The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible John 11:11
These things said he…
In answer to his disciples, and
made a pause.
And after that he saith unto them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth;
meaning, that he was dead; in which sense the word is often used in
the Old Testament, and in the common dialect of the Jews, and
frequently in their writings; and especially it is so used of good
men: and it is an observation of theirs F2, that
``it is usual to say of the righteous, that there is no
death in them, (hnyv ala) , "but sleep";''
(See Gill on 9:24),
(See Gill on 15:18),
(See Gill on 15:20),
(See Gill on 4:13),
(See Gill on 4:14);
but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep;
that is, to raise him
from the dead, for, the resurrection of the dead is expressed by
awaking; see (Psalms 17:15) (Isaiah 26:19) (Daniel 12:2) ; which for Christ to do,
was as easy as to awake a man out of natural sleep: these words
respecting Lazarus's sleeping and awaking, express both the
omniscience and omnipotence of Christ; his omniscience, that he
should know that Lazarus was dead; when at such a distance from him;
and his omnipotence, that he could raise him from the dead; and yet
his great modesty to signify it in, such covert language, though not
difficult to be understood.
FOOTNOTES:
F2 Gloss in T. Hieros. Celaim in En Yaacob, fol. 4. 4.
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