John 11 Greek Word Analysis of Jesus' Grief
The Gospel of John records Jesus' emotional response to the death of Lazarus in chapter 11, using specific Greek terms that reveal the depth and nature of his grief. The passage culminates in the shortest verse in the New Testament, "Jesus wept" (John 11:35, LITV) [1]. However, the surrounding verses provide a more nuanced understanding of Jesus' internal state.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany and sees Mary weeping, along with the Jews who accompanied her, the text states, "he groaned in the spirit and was troubled" (John 11:33). The Greek word translated "groaned" (ἐμβριμάομαι, embrimaomai) signifies a strong inward emotion. While some interpretations suggest it means "sighed" or "grieved," others argue it conveys a sense of indignation or anger [4, 7]. Tyndale House's commentary on John 11:33 notes that this word expresses "human outrage, fury, and anger," suggesting Jesus was furious not at Mary or Martha, but at the "futility of this scene and the people’s unbelief in light of the reality of the resurrection" [2]. John Gill also connects this groaning to an "inward motion of the mind, through indignation and anger," possibly directed at the "weakness of Mary's faith" [4]. Matthew Henry describes it as Christ's "tender sympathy" and "inward groans and troubles of his spirit" [6].
The phrase "and was troubled" (ἐτάραξεν ἑαυτόν, etaraxen heauton) further describes Jesus' emotional state. This verb, tarassō, is used elsewhere in John to describe Jesus being "deeply troubled" [3]. For instance, John 13:21 states Jesus was "deeply troubled" by Judas's betrayal, and John 12:27 uses the same term for Jesus' agony before the cross [3, 5]. Tyndale House suggests that when Jesus stood before death, he could not be "impassive" but experienced "genuine anguish" [5]. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary interprets "was troubled" as "troubled himself," indicating a visible effort to restrain his emotions [7]. This suggests an active, internal struggle rather than a passive reception of sorrow.
The distinct Greek word used in John 11:35 for "wept" (ἐδάκρυσεν, edakrysen) is significant. Unlike the word klaio (κλαίω), which describes the loud wailing of Mary and the Jews in John 11:33, dakryo (δακρύω) refers to shedding silent tears [8]. This distinction highlights that Jesus' tears were not a public display of lamentation but a more personal expression of sorrow. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary emphasizes this brevity, noting that "shed tears" might better convey the difference, and sees it as a "sublime spectacle of the Son of God in tears," demonstrating his "perfect oneness with us" [8].
The literary context of John 11 places this emotional display within the larger narrative of Jesus' power over death. Despite knowing he would raise Lazarus, Jesus still experienced profound grief and indignation at the presence of death and the unbelief he encountered [2]. This passage underscores Jesus' full humanity, demonstrating that he possessed genuine human emotions, including sorrow, anger, and anguish, even as he prepared to perform a miracle [4, 5, 7]. The patristic tradition, as seen in some apocryphal texts, also emphasizes Jesus' human suffering, such as his cry from the cross, "Father, into Thy hands I shall commit my spirit" [9]. This portrayal of Jesus' grief in John 11 thus serves to affirm both his divine authority and his profound empathy with human suffering.
Sources
- John “John 11:35 (LITV) — Jesus wept.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 11:33: 11:33 The loud weeping and wailing typified public displays of grief in this culture (Mark 5:38), as did beating one’s chest (Luke 18:13). • The Greek word translated deep anger expresses human outrage, fury, and anger. Jesus was furious, not at Martha or Mary, but at the futility of this scene and the people’s unbelief in light of the reality of the resurrection.”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 13:21: 13:21 For the third time in the Gospel of John, Jesus was deeply troubled (Greek tarassō; see 11:33; 12:27). The personal betrayal of Judas brought Jesus profound grief.”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 11:32: When Jesus therefore saw her weeping,.... At his feet, who, for sorrow and grief of heart, could say no more to him; but having expressed these words, burst out into floods of tears: and the Jews also weeping, which came with her; either through sympathy with her, or hypocritically: he groaned in the spirit; in his human soul; and which shows, that he had a real human soul, subject to passions, though sinless ones. The word signifies an inward motion of the mind, through indignation and anger; and it may be partly at the weakness of Mary's faith, and at her immoder”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 12:27: 12:27 my soul is deeply troubled: John used the same term (Greek tarassō) to describe Jesus’ strong emotion of agony before Lazarus’ tomb (11:33; also 13:21). When Jesus stood before death, he could not be impassive. Jesus experienced genuine anguish, yet he remained strong in obedience to the Father’s will (5:19-23; 6:37; 8:29, 38; 14:31).”
- John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on John 11:33: Here we have, I. Christ's tender sympathy with his afflicted friends, and the share he took to himself in their sorrows, which appeared three ways: - 1. By the inward groans and troubles of his spirit (Joh 11:33): Jesus saw Mary weeping for the loss of a loving brother, and the Jews that came with her weeping for the loss of a good neighbour and friend; when he saw what a place of weepers, a bochim, this was, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. See here, (1.) The griefs of the sons of men represented in the tears of Mary and her friends. What an emblem was”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 11:33: When Jesus . . . saw her weeping, and the Jews . . . weeping . . . he groaned in the spirit--the tears of Mary and her friends acting sympathetically upon Jesus, and drawing forth His emotions. What a vivid and beautiful outcoming of His "real" humanity! The word here rendered "groaned" does not mean "sighed" or "grieved," but rather "powerfully checked his emotion"--made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes. and was troubled--rather, "troubled himself" (Margin); referring probably to this visible difficulty ”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 11:35: Jesus wept--This beautifully conveys the sublime brevity of the two original words; else "shed tears" might have better conveyed the difference between the word here used and that twice employed in Joh 11:33, and there properly rendered "weeping," denoting the loud wail for the dead, while that of Jesus consisted of silent tears. Is it for nothing that the Evangelist, some sixty years after it occurred, holds up to all ages with such touching brevity the sublime spectacle of the Son of God in tears? What a seal of His perfect oneness with us in the most”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 8: Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts, Epistles, Apocrypha, Decretals — Chap. 11.--Then Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, Father, into Thy hands I shall commit my spirit, breathed His last.(9) And immediately one could see the rocks rent: for there was an earthquake ov (part 2): shall ask anything contrary to what seems good to your highness. And he said: And what is it that thou askest? Joseph says: Jesus, the good man whom through hatred the Jews have taken away to crucify, him I entreat that thou give me for burial. Pilate says: And what has happened, that we should deliver to be honour”