Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 11:22

καὶ νῦν οἶδα. And even now (that he is dead) I know. She believes that had Christ been there, He could have healed Lazarus by His own power (comp. John 4:47), and that now His prayer may prevail with God to raise him from the dead. She has yet to learn that Christ’s bodily presence is not necessary, and that He can raise the dead by His own power. He gradually leads her faith onwards to higher truth. Θεός at the end of both clauses seems to emphasize her conviction that God alone can now help them: but it may be the repetition so common in S. John’s style.

αἰτήσῃ. Αἰτεῖσθαι ‘to ask for oneself’ (John 14:13-14; John 15:7; John 15:16; John 16:23; John 16:26; 1 John 5:14-15), is a word more appropriate to merely human prayer, and is not used by Christ of His own prayers or by the Evangelists of Christ’s prayers. She thus incidentally seems to shew her imperfect idea of His relation to God. Of His own prayers Christ uses ἐρωτᾶν (John 14:16; John 16:26; John 17:9; John 17:15; John 17:20), δεῖσθαι (Luke 22:32), προσεύχεσθαι (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32), θέλω (John 17:24). The Synoptists commonly use προσεύχεσθαι of Christ’s prayers (Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42; Matthew 26:44; Mark 14:35; Mark 14:39; Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18; Luke 9:28-29; Luke 11:1; Luke 22:41; Luke 22:44): S. John never uses the word.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 11:22

Old Testament

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