Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - John 11:40 - 11:40
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Said I not unto thee? (Ouk eipon soi). Jesus pointedly reminds Martha of his promise to raise Lazarus (Joh 11:25.).
That if thou believedst (hoti ean pisteusēis). Indirect discourse with ean and the first aorist active subjunctive (condition of third class) retained after the secondary tense eipon. He had not said this very phrase, ean pisteusēis, to Martha, but he did say to her: Pisteueis touto; (Believest thou this?). He meant to test Martha as to her faith already hinted at (Joh 11:22) on this very point. Jesus had also spoken of increase of faith on the part of the disciples (Joh 11:15).
Thou shouldest see the glory of God (opsēi tēn doxan tou theou). Future middle indicative of the old defective verb horaō retained in the conclusion of this condition in indirect discourse. Jesus means the glory of God as shown in the resurrection of Lazarus as he had already said to the disciples (Joh 11:4) and as he meant Martha to understand (Joh 11:25) and may in fact have said to her (the report of the conversation is clearly abridged). Hence Bernard’s difficulty in seeing how Martha could understand the words of Jesus about the resurrection of Lazarus here and now seems fanciful and far-fetched.