John 11

1 Lazurus is sick at Bethany,3 wherefore his sisters send to Christ,7 who goeth towards Judea 11 Lazurus dieth in the mean time,17 and Christ goeth to Bethany to raise him up 20 where Martha meeteth him, with whom he speaketh of the resurrection of her Brother,and of all believers, 28 and afterwards Mary also, 35 Christ weepeth and cometh to the grave, 39 findes him four daies buried 41 prayeth to his Father and raiseth him up, 45 wherefore many believe in him, 46 and others tell it to the chhief Priests, 47 who gather their councill thereabout. 50 where Caiaphas unwittingly prophecies of the fruit of Christs death, 53 and it is concluded that he shall be put to death, 54 but he departeth unto the City of Ephraim, 55 is sought at the feast of Passover, 57 and the chief Priests give forth a command,that he shall be brought unto them.

1. And there was a certain (man) sick named Lazurus,of Bethany,of the town of Mary,and her sister Martha.[That is, where Mary and Martha dwelt Luke 10:38.etc. John 12:1 etc. of the scituation of this town see ver.18.]

2. (Now Mary was shee that anointed the Lord with oyntment [See hereof in the following chapter ver.3.] and dried his feet with his hair,whose brother Lazurus was sick.)

3. His sisters therefore sent unto him,[Namely,to Bethabara,beyond Jordan where then he was.See John 10:40.] Saying Lord,behold, whom thou lovest is sick.

4. And Jesus hearing (that) said,This sickness is not unto death, [Namely,to abide therein,namely untill the time of the generall resurrection] but to the giory of God: [Gr.for the honour of God] that the son of God may be glorified [Namely,when he shall raise him up again from the dead]by the same . [namely, sickness, as the Greek word clearly shews]

5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6. When therefore he heard that he was sick, then he abode (yet) two days in the place where he was.

7. Afterwards he said further unti his Disciples, Let us go towrads Judea again. [Namley, from whence he departed; becuase the Jews would have stoned him, John 10:40.]

8. The Disciples said unto him, Rabbi, Thhe Jews now (lately) [For it was about two momeths past] sought to to stone thee, and goest thou thither again? [namely, to bring thy self into danger there]

9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours [This must be understood according to the account of the Jews; who numbred the hours from the rsing of the Sun to the setting thereof, and always divided the day into twelve hpurs. see also Matth 20.3.] in the day? [Gr. of the day] if any man wlak in the day, [Christ here compares his life to the day, and his death thereby, that as the day hath certain hours, namely, as long as the light of the world, i.e. the Sun shineth, so also his life on earth hath certain period or time appointed by his father, before which no man shall not be able to take away his life from him,ort hinder im to execute the works of is calling.But when that time shall be past over

10. But if anyone walk in the night,he stumbleth; forasmuch as the light is not in him.[That is,shineth not in his eyes.]

11. This spake he,and afterwards he said unto them,Lazurus our friend sleepeth;but i goe my way to awake him out of his sleep.

12. Then said his Disciples,Lord if he sleep,he shall recover.[gr.be saved,ie,that is a good sign that he shall recover of his sickness.]

13. But Jesus had spoken of his death;but they thought that he spake of his rest of sleep,[That is,of the naturall and properly called sleep.]

14. Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly,Lazarus is dead.

15. And l am glad for your sakes that l was not there,that ye may believe,[That is,be strengthened in your faith by his resurrection] but let us goe unto him.

16. Then Thomas called Didymus,[That is,twin,by which Greek word,the Hebrew word Thomas is interpreted ;as Cephas by the word Peter.John 1:43.] said unto [his] fellow Disciples,Let us goe also,that will may dy with him.[namely,with Christ our master,seeing he will needs expose himself to danger.See ver.8.]

17. Jesus therefore being come,found that he had now been fower daies in the grave.[Gr.had in the grave,i.e.had lien.]

18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem,above fifteen furlongs from (thence) [A furlong containes an hundred five and twenty paces,and fifteen furlongs make somewhat more then half an hours going,See Luke 24:13.]

19. And many of the Jews,[Namely, which dwelt at Jerusalem and thereabout,as the foregoing verse shews] were come to Martha and Mary [Gr.to the women being about Martha and Mary;that they [namely, the Jews] might comfort them concerning their brother;

20. Martha therfore when she heard that Jesus came,went to meet him,but Mary abode sitting in the house;[Gr.sate in the house.]

21. Then said unto Jesus,Lord hadst thou been here,my brother had not dyed.[That is,i am confident that thou wouldest have healed him of his sickness.]

22. But now also i know,that all that thou shalt desire of God,[Namely,even also that my brother become alive again] God will give it thee.

23. Jesus said unto her thy brother shall rise again;

24. Martha said unto him,i know that he shall rise in the resurrection,[That is,in the general resurrection of all men] at the last day.[namely,of this world.]

25. Jesus said unto her,i am the resurrection and the life;[That is,i am the author and the cause of the resurrection, and of life] he that believeth in me shall live,[that is,shall be raised again unto everlasting life]even though he were dead.[namely,according to the body.]

26. And everyone that liveth,and believeth in me,shall never dye,[Namely,the eternal and second death,Rev.20.6.]believest thou that?

