John 11:21

οὐκ ἂν� for ὁ�. μ. οὐκ ἂν ἐτεθνήκει.

21. εἰ ἦς ὦδε, κ.τ.λ. Not a reproach, however gentle (she does not say ‘hadst Thou come’), but an expression of deep regret. This thought had naturally been often in the sisters’ minds during the last four days (comp. John 11:32). They believe that Christ could and would have healed Lazarus: their faith and hope are not yet equal to anticipating His raising him from the dead. The gradual progress of Martha’s faith is very true to life, and reminds us of similar development in the woman of Samaria (John 4:19), the βασιλικός (John 4:53), and the man born blind (John 9:11), though she starts at a more advanced stage than they do. If all these four narratives are late fictions, we have four masterpieces of psychological study, as miraculous in the literature of the second century as would be a Gothic cathedral in the architecture of that age. For the construction comp. John 4:10; John 14:28.