«7—28,
ἀθελφός µου οὐκ ἂν ἐτεθνήκει.ὶ
αἰτήσῃ τὸν Θεὸν, δώσει σοι ὁ Θεός. 3
ἕεἍ᾽Αναστήσεται 6 ἀδελφός σου.
a > / 3 ~ ιά 3
ὅτι ἀναστήσεται, ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν
Εἲ > a £ 3 a ἴπεν αὐτῇ ὁ Ιησούς,
24. Λέγει αὐτῷ Μάρθα, ‘ Oida ε Is. κανι.
“"Eyd εἶμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή.
το.
22. ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν οἶδα ὅτι ὅσα ἂν
, 2 κ κε 3 a 23. Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ιησούς,
το. 5 25. Mac. vii. et) Ou) E4- 0 u vi. 39 reff.
“rH ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.”᾿
πιστεύων εἲς ἐμὲ, Kav ἀποθάνῃ, {ήσεται: 26. καὶ was 6 Lav καὶ
, atin ty en ee | ῃ 3 x 3 πιστευων ELS εµε;, ου μη ἀποθάνῃ εἰς τον σαιωνα.
πιστεύεις τοῦτο;
a A , 27. Λέγει αὐτῷ, “‘ Nat, κύριε: ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα, ὅτι σὺ εἶ 6 Χριστὸς,
ς cA n~ A c > x , ο υἱος του Θεοῦ, ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον
: ἐρχόμενος.
28. Καὶ ταῦτα ἓν Μι κχἰ.«
εἰποῦσα ἀπῆλθε, καὶ ἐφώνησε Μαρίαν τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὗτῆς λάθρα,
} ουκ αν απεθανεν ο αδελφος µου is the το of NBCDKL 33.
3 Instead of ταντα {BCL read τοντο.
sitting asan attitude of grief see Doughty, Analecta Sacra, on Ezek. viii. 14.—Ver. 21. Martha’s first words to Jesus, Κύριε . . . ἐτεθνήκει, '' hadst Thou been here my brother had not died,” are ‘“‘not a reproach but a lament,’”” Meyer. Mary uses the same words (ver. 32), suggesting hat this had been the burden of their alk with one another; and even, as Bengel says, before the death “‘utinam adesset Dominus Jesus ’’.—Ver. 22. But Martha not only believed that Jesus could have prevented her brother’s death but also that even now He could recall him from the grave: καὶ viv ola... “Even now I know that what thing soever you ask of: God, God will give you.” Cf. ix. 31. Jesus referred all His works to the Father, and spoke as if only faith were required for the working of the greatest miracles. See Mt. xiv. 31, xvii. 20. On the use of αἰτεῖν and _ €pwtay see Ezra Abbot’s Critical Essays, in which Trench’s misleading account of their difference is exposed.—Ver. 23. λέγει .. . σον. “Thy brother shall rise again.” ‘The whole history of the raising of Lazarus is a parable of life through death. . . . Here, then, at the beginning the key-note is struck.” West- cott. Whether the words were meant or not to convey only the general truth of resurrection, and that death is not the final state, Martha did not find in them any assurance of the speedy restoration of Lazarus.—Ver. 24. ‘‘I know,” she says, ‘‘that he will rise again, in the resurrection at the ‘last day.” On the terms used see v. 28, vi. 39, 40, 54. Belief in the resurrection had been pro- moted through :Dan. xii. 2, and, as Holtzmann remarks, Martha must have heard more than enough about it during
the last four days, and fears perhaps that even Jesus is offering the merely conventional consolation. To one who yearns for immediate re-union the “ last day” seems invisible. It was small con- solation for Martha to know that her brother would lie for ages in the tomb, no more to exchange one word or look till the last day.—Ver. 25. Nor does this faith satisfy Jesus, who at once re- places it by another in the words, "Eye εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή. Resurrec- tion and life are not future only, but present in His person; she is to trust not in a vague remote event but in His living person whom she knew, loved, and trusted. Apart from Him there was neither resurrection nor life. He carried with Him and possessed there and then as He spoke with-her all the force that went to produce life and resurrection. Therefore ὃ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ . αἰῶνα (νετ. 26), “' He that believeth on me, even though he die, shall live; and every one who liveth and believeth on me shall never die”. Belief in Him or acceptance of Him as the source of true spiritual life, brings the man into vital union with Him, so that he lives with the life of Christ and possesses a life over which death has no power.—Ver. 27. Martha believed this, as implicitly included in her belief in Jesus as the Messiah, Nal, Κύριε .. . ἐρχόμενος. Resurrection and life were both Messianic gifts, but it is doubtful whether Martha fully understood what our Lord had said. Rather she falls back on what she did understand and believe. She will not claim to believe more than she is sure of; but if His statement is only an elaboration of His Messianic function, then she can truly say: Nat, Κύριε.--