John 11:17

17 Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

John 11:17 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:17

Then when Jesus came
The Alexandrian copy, and all the Oriental versions add, "to Bethany"; though it seems by what follows, that he was not come to the town itself, but near it; and it looks as if it was not far from Lazarus's grave; and it was usual to bury without the city; and here he had intelligence of his, Lazarus's, death, and how long he had been dead:

for he found he had lain in the grave four days already;
it is very likely that he died the same day that Mary and Martha sent to Christ to acquaint him with his sickness, and the same day he was buried; for the Jews used to bury the same day a person died, and so they do now: and after Christ had this account, he stayed two days where he was, and on the third day, he proposed to his disciples to go into Judea; and very probably on that, or on the next day, which was the fourth, they set out and came to Bethany; (See Gill on John 11:39).

John 11:17 In-Context

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent that ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go unto him."

16 Then Thomas, who was called Didymus, said unto his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

17 Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about two miles away,

19 and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.