John 11:44

Contemporary English Version

The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face. Jesus then told the people, "Untie him and let him go."

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with pieces of cloth. He had a handkerchief covering his face. Jesus said to the people, "Take off the cloth and let him go."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he that was deed came forth bounde hand and fote with grave bondes and his face was bounde with a napkin. Iesus sayde vnto the: loowse him and let him goo.

Hebrew Names Version
He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, "Free him, and let him go."

International Standard Version
The dead man came out, his hands and feet tied with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus told them, "Untie him, and let him go."John 20:7;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

New Century Version
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take the cloth off of him and let him go."

Update Bible Version
He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and let him go.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith to them, Loose him, and let him go.

English Standard Version
The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

World English Bible
He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Free him, and let him go."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he that had been dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapt about with a napkin. Jesus saith to them, Loose him, and let him go.

Weymouth's New Testament
The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in cloths, and his face wrapped round with a towel. "Untie him," said Jesus, "and let him go free."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And anoon he that was deed, cam out, boundun the hondis and feet with boondis, and his face boundun with a sudarie. And Jhesus seith to hem, Vnbynde ye hym, and suffre ye hym to go forth.

English Revised Version
He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Berean Standard Bible
The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a headcloth. "Unwrap him and let him go," Jesus told them.

Amplified Bible
Out came the man who had been dead, his hands and feet tightly wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and release him."

American Standard Version
He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Bible in Basic English
And he who was dead came out, with linen bands folded tightly about his hands and feet, and a cloth about his face. Jesus said to them, Make him free and let him go.

Complete Jewish Bible
The man who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, "Unwrap him, and let him go!"

Darby Translation
And the dead came forth, bound feet and hands with graveclothes, and his face was bound round with a handkerchief. Jesus says to them, Loose him and let him go.

Etheridge Translation
And he, the dead, came forth, his hands and his feet being bound with bandages, and his face in a linen cloth. Jeshu saith to them, Release him, and let (him) go.

Murdock Translation
And the dead man came forth, with his hands and his feet swathed with bandages, and his face with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him, and let him go.

King James Version (1611)
And he that was dead, came forth, bound hand & foot with graue-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Iesus saith vnto them, Loose him, and let him goe.

New Living Translation
And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

New Life Bible
The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were tied in grave clothes. A white cloth was tied around his face. Jesus said to the people, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go!"

New Revised Standard
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then he that was dead, came forth, bound hande and foote with bandes, and his face was bound with a napkin. Iesus said vnto them, Loose him, and let him goe.

George Lamsa Translation
And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with burial clothes; and his face bound with a burial napkin. Jesus said to them, Loose him and let him go.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that was dead came forth, bound feet and hands with bandages, and, his face, with a napkin, was bound about. Jesus saith unto them - Loose him, and let him go.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And presently he that had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with winding bands. And his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them: Loose him and let him go.

Revised Standard Version
The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he that was dead, came foorth, bounde hande and foote, with graue clothes, and his face was bounde with a napkyn. Iesus sayde vnto them: loose hym, and let hym go.

Good News Translation
He came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. "Untie him," Jesus told them, "and let him go."

Christian Standard Bible®
The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

King James Version
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

Lexham English Bible
The one who had died came out, his feet and his hands bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped with a facecloth. Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go."

Literal Translation
And the one who had died came out, the feet and the hands having been bound with sheets, and his face being bound with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loosen him and allow him to go.

Young's Literal Translation
and he who died came forth, being bound feet and hands with grave-clothes, and his visage with a napkin was bound about; Jesus saith to them, `Loose him, and suffer to go.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye deed came forth bounde hande & fote wt graue clothes, & his face bounde wt a napkyn. Iesus sayde vnto the: Lowse him, & let him go.

Mace New Testament (1729)
and he that was dead came forth, his body wrapt in a winding sheet: and his face bound about with a napkin. loose him, said Jesus, and let him go.

New English Translation
The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and let him go."

New King James Version
And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

Simplified Cowboy Version
And the dead guy walked out of the tomb. He was still wrapped in the burial cloth. Jesus told those standing nearby, "Take off his grave clothes. He won't need them anymore."The Plot to Ambush Jesus

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Legacy Standard Bible
The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

Contextual Overview

³³ When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset ³⁴ and asked, "Where have you put his body?" They replied, "Lord, come and you will see." ³⁵ Jesus started crying, ³⁶ and the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus." ³⁷ Some of them said, "He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" ³⁸ Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. ³⁹ Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, "Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell." ⁴⁰ Jesus replied, "Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹ After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. ⁴² I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he that: John 11:25, John 11:26, John 5:21, John 5:25, John 10:30, Genesis 1:3, 1 Samuel 2:6, Psalms 33:9, Ezekiel 37:3-10, Hosea 13:14, Acts 20:9-12, Philippians 3:21, Revelation 1:18

bound: "Swathed about with rollers" or bandages, ךויסיביע [Strong's G2750], long strips of linen, a few inches in breadth, brought round the ףיםהשם [Strong's G4616], or sheet of linen in which the corpse was involved, and by which the בסשלבפב, or spices, were kept in contact with the flesh. In reply to sceptical objections, it is sufficient to observe, that he who could raise Lazarus from the dead, could, with a much less exertion of power, have so loosened or removed the bandages of his feet and legs as to have rendered it practicable for him to come forth. Tittman well observes, that Lazarus was restored not only to life but also to health, as appears from the alacrity of his motion; and this would constitute a new miracle. John 20:5, John 20:7

Loose: John 11:39, Mark 5:43, Luke 7:15

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 4:31 - not awaked 2 Kings 4:35 - and the child opened 2 Kings 13:21 - touched Job 40:13 - bind Matthew 11:5 - the dead Mark 5:41 - Damsel Luke 7:14 - Young Luke 8:55 - her spirit John 11:11 - awake John 11:23 - Thy John 12:1 - Bethany John 12:2 - Lazarus John 19:40 - wound Acts 9:40 - she opened Ephesians 5:14 - arise

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he that was dead came forth,.... That is, he who had been dead, being now made alive, and raised up, and set on his feet, came out of the cave:

bound hand and foot with grave clothes; not that his hands were bound together, and much less his hands and feet together, with any bands or lists of cloth; but his whole body, as Nonnus expresses it, was bound with grave clothes from head to foot, according to the manner of the eastern countries, Jews, Egyptians, and others, who used to wrap up their dead in many folds of linen cloth, as infants are wrapped in swaddling bands: and their manner was to let down their arms and hands close by their sides, and wind up altogether from head to foot: so that there was another miracle besides that of raising him from the dead; that in such a situation, in which he could have no natural use of his hands and feet, he should rise up, stand on his feet, walk, and come forth thus bound, out of the cave:

and his face was bound about with a napkin; the use of which was not only to tie up the chin and jaws, but to hide the grim and ghastly looks of a dead corpse; and one of the same price and value was used by rich and poor: for it is said m,

"the wise men introduced a custom of using סודר, "a napkin", (the very word here used, which Nonnus says is Syriac,) of the same value, not exceeding a penny, that he might not be ashamed who had not one so good as another; and they cover the faces of the dead, that they might not shame the poor, whose faces were black with famine.''

For it seems n,

"formerly they used to uncover the faces of the rich, and cover the faces of the poor, because their faces were black through want, and the poor were ashamed; wherefore they ordered, that they should cover the faces of all, for the honour of the poor.''

Jesus saith unto them; to the servants that stood by:

loose him, and let him go; unwind the linen rolls about him, and set his hands and feet at liberty, and let him go to his own house.

m Maimon. Hilchot Ebel, c. 4. sect. 1, n T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 27. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He that was dead - The same man, body and soul.

Bound hand and foot - It is not certain whether the whole body and limbs were bound together, or each limb separately. When they embalmed a person, the whole body and limbs were swathed or bound together by strips of linen, involved around it to keep together the aromatics with which the body was embalmed. This is the condition of Egyptian mummies. See Acts 5:6. But it is not certain that this was always the mode. Perhaps the body was simply involved in a winding-sheet. The custom still exists in western Asia. No coffins being used, the body itself is more carefully and elaborately wrapped and swathed than is common or desirable where coffins are used. In this method the body is stretched out and the arms laid straight by the sides, after which the whole body, from head to foot, is wrapped round tightly in many folds of linen or cotton cloth; or, to be more precise, a great length of cloth is taken and rolled around the body until the whole is enveloped, and every part is covered with several folds of the cloth. The ends are then sewed, to keep the whole firm and compact; or else a narrow bandage is wound over the whole, forming, ultimately, the exterior surface. The body, when thus enfolded and swathed, retains the profile of the human form; but, as in the Egyptian mummies, the legs are not folded separately, but together; and the arms also are not distinguished, but confined to the sides in the general envelope. Hence, it would be clearly impossible for a person thus treated to move his arms or legs, if restored to existence.

The word rendered “grave-clothes” denotes also the bands or clothes in which new-born infants are involved. He went forth, but his walking was impeded by the bands or clothes in which he was involved.

And his face ... - This was a common thing when they buried their dead. See John 20:7. It is not known whether the whole face was covered in this manner, or only the forehead. In the Egyptian mummies it is only the forehead that is thus bound.

Loose him - Remove the bandages, so that he may walk freely. The effect of this miracle is said to have been that many believed on him. It may be remarked in regard to it that there could not be a more striking proof of the divine mission and power of Jesus. There could be here no possibility of deception:

1. The friends of Lazarus believed him to be dead. In this they could not be deceived. There could have been among them no design to deceive.
2. He was four days dead. It could not be a case, therefore, of suspended animation.
3. Jesus was at a distance at the time of his death. There was, therefore, no agreement to attempt to impose on others.
4. No higher power can be conceived than that of raising the dead.
5. It was not possible to impose on his sisters, and to convince them that he was restored to life, if it was not really so.
6. There were many present who were convinced also. God had so ordered it in his providence that to this miracle there should be many witnesses. There was no concealment, no jugglery, no secrecy. It was done publicly, in open day, and was witnessed by many who followed them to the grave, John 11:31.
7. Others, who saw it, and did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, went and told it to the Pharisees. But they did not deny that Jesus had raised up Lazarus. They could not deny it. The very ground of their alarm - the very reason why they went - was that he had actually done it. Nor did the Pharisees dare to call the fact in question. If they could have done it, they would. But it was not possible; for,
8. Lazarus was yet alive John 12:10, and the fact of his resurrection could not be denied. Every circumstance in this account is plain, simple, consistent, bearing all the marks of truth. But if Jesus performed this miracle his religion is true. God would not give such power to an impostor; and unless it can be proved that this account is false, the Christian religion must be from God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 44. Bound hand and foot with grave - clothes — Swathed about with rollers - κειριαις, from κειρω, I cut. These were long slips of linen a few inches in breadth, with which the body and limbs of the dead were swathed, and especially those who were embalmed, that the aromatics might be kept in contact with the flesh. But as it is evident that Lazarus had not been embalmed, it is probable that his limbs were not swathed together, as is the constant case with those who are embalmed, but separately, so that he could come out of the tomb at the command of Christ, though he could not walk freely till the rollers were taken away. But some will have it that he was swathed exactly like a mummy, and that his coming out in that state was another miracle. But there is no need of multiplying miracles in this case: there was one wrought which was a most sovereign proof of the unlimited power and goodness of God. Several of the primitive fathers have adduced this resurrection of Lazarus as the model, type, proof, and pledge of the general resurrection of the dead.

Loose him, and let him go. — He would have the disciples and those who were at hand take part in this business, that the fullest conviction might rest on every person's mind concerning the reality of what was wrought. He whom the grace of Christ converts and restores to life comes forth, at his call, from the dark, dismal grave of sin, in which his soul has long been buried: he walks, according to the command of Christ, in newness of life; and gives, by the holiness of his conduct, the fullest proof to all his acquaintance that he is alive from the dead.