John 11:17

εὖρεν, i.e. on enquiry: comp. John 1:44; John 5:14; John 9:35. It would seem as if Christ’s miraculous power of knowing without the ordinary means of information was not in constant activity, but like His other miraculous powers was employed only on fitting occasions. It was necessary to His work that He should know of Lazarus’ death; it was not necessary that He should know how long he had been buried, nor where he had been buried (John 11:34). Comp. John 1:48; John 4:18; John 9:35; John 18:34. Thus Peter’s prison-gate opens ‘of its own accord;’ Mary’s house-door, which Rhoda could open, does not (Acts 12:10-16).

τέσς. ἡμ. No doubt he had been buried the day he died, as is usual in hot climates where decomposition is rapid; moreover, he had died of a malignant disease, probably a fever. Jehu ordered Jezebel to be buried a few hours after death (2 Kings 9:34); Ananias and Sapphira were buried at once (Acts 5:6; Acts 5:10). If Christ started just after Lazarus died, as seems probable, the journey had occupied four days. This fits in well with the conclusion that Bethabara or Bethany was in the north of Palestine, possibly a little south of the sea of Galilee; near Galilee it must have been (comp. John 1:28-29; John 1:43). But on the other hand Lazarus may have died soon after Christ heard of his illness; in which case the journey occupied barely two days.

ἐν τ. μνημείῳ. In the tomb. Our translators use three different English words for μνημεῖον; ‘grave’ in this chapter, John 5:28; Matthew 27:52, &c.; ‘tomb’ Matthew 8:28; Mark 5:2; Mark 6:29, &c.; ‘sepulchre’ of Christ’s resting-place. Τάφος, used by S. Matthew only, is rendered ‘tomb’ Matthew 23:29, and ‘sepulchre’ Matthew 23:27; Matthew 27:61; Matthew 27:64; Matthew 27:66; Matthew 28:1. ‘Tomb’ being reserved for μνημεῖον, τάφος might be rendered ‘sepulchre.’