27. She said unto him , yea Lord;i have believed that thou art the Christ,the Son of God,which should come into the world:

28. And having said this she went away,and called Mary her sister secretly,saying,the Master is there,and calleth thee.

29. She,when she heard(that,) arose hastily,and went unto him.

30. (Now Jesus was not yet come into the Town;[Namely, of Bethany] but was in the place where Martha met him:)

31. The Jews therefore which were with her in the house,and comforted her,seeing Mary,that she rose up hastily and went out,followed,saying,she goeth to the grave [Namely,which was without the Town according to the custome of the Jews] that she may weep there.

32. Then Mary when she came where Jesus was and saw him fell at his feet,saying unto him,Lord,if thou hadst been here,my brother have not died.

33. Jesus therefore when he saw her weep,and the Jews that came which her weep (also,)he was greatly moved in the Spirit [Or greatly troubled in his minde.See also ver.38.] and troubled himself. [namely,through compassion and sorrow,Heb.4.15.]

34. And said,where have ye laid him? They said unto him,Lord come and see it.

35. Jesus wept.[Or shed tears.]

36. Then said the Jews,behold now he loved him?

37. And some of them said,could not ye that opened the eyes of the blinde,cause that this (man) also had not died.

38. Jesus therefore again being greatly moved in himself, came to the grave :and it was a cave and a stone was laid thereon.[Or against it.]

39. Jesus said take away the stone.Martha the sister of the dead (man)said unto him,Lord,he smelleth already,for he hath (lain there) [Namely,in the grave,as appears from ver.17.] four daies.[Gr.he is of four daies.]

40. Jesus said unto her,i said not to thee,that if thou believest,thou shalt see the glory of God.[That is,the wonderfull raising up of thy Brother,whereby Gods power is seen,and his honour spread abroad.]

41. Therefore they took away the stone where the dead (person) lay :[Gr.was lying] and Jesus lift his eyes upwards,and said Father,[Christ prayeth to his Father,not because he as the Son of God hhad not the power to raise the dead,John 5:21.but because he as a Mediatour had subjected himself to the will of the Father,in the exercise of this power,Philippians 2:7,8.Heb.10.7.]I thanke thee that thou hast heard me.

42. But i knew that thou hearest me alwaies:but for the multitudes sake which stands round about,i said (this) that they should believe that thou hast sent me:

43. And when he had said this,he cryed with a great voice,Lazarus come forth.

44. And the dead (man) came forth,bound hands and feet with grave-clothes,[Or swathing-bands,where-withhe was buried after the manner of the Jews,John 20:6,7.] and his face was wound about with a handkerchief.Jesus said unto them,and let him go his way.

45. Many therefore of the Jews whichh were come to Mary,and had beheld that which Jesus had done,believed in him.

46. But some of them went unto the Pharisees,and told them that which Jesus had done.

47. The chief Priests therefore and the Pharisees,gathered the counsel [Gr.Synedion,of which see Mat.5.22.]and said,what shall we do;for this man doth many signs.

48. If we let him (alone) thus,[Gr.leave off] they will all believe in him;and thhe Romanes will come,[namely,against us,as against Rebels] and take away both our place and people.[that is,destroy the city and Temple of Jerusalem.]

49. And one of them (namely) Caiaphas,whho was the high Priest of the same year,[The high Priest office was then bestowed by the Romanes for a certain time, sometimes also from year to year,Luke.3.2.Acts.4.6. contrary to the ordinance of God.See Numb.35.28.Jolb.20.6.Heb.7.23] said unto them,ye understand nothing:

50. Neither do ye (consider) that it is profitable for us,that one man dye for the people,and the whole nation perish not.[He understood thhis indeed of the worldly state of thhe Jews people:but God so guided his tounge,that he unwittingly prophecyed of the fruit of Christs death ,for thhe reconciliation and salvation of the elect children of God.]

51. And this he said not of himself: but being high Priest the same year, he prophecyed that Jesus should dy for the people.[Namely,of the Jews.]

52. And not only for that people ;but that he also should gather together into one,[Namely,body,flock or church,as John 10:16. Ephes.2.14.] the children of God which were scattered,[that is,the elect out all nations throughout the whole world,Rev.5.9.]

53. Therefore from that day forth they censulted together,[That is,decreed in their counsel] that they might put him to death.

54. Jesus therefore walked no more freely amoungst the Jews ; but went thence [Namely,from Jerusalem and thereabout]unto the countrey neer the wilderness,to the City called Ephraim [otherwise Ephrem,which some think to be the City Ephrain or Ephrin,whereof we read 2 Chron.13.19.] and conversed there with his Disciples.]

55. And passeover of the Jews was nigh,[This was the last passeover which Christ kept,in which he was crucified] and many out of that Country went upto Jerusalem before the passeover,that they might purifie themselves [namely,according to Gods command,Num.9.6.and 2 Chron.30.15.]

56. Then they sought Jesus and said one amoungst another,standing in the Temple,what think ye? (thinke ye) that he [Namely, Jesus] will not come to the feast.

57. Now the Chief Priests and the Pharisees had given a command, [That is,caused to be proclaimed] that if any one knew where he was,he should make it known,that they might take him. [Gr. apprehend him.]