Johannes 11:4

Svenska Bibel

När Jesus hörde detta, sade han: »Den sjukdomen är icke till döds, utan till Guds förhärligande, så att Guds Son genom den bliver förhärligad.»

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This: John 9:3, Mark 5:39-42, Romans 11:11

for: John 11:40, John 9:24, John 12:28, John 13:31, John 13:32, Philippians 1:11, 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Peter 4:14

that: John 2:11, John 5:23, John 8:54, John 13:31, John 13:32, John 17:1, John 17:5, John 17:10, Philippians 1:20, 1 Peter 1:21

Reciprocal: Exodus 16:7 - ye shall 1 Kings 17:17 - the son of the woman Psalms 118:17 - die Matthew 9:24 - not Luke 8:52 - she John 7:18 - seeketh his glory John 8:49 - but John 11:15 - to Acts 9:37 - she was Acts 9:42 - and many Philippians 2:27 - nigh 2 Thessalonians 1:10 - to be glorified

Gill's Notes on the Bible

When Jesus heard that,.... That his friend Lazarus was sick,

he said; either to his disciples, or to the messenger or messengers that brought the account to him, and that on purpose to yield some relief to the afflicted family when it should be reported to them:

this sickness is not unto death; it was to issue in death, but not in death which was to continue, or under which Lazarus was to continue till the general resurrection; for though he should die, yet he should be so quickly restored again to life, that it scarcely deserved the name of death. The Jews distinguish between sickness and sickness; there are some that are sick, the greater part of whom are, לחיים, "for life"; and there are others that are "sick", the greater part of whom are, למיתה, "for death" z, or are sick unto death, whose sickness issues in death; but this of Lazarus's was not to be unto death, at least not finally:

but for the glory of God; of his power and goodness in raising him again:

that the Son of God might be glorified thereby; that is, that his glory, as the Son of God, might be made manifest in the resurrection of him from the dead; see John 2:11.

z T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 71. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This sickness is not unto death - The word “death” here is equivalent to remaining under death, Romans 6:23. “The wages of sin is death” - permanent or unchanging death, opposed to eternal life. Jesus evidently did not intend to deny that he would die. The words which he immediately adds show that he would expire, and that he would raise him up to show forth the power and glory of God. Compare John 11:11. Those words cannot be understood on any other supposition than that he expected to raise him up. The Saviour often used expressions similar to this to fix the attention on what he was about to say in explanation. The sense may be thus expressed: “His sickness is not fatal. It is not designed for his death, but to furnish an opportunity for a signal display of the glory of God, and to furnish a standing proof of the truth of religion. It is intended to exhibit the power of the Son of God, and to be a proof at once of the truth of his mission; of his friendship for this family; of his mild, tender, special love as a man; of his power and glory as the Messiah; and of the great doctrine that the dead will rise.

For the glory of God - That God may be honored. See John 9:3.

That the Son of God ... - The glory of God and of his Son is the same. That which promotes the one promotes also the other. Few things could do it more than the miracle which follows, evincing at once the lovely and tender character of Jesus as a man and a friend, and his power as the equal with God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 11:4. This sickness is not unto death — Not to final privation of life at this time; but a temporary death shall be now permitted, that the glory of God may appear in the miracle of his resurrection. It is very likely that this verse contains the message which Christ sent back, by the person whom the afflicted sisters had sent to him; and this, no doubt, served much to strengthen their confidence, though their faith must have been greatly exercised by the death of their brother: for when this took place, though they buried him, yet they believed, even then, probably on the ground of this message, that Jesus might raise him from the dead. See John 11:22.