best when to deal forth his favours,Isa 30:18Isa 30:18 . To prescribe to him is to set the sun by our dial. This Caesar terms sauciness in his soldiers.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
6. ] connects with Joh 11:4 , ‘Having then said this, although He loved, &c., He abode,’ &c.: pointing on to . . in next verse.
In all probability Lazarus was dead , when He spoke the words Joh 11:4 ; or at all events before the messenger returned.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 11:6 . Jesus loved the family, . We expect another consequence: “Jesus loved them, therefore He immediately went to Bethany”. But the consequence indicated in is found in , Joh 11:7 , and the whole sentence should read: “When, therefore, He had heard that he was ill, for the present indeed [ = tum quidem], He remained for two days where He was; then after this He says to His disciples, Let us go into Judaea again”. The after suggests a after and unites the two clauses. For the dropping of after or its absorption see Winer, 720; and for the pleonastic and for in the sense “let us go” see Kypke, who gives instances of both from post-Macedonian authors. Jesus remained two days inactive, not to test the faith of the sisters, which Holtzmann justly characterises as “grausam”; but, as Godet, Holtzmann, and Weiss agree, because He awaited the prompting of the Father, cf. Joh 2:4 , Joh 7:1-10 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
He abode . . . still. Greek. tote men emeinen. Then indeed He remained. Both Authorized Version and Revised Version omit these important adverbs.
in. Greek. en. App-104.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
6.] connects with Joh 11:4, Having then said this,-although He loved, &c., He abode, &c.: pointing on to . . in next verse.
In all probability Lazarus was dead, when He spoke the words Joh 11:4;-or at all events before the messenger returned.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 11:6. , then) although to others there might have seemed to be the greatest reason for haste.-, He abode) To die is a thing not so much to be shrunk back from. Lazarus was dead for a time to the glory of the Son of God.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 11:6
Joh 11:6
When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.-Jesus had often healed the sick, but had not raised one buried and time was given for the decay of the body to begin. He intends now to give an example of this so remains until he is dead and buried. [He did not allow personal sympathy and friendship to interfere with his work, so he did not hasten away. Then, too, the longer the interval between his burial and resurrection, the more convincing would the miracle be, and greater means to silence his enemies who might claim that Lazarus was not really dead. He left no room for doubt and a charge of fraud.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
he abode: Gen 22:14, Gen 42:24, Gen 43:29-31, Gen 44:1-5, Gen 45:1-5, Isa 30:18, Isa 55:8, Isa 55:9, Mat 15:22-28
Reciprocal: Mat 8:24 – but Joh 7:8 – I go not Joh 11:1 – was sick
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
DIVINE DELAY
When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.
Joh 11:6
It is impossible not to remark an intentional and most instructive connection between this verse and the preceding one. Our Lord loved the family of Bethany, all three of them; and yet when He heard Lazarus was sick, instead of hastening at once to Bethany to heal him, He quietly remained at Bethabara for two days, without moving.
I. This delay was intentional and of purpose.It throws immense light on many of Gods providential dealings with His people. We know that the delay caused immense mental pain and suffering to Martha and Mary, and obliged Lazarus to go through all the agony of death, and the sorrow of parting. We can easily imagine the grief and suspense and perplexity in which the household at Bethany must have been kept for four days, when their loving Master did not appear: and we know that our Lord could have prevented it all, but did not. But we know also that if He had at once hurried to Bethany and healed Lazarus, or spoken a word from a distance at Bethabara and commanded his healing, as in Joh 4:50, the mighty miracle of raising him would never have been wrought, and the wonderful sayings of Bethany would never have been spoken. In short the pain of a few was permitted for the benefit of the whole Church.
II. We have here the simplest and best account of the permission of evil and suffering.God could prevent it. God does not love to make His creatures suffer. But God sees there are lessons which mankind could not learn unless evil was permitted: therefore God permits it. The suffering of some tends to the good of many. He that believeth shall not make haste. We shall see at the Last Day that all was well done. Even the delays and long intervals which puzzle us in Gods dealings, are wisely ordered, and are working for good. Like children we are poor judges of half-finished work.
Bishop J. C. Ryle.
Illustrations
Christ tarried, so says St. Chrysostom, that none might be able to assert that He restored Lazarus when not yet dead, saying it was a lethargy, a fainting, a fit, but not death. He therefore tarried so long that corruption began. So too Calvin, Let believers learn to suspend their desires, if God does not stretch out His hand to help as soon as they think necessity requires. Whatever may be His delays, He never sleeps, and never forgets His people. God permits evil, according to Quesnel, that He may make the power of His grace and the might of His love more conspicuous in the conversion of a sinner. We must not judge of Christs love to us, says Poole, by His mere external dispensations of Providence, nor judge that He doth not love us, because He doth not presently come in to our help at our time, and in such ways and methods as we think reasonable.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
6
When he had heard has virtually the same meaning as “when the Lord knew” in Joh 4:1; see the comments at that place. At the time the news was sent to Jesus, Lazarus was still living but nearing death. In order to have an unquestionable proof of His power, he remained two days longer where he was (verse 6), which place is named in chapter 10:40.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 11:6. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, at that time indeed he abode in the place where he was two days. Therefore is explained by the two verses which precede (see the last note). He cannot accept the moment suggested by man (comp. chap. Joh 2:4); He cannot follow at once the prompting of His affection for disciples. He will go to assuage their grief, but only at the moment appointed by the Fathers will.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 6
He abode, &c.; to allow time for the results of the sickness of Lazarus to be fully developed.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
11:6 {2} When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
(2) In that thing which God sometimes seems to linger in helping us, he does it both for his glory, and for our salvation, as the end result of the matter clearly proves.