John 11:9

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world.

John 11:9 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:9

Jesus answered, are there not twelve hours in the day?
&c.] So the Jews reckoned, and so they commonly say ^F1, (Mwyh ywh twev) (hrve Mytv) , "twelve hours are a day", or a day consists of twelve hours, which they divided into four parts, each part consisting of three hours this was a matter well known, and Christ puts the question as such, it being what might be easily answered, and at once assented to:

if any man walk in the day:
within any of the twelve hours, even in the last of them,

he stumbleth not,
at any stone or stumbling block in the way,

because he seeth the light of this world;
the sun in the horizon not being as yet set, by the light of which he sees what is before him, and avoids it; (See Gill on John 8:12). So our Lord intimates, that as yet it was day with him, his time of life was not expired; and so, as yet, it was a time of walking and working; nor did he fear any danger he was exposed to, or any snares that were laid for him, since he could not be hurt by any, nor his life taken from him before his time.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 T. Bab Sanhedrin, fol. 88. 2. Avoda Zara, fol. 3. 2. Vid. Philo. de Somniis, p. 1143.

John 11:9 In-Context

7 Then after that he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again.

8 His disciples said unto him, Rabbi, the Jews of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou there again?

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world.

10 But he who walks in the night stumbles because there is no light in him.

11 Having said that he said unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.