a deep anger1 welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled2
John 11:33
Then Jesus wept3.
John 11:35
Jesus was