John 11:39 kjv
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
John 11:39 nkjv
Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."
John 11:39 niv
"Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
John 11:39 esv
Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days."
John 11:39 nlt
"Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible."
John 11 39 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 11:39 | "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.'" | Direct command |
| John 11:41 | "Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying." | Action of obedience |
| Genesis 17:17 | "Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?'" | Doubt about the impossible |
| Psalm 23:4 | "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." | God's presence in death |
| Psalm 118:22 | "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." | Rejected becoming vital |
| Isaiah 25:8 | "He will swallow up death forever; the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces." | Ultimate victory over death |
| Matthew 27:60 | "and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. He rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away." | Stone sealing a tomb |
| Mark 16:3 | "And they were saying to one another, 'Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?'" | Obstacle to resurrection |
| Luke 24:2 | "And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb," | Stone removed for resurrection |
| Romans 4:19 | "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead." | Faith against natural impossibility |
| Romans 8:11 | "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you." | Life through the Spirit |
| 1 Corinthians 15:55 | "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" | Triumph over death |
| 2 Corinthians 4:8 | "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;" | Trials but not defeat |
| 2 Corinthians 5:17 | "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" | Transformation and new life |
| Ephesians 2:10 | "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life." | God's creation and purpose |
| Philippians 3:21 | "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything to himself, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." | Resurrection body |
| Revelation 20:14 | "Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." | Final defeat of death |
| Ezekiel 37:12 | "Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am about to open your graves and bring you up from them, my people, and I will bring you to the land of Israel.'" | God's promise of resurrection |
| Job 19:26 | "And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God," | Hope in resurrection |
| 1 Samuel 2:6 | "The LORD brings death and gives life, he sends people to the grave and brings them back up; he makes poor and makes rich; he lowers and he lifts high." | God's sovereign power over life and death |
John 11 verses
John 11 39 Meaning
Jesus instructed to remove the stone blocking Lazarus' tomb. Martha expressed concern about the odor, as Lazarus had been dead for four days. This highlights the reality of death and decay, but also sets the stage for a greater display of divine power. The request to remove the stone signifies removing obstacles to God's will and preparing for His miraculous intervention.
John 11 39 Context
This verse is found in John chapter 11, which recounts the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus arrives at Bethany four days after Lazarus’ death, and Martha and Mary express their grief and their faith in Jesus’ power. When Jesus goes to the tomb, He commands for the stone to be removed. The immediate context involves the burial customs of the time, where tombs were sealed with a heavy stone. The narrative tension builds as Martha expresses her concern about the body's decay, highlighting the extraordinary nature of the miracle to come. This event is the last and most significant of Jesus' public miracles before His crucifixion, serving as a powerful testament to His identity as the resurrection and the life.
John 11 39 Word analysis
- "Jesus" (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The name of the central figure of Christianity, signifying "Yahweh saves."
- "said" (εἶπεν - eipen): Aorist indicative active third person singular of λέγω (lego), meaning "to speak," "to say." It denotes a simple past action of speaking.
- "to him" (αὐτῷ - autō): Dative masculine singular pronoun of αὐτός (autos), meaning "he," "she," "it." Here, it refers to those present, including Martha and the others who were with her.
- "Take" (αἴρετε - aïrete): Second person plural present indicative active of αἴρω (airō). The present tense here implies a continuing action or a command to be acted upon immediately, "lift" or "remove."
- "away" (ἄρατε - arate): This word isn't directly in the Greek. The verb αἴρω (airō) itself carries the sense of lifting or taking away.
- "the stone" (τὸν λίθον - ton lithon): Accusative masculine singular of ὁ λίθος (ho lithos), meaning "stone." The definite article "the" points to a specific stone, the one sealing Lazarus' tomb.
Group Analysis:
- "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.'" (εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον - eipen autō ho Iēsous, Arate ton lithon). This is a direct and authoritative command from Jesus. The use of the plural "take away" (αἴρετε - aïrete) addresses all who were present, indicating a collective action is required, or perhaps more precisely, the bystanders. The focus on removing a physical obstacle ("the stone") before raising someone from the dead signifies preparation and the removal of barriers to divine power and revelation.
John 11 39 Bonus section
The detail of Lazarus being dead for four days is significant in Jewish tradition. The Talmud states that by the fourth day, decomposition had visibly set in, and the soul had permanently departed. Therefore, Lazarus' state was undeniably that of death, leaving no room for any natural explanation for his revival. This deliberately chosen timing amplifies the supernatural nature of the event, solidifying Jesus’ claims and setting the stage for the ultimate paradox: Jesus, the embodiment of resurrection, standing before a sealed tomb. The removal of the stone, then, is not merely practical; it is a symbolic act, demonstrating that no barrier, not even death’s door, can ultimately resist the divine command.
John 11 39 Commentary
Jesus' instruction to remove the stone, even before the miraculous resuscitation of Lazarus, is crucial. It illustrates that while God’s power is absolute, it often works in conjunction with human obedience and the removal of earthly impediments. Martha's concern about the odor highlights the reality of death and her faith’s struggle with the seeming impossibility of resurrection. However, Jesus bypasses this humanly insurmountable obstacle through a divine command, underscoring His authority over life and death itself. This act also prepares the onlookers to witness the full extent of His power, not just in reviving the dead, but in bringing life from a state of advanced decay. It is a moment that deepens faith by moving from an expected divine act to a dramatically undeniable demonstration of resurrection power.