John 11:1

1 A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

John 11:1 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:1

Now a certain man was sick
Very likely of a fever; Nonnus calls it a morbid fire, a hot and burning disease:

[named] Lazarus of Bethany;
for his name, which the Ethiopic version reads "Eleazar", and the Persic version "Gazarus", (See Gill on Luke 16:24); and for the place Bethany, (See Gill on Matthew 21:1), (See Gill on Matthew 21:17).

The town of Mary and her sister Martha;
where they were both born, as well as Lazarus, or at least where they dwelt; of the former, some account is, given in the next verse, and of the latter, (See Gill on Luke 10:38).

John 11:1 In-Context

1 A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord's feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick."
4 When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son."
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.