John 11:32

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) Lord, if thou hadst been here.—The words are precisely the same as those which Martha had uttered (John 11:21). She adds no more. It may be that she was prevented doing so by the presence of the Jews; but the next verse suggests rather that her emotion was too powerful for words, and that the only possible language was that of a suppliant lying at His feet and weeping.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:17-32 Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Saying, She goeth unto the grave - Syriac, "They thought that she went to weep." They had not heard Martha call her. The first days of mourning among the Jews were observed with great solemnity and many ceremonies of grief.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

31. The Jews … followed her … to the grave—Thus casually were provided witnesses of the glorious miracle that followed, not prejudiced, certainly, in favor of Him who wrought it.

to weep there—according to Jewish practice, for some days after burial.

fell at his feet—more impassioned than her sister, though her words were fewer. (See on [1834]Joh 11:21).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "John 11:30"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was,.... Where Martha met him, and where she left him. Travellers tell us, that close by a well, about a stone's cast out of the town of Bethany, is showed the place where Martha met our Lord when he came to raise Lazarus, and where Mary, being called also, met him; but this is not to be depended on, nor is it of any moment to know it. It is blessed meeting Christ any where; and where he is preached, and his ordinances administered, let it be in what place it will, there may the presence of Christ be expected; and it is an encouragement to go there where others have met with him: Martha had been here before, and had had some conversation with Christ to her great satisfaction, and she goes and calls her sister, that she might enjoy the same: so souls that have met with Jesus under such a ministry, in such a place, invite others to go thither also; and often it is that this is a means, in providence, of finding Christ, and enjoying communion with him.

And saw him, she fell down at his feet; in great respect to him, and reverence of him, worshipping him as her Lord and God.

Saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died; which were the same words Martha uttered upon her first meeting Jesus, John 11:21; and it is very likely that they had often expressed themselves in such language one to another, saying to each other, if our Lord Jesus had been but here, our dear brother Lazarus would not have died.

Geneva Study Bible

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

John 11:32. Ἔπεσεν, etc.] Not so Martha, John 11:21. Mary’s feelings were of an intenser and stronger kind.

αὐτοῦ πρὸς τ. πόδας] at His feet (πρός, Mark 5:22; Mark 7:25). So afterwards, μου ὁ ἀδελφός. my brother had not died, as in John 13:6, and very often in the New Testament and in Greek writers; see Kühner, § 627 A 4; Stallbaum, ad Plat. Rep. p. 518 C.

εἰ ἦς ὧδε, etc.] like Martha in John 11:21, but without adding anything beyond her tears. This thought had unquestionably been the oft-repeated refrain of their mutual communications on the subject of their sorrow.

No further conversation takes place, because the Ἰουδαῖοι by coming with her disturbed them, John 11:31; John 11:33; according to Luthardt, because Jesus wished a deed to take the place of words; but of this there is no hint in the text.

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 11:32. Consequently when she reaches Jesus she has only time to fall at His feet and exclaim, in Martha’s words, Κύριε … ἀδελφός. The sight of Jesus, ἰδοῦσα αὐτόν, produced a more vehement demonstration of grief than in Martha. Cf. Cicero, in Verrem, John 11:39. “Mihi obviam venit et … mihi ad pedes misera jacuit, quasi ego excitare filium ejus ab inferis possem.” Wetstein.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. Then when Mary] Mary therefore when.

she fell down at his feet] Nothing of the kind is reported of Martha, John 11:21. Here again the difference of character between the two sisters appears.

Lord, if thou hadst been here] The same words as those of Martha, John 11:21. No doubt the sisters had expressed this thought to one another often in the last few days. Mary’s emotion is too strong for her; she can say no more than this; contrast John 11:22. The Jews coming up prevent further conversation. For the construction comp. John 4:10, John 14:28.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 11:32. Ἔπεσεν αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς πόδας, she fell at His feet) This Martha had not done. Mary thus makes amends for her slowness in going to meet Him. [Herein she gives a specimen of the most profound reverence arising out of faith.—V. g.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32. - Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and when she saw him, fell at his feet, and in other ways showed more intensity of feeling than did the energetic sister, who in many ways is the feminine type of what Peter was as a man. She is not altogether silent, but sobbed forth the very words which her sister had uttered before. Thus had they often said one to another while Lazarus was yet alive, "Oh that the Lord Jesus were here!" Lord, said she, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. The position of μου, which in some manuscripts was placed before ἀπέθανεν is here emphatic, as though Mary had in some way especially claimed Lazarus as her brother more than Martha's. She does not add a word of remonstrance or suggestion. She moans forth the same confident expression of her sense of the love and power of Jesus. John 11:32