John 11:17

Then when Jesus came Better, When therefore Jesus came, not to the house, nor to Bethany, but to the vicinity (John 11:20; John 11:30). In John 11:16 also -then" should be therefore, S. John's favourite particle to express a sequence in fact.

he found i.e. on enquiry. 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. Similarly, Peter's prison-gate opens -of its own accord;" Mary's house-door does not (Acts 12:10-16).

in the grave Or, in the sepulchre. Our translators use three different English words for the same Greek word; -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. -Sepulchre" would be best in all cases. Another Greek word for -tomb" 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.

four days 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.