the Second Week after Easter
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George Lamsa Translation
John 11:19
Bible Study Resources
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Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.
And many of the Iewes came to Martha, and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.
Many of the Jews had come there to comfort Martha and Mary about their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to see Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning [the loss of] their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
and many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because their brother had died.
and many of the Judeans had come to Marta and Miryam in order to comfort them at the loss of their brother.
and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, that they might console them concerning their brother.
Many Jews had come to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them about their brother Lazarus.
And many of ye Iewes were come to Martha and Marie to comfort them for their brother.
and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death.
So many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to console them concerning their brother.)
And many of the Jews had come to those around Martha and Mary, that they might console them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
And a number of Jews had come to Martha and Mary to give them comfort about their brother.
Many of the Yehudim had joined the women around Marta and Miryam, to console them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
And many of the Jihudoyee had come to Martha and Mariam, that they might speak to their hearts [fn] concerning their brother.
And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
And many of the Iewes came to Martha and Marie to comfort them ouer their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
and a considerable number of the Jews were with Martha and Mary, having come to express sympathy with them on the death of their brother.
And many of the Jewis camen to Mary and Martha, to coumforte hem of her brothir.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.)
And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss.
Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to give words of comfort about their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
and, many from among the Jews, had come unto Martha and Mary, that they might console them concerning their brother.
And many of the Jews were come to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
and many of the Iewes were come to Martha and Mary to comforte them over their brother.
and many of the Jews had come unto Martha and Mary, that they might comfort them concerning their brother;
And many of the Iewes were come to Martha & Mary, to coforte the ouer their brother.
many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to condole with them upon the loss of their brother.
and many Jews had come out to be with the family in their time of mourning.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
to comfort: Genesis 37:35, 2 Samuel 10:2, 1 Chronicles 7:21, 1 Chronicles 7:22, Job 2:11, Job 42:11, Ecclesiastes 7:2, Isaiah 51:19, Jeremiah 16:5-7, Lamentations 1:2, Lamentations 1:9, Lamentations 1:16, Lamentations 1:21, Lamentations 2:13, Romans 12:15, 2 Corinthians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Reciprocal: Luke 7:12 - and much John 11:31 - Jews John 11:45 - Jews
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary,.... Or "to those that were about Martha and Mary"; in order to have access to them, they came to them, and to the rest of the family; though the phrase may design them only, as the Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions read: these Jews, as appears from the context,
John 11:18, came from Jerusalem, and might be some of the principal inhabitants; and it may be concluded, that these persons, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, were people of note and figure; and indeed all the accounts of them here, and elsewhere, show the same; see Luke 10:38. The end of their coming to them was
to comfort them concerning their brother; by reason of his death, as was usual with the Jews to do, after the dead was buried; for they did not allow of it before: hence that saying g of R. Simeon ben Eleazar,
"do not comfort him (thy friend) in the time his dead lies before him.''
The first office of this kind was done when they returned from the grave; for it is said h, when they return
"from the grave they make rows round about the mourner,
לנחמו, "to comfort him", and they make him to sit, and they stand, and there never were less than ten in a row.''
It was an ancient custom for the mourners to stand in their place in a row, and all the people passed by, and every man as he came to the mourner comforted him, and passed on i. But besides these consolations, there were others administered at their own houses, which were usually done the first week, for it is said k,
"the mourner the first week does not go out of the door of his house; the second he goes out, but does not sit, or continue in his place; the third he continues in his place, but does not speak; the fourth, lo, he is as every other man. R. Judah says, there is no need to say, the first week he does not go out of the door of his house, for behold, all come to his house, לנחמו, "to comfort him".''
And is was on the third day more particularly on which these consolatory visits were paid l:
"on the first day he (the mourner) did not wear his phylacteries; on the second, he put them on; on the third day, others come to comfort him.''
This rule the Jews here seem to have observed, since Lazarus had been dead four days; and they were come from Jerusalem hither to comfort his sisters on account of his death. The whole of this ceremony is thus related by Maimonides m,
"how do they comfort mourners? after they have buried the dead, the mourners gather together, and stand on the side of the grave; and all that accompany the dead stand round about them, one row within another: and there is no row less than ten; and the mourners are not of the number; the mourners stand on the left hand of the comforters; and all the comforters go to the mourners, one by one, and say to them, תנוחמו מן השמים, "may ye be comforted from heaven": after that the mourner goes to his house, and every day of the seven days of mourning, men come to comfort him; whether new faces come, or do not, the mourner sits down at the head, (or in the chief place,) and no comforters may sit but upon the floor, as it is said, Job 2:13, "and they sat with him on the ground": nor may they say any thing until the mourner has opened his mouth first, as it is said, Job 2:13, "and none spake a word unto him": and it is written afterwards, Job 3:1, "so opened Job his mouth", c. and Eliphaz answered, Job 4:1, and when he nods with his head, the comforters may not sit with him any longer, that they may not trouble him more than is necessary. If a man dies, and there are no mourners to be comforted, ten worthy men go and sit in his place all the seven days of mourning and the rest of the people gather to them; and if there are not ten fixed every day, ten of the rest of the people gather together, and sit in his place:''
for this business of comforting mourners was reckoned an act of great piety and mercy n; and these Jews here might come, not so much out of respect to the dead, or to his sisters, as because it was thought to be a meritorious act.
g Pirke Abot, c. 4. sect. 18. h Gloss in Cetubot, fol. 8. 2. & in Beracot, fol. 16. 2. i Gloss in T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 19. 1. k T. Bab. Moed Katon, fol. 23. 1. l Massech. Semachot, c. 6. fol. 14. 3. m Hilch. Ebel, c. 13. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4. n Maimon. in Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Many of the Jews - Probably their distant relatives or their friends.
To comfort - These visits of consolation were commonly extended to seven clays (Grotius; Lightfoot).
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse John 11:19. Many of the Jews came — Bethany being so nigh to Jerusalem, many of the relatives and friends of the family came, according to the Jewish custom, to mourn with the afflicted sisters. Mourning, among the Jews, lasted about thirty days: the three first days were termed days of weeping: then followed seven of lamentation. During the three days, the mourner did no servile work; and, if any one saluted him, he did not return the salutation. During the seven days, he did no servile work, except in private-lay with his bed on the floor - did not put on his sandals-did not wash nor anoint himself - had his head covered-and neither read in the law, the Mishnah, nor the Talmud. All the thirty days he continued unshaven, wore no white or new clothes, and did not sew up the rents which he had made in his garments. See Lightfoot, and John 11:31.
