These things said he,.... In answer to his disciples, and made a pause.
And after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth; meaning, that he was dead; in which sense the word is often used in the Old Testament, and in the common dialect of the Jews, and frequently in their writings; and especially it is so used of good men: and it is an observation of theirs (b), that
"it is usual to say of the righteous, that there is no death in them, אלא שינה, "but sleep";''
[See comments on Matthew 9:24],
[See comments on 1 Corinthians 15:18],
[See comments on 1 Corinthians 15:20],
[See comments on 1 Thessalonians 4:13],
[See comments on 1 Thessalonians 4:14];
but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep; that is, to raise him from the dead, for, the resurrection of the dead is expressed by awaking; see Psalms 17:15; which for Christ to do, was as easy as to awake a man out of natural sleep: these words respecting Lazarus's sleeping and awaking, express both the omniscience and omnipotence of Christ; his omniscience, that he should know that Lazarus was dead; when at such a distance from him; and his omnipotence, that he could raise him from the dead; and yet his great modesty to signify it in, such covert language, though not difficult to be understood.
(b) Gloss in T. Hieros. Celaim in En Yaacob, fol. 4. 4.
These things said he,.... In answer to his disciples, and made a pause.
And after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth; meaning, that he was dead; in which sense the word is often used in the Old Testament, and in the common dialect of the Jews, and frequently in their writings; and especially it is so used of good men: and it is an observation of theirs (b), that
"it is usual to say of the righteous, that there is no death in them, אלא שינה, "but sleep";''
[See comments on Matthew 9:24],
[See comments on 1 Corinthians 15:18],
[See comments on 1 Corinthians 15:20],
[See comments on 1 Thessalonians 4:13],
[See comments on 1 Thessalonians 4:14];
but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep; that is, to raise him from the dead, for, the resurrection of the dead is expressed by awaking; see Psalms 17:15; which for Christ to do, was as easy as to awake a man out of natural sleep: these words respecting Lazarus's sleeping and awaking, express both the omniscience and omnipotence of Christ; his omniscience, that he should know that Lazarus was dead; when at such a distance from him; and his omnipotence, that he could raise him from the dead; and yet his great modesty to signify it in, such covert language, though not difficult to be understood.
(b) Gloss in T. Hieros. Celaim in En Yaacob, fol. 4. 4.