John 11:38

John 11:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
• New International Version (NIV)Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Context of John 11:38

36The Jews said, “See how much Jesus loved him.” 37But some of the Jews asked, “Couldn’t this man who gave a blind man sight keep Lazarus from dying?” Deeply moved again, Jesus went to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone covering the entrance. 39Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, told Jesus, “Lord, there must already be a stench. He’s been dead for four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see God’s glory?”

John 11:38 word by word

Ἰησοῦς οὖν πάλιν ἐμβριμώμενος ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἔρχεται εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον· ἦν δὲ σπήλαιον, καὶ λίθος ἐπέκειτο ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• thereforeοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• againπάλινpalin · againG3825
• groaningἐμβριμάομαιembrimaomai · be agitatedG1690
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the graveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the graveμνημεῖονmnēmeion · graveG3419
• It wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• a caveσπήλαιονspēlaion · caveG4693
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• a stoneλίθοςlithos · stoneG3037
• layἐπίκειμαιepikeimai · to lay onG1945
• uponἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ·δέde · thenG1161

Cross-references for John 11:38

• John 11:33When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who were crying with her, he was deeply moved and troubled.
• Ezekiel 9:4The Lord said to that person, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan about all the disgusting things that are being done in the city.”
• Ezekiel 21:6“So, son of man, groan with a breaking heart and with bitter crying while the people watch you.
• Mark 8:12With a deep sigh he asked, “Why do these people demand a sign? I can guarantee this truth: If these people are given a sign, it will be far different than what they want!”
• Genesis 23:19After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah, east of Mamre (that is, Hebron).
• Genesis 49:29Then he gave them these instructions, “I am about to join my ancestors in death. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite.
• Isaiah 22:16“What are you doing here? What right do you have to dig a tomb for yourself? What right do you have to cut it out in a prominent place? What right do you have to carve out a resting place for yourself in the rock?
• Matthew 27:60Then he laid it in his own new tomb, which had been cut in a rock. After rolling a large stone against the door of the tomb, he went away.

Commentaries on John 11:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38It was a cave, etc. - It is likely that several of the Jewish burying-places were made in the sides of rocks; some were probably dug down like a well from the upper surface, and then hollowed under into niches, and a flat stone, laid down upon the top, would serve for a door. Yet, from what the evangelist says, there seems to have been something peculiar in the formation of this tomb. It might have been a natural grotto, or dug in the side of a rock or…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 38It was a cave - This was a common mode of burial. See the notes at Matthew 8:28. A stone lay upon it - Over the mouth of the cave. See Matthew 27:60.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 33-46Verses 33-46 Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by the troubles of his spirit. In all the afflictions of believers he is afflicted. His concern for them was shown by his kind inquiry after the remains of his deceased friend. Being found in fashion as a man, he acts in the way and manner of the sons of men. It was shown by his tears. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-57The resurrection of Lazarus points to the future death and resurrection of Jesus. The description of Lazarus’s tomb is similar to the description of the tomb Jesus was placed in after he died (11:38, 44; 20:1, 7). Both accounts mention a cave and burial cloths. These details connect the two events and help us see that Lazarus’s story is a sign. Soon after Lazarus was raised, a woman anointed Jesus for burial (12:3). This act prepared him for his coming…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33-3833-38. When Jesus ... saw her weeping, and the Jews ... weeping ... he groaned in the spirit--the tears of Mary and her friends acting sympathetically upon Jesus, and drawing forth His emotions. What a vivid and beautiful outcoming of His "real" humanity! The word here rendered "groaned" does not mean "sighed" or "grieved," but rather "powerfully checked his emotion"--made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes…Read the comment

Topics related to John 11:38

• Burial
• Cave
• Friendship
• Jesus, the Christ
• Lazarus
• Miracles
• Readings, Select
• Sorrow

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Awake
• Burial
• Cave
• Lazarus
• Martha
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Dead

Commentaries on John 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings