Bible Strands
John 11:31
When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator reports that Jewish mourners present in the house to console Mary rise and follow her when she leaves quickly. They assume she is traveling to the tomb to continue her mourning.
The words — The Greek οὖν (oun) operates as a temporal marker meaning "then," advancing the narrative sequence. The participle ὄντες (ontes) literally means "being," identifying the group as those currently situated with her.
The thread — This gathering of mourners mirrors the earlier account of friends consoling the sisters (John 11:19) and aligns with the biblical pattern of communal grief found in Genesis 37:35 and 2 Samuel 12:16.
Why it lands — The text establishes the mourners' limited understanding before the narrative shifts to Jesus' arrival. It requires the reader to hold the contrast between human assumptions about death and the imminent divine action without editorializing.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Cross-references
- John 11:19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
- Genesis 37:35 All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
- 2 Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.
- 1 Corinthians 2:15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment.