Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
Take ye away the stone - He desired to convince all those who were at the place, and especially those who took away the stone, that Lazarus was not only dead, but that putrescency had already taken place, that it might not be afterwards said that Lazarus had only fallen into a lethargy; but that the greatness of the miracle might be fully evinced.
He stinketh - The body is in a state of putrefaction. The Greek word signifies simply to smell, whether the scent be good or bad; but the circumstances of the case sufficiently show that the latter is its meaning here. Our translators might have omitted the uncouth term in the common text; but they chose literally to follow the Anglo-Saxon, and it would be now useless to attempt any change, as the common reading would perpetually recur, and cause all attempts at mending to sound even worse than that in the text.
For he hath been dead four days - , This is the fourth day, i.e. since his interment. Christ himself was buried on the same day on which he was crucified, see John 19:42, and it is likely that Lazarus was buried also on the same day on which he died. See on John 11:17 (note).
Other Adam Clarke entries containing John 11:39:
John 5:21
John 11:15
John 11:17
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