Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 11:33

κλαίουσαν … κλαίοντας. The repetition emphasizes a contrast which is the key to the passage.

ἐνεβριμήσατο τ. πνεύματι. Infremuit spiritu; He was angered, or was moved with indignation in the spirit. Ἐμβριμᾶσθαι occurs five times in N.T., here, John 11:38; Matthew 9:30; Mark 1:43; Mark 14:5 (see notes in each place). In all cases, as in classical Greek and in the LXX., it expresses not sorrow but indignation or severity. It means (1) literally, of animals, ‘to snort, growl;’ then (2) metaphorically, ‘to be very angry or indignant;’ (3) ‘to command sternly, under threat of displeasure.’ What was He angered at? Some translate ‘at His spirit,’ and explain (α) that He was indignant at the human emotion which overcame Him: which is out of harmony with all that we know about the human nature of Christ Others, retaining ‘in His spirit,’ explain (β) that He was indignant ‘at the unbelief of the Jews and perhaps of the sisters:’ but of this there is no hint in the context. Others again (γ) that it was ‘at the sight of the momentary triumph of evil, as death, … which was here shewn under circumstances of the deepest pathos:’ but we nowhere else find the Lord shewing anger at the physical consequences of sin. It seems better to fall back on the contrast pointed out in the last note. He was indignant at seeing the hypocritical and sentimental lamentations of His enemies the Jews mingling with the heartfelt lamentations of His loving friend Mary (comp. John 12:10): hypocrisy ever roused His anger.

The πνεῦμα is the seat of the religious emotions, the highest, innermost part of man’s nature, the ψυχή is the seat of the natural affections and desires. Here and in John 13:21 it is Christ’s πνεῦμα that is affected, by the presence of moral evil: in John 12:27; Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34, it is His ψυχή that is troubled, at the thought of impending suffering: comp. John 10:24.

ἐτάραξεν ἑαντόν. Turbavit se ipsum; He troubled Himself. Not a mere periphrasis for ἐταράχθη, turbatus est (John 13:21). He allowed His emotion to become evident by some external movement such as a shudder. His emotions were ever under control: when they ruffled the surface of His being (John 2:15), it was because He so willed it. Turbaris tu nolens: turbatus est Christus quia voluit (S. Augustine).

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 11:33

Old Testament

New Testament