Johannes 11:11

11 Dies sprach er, und danach sagt er zu ihnen: Lazarus, unser Freund, ist eingeschlafen; aber ich gehe hin, auf daß ich ihn aufwecke.

Johannes 11:11 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:11

These things said he
In answer to his disciples, and made a pause.

And after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth;
meaning, that he was dead; in which sense the word is often used in the Old Testament, and in the common dialect of the Jews, and frequently in their writings; and especially it is so used of good men: and it is an observation of theirs ^F2, that

``it is usual to say of the righteous, that there is no death in them, (hnyv ala) , "but sleep";''

(See Gill on Matthew 9:24), (See Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:18), (See Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:20), (See Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:13), (See Gill on 1 Thessalonians 4:14);

but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep;
that is, to raise him from the dead, for, the resurrection of the dead is expressed by awaking; see ( Psalms 17:15 ) ( Isaiah 26:19 ) ( Daniel 12:2 ) ; which for Christ to do, was as easy as to awake a man out of natural sleep: these words respecting Lazarus's sleeping and awaking, express both the omniscience and omnipotence of Christ; his omniscience, that he should know that Lazarus was dead; when at such a distance from him; and his omnipotence, that he could raise him from the dead; and yet his great modesty to signify it in, such covert language, though not difficult to be understood.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Gloss in T. Hieros. Celaim in En Yaacob, fol. 4. 4.

Johannes 11:11 In-Context

9 Jesus antwortete: Sind der Stunden des Tages nicht zwölf? Wenn jemand am Tage wandelt, stößt er nicht an, weil er das Licht dieser Welt sieht;

10 wenn aber jemand in der Nacht wandelt, stößt er an, weil das Licht nicht in ihm ist.

11 Dies sprach er, und danach sagt er zu ihnen: Lazarus, unser Freund, ist eingeschlafen; aber ich gehe hin, auf daß ich ihn aufwecke.

12 Da sprachen die Jünger zu ihm: Herr, wenn er eingeschlafen ist, so wird er geheilt werden.

13 Jesus aber hatte von seinem Tode gesprochen; sie aber meinten, er rede von der Ruhe des Schlafes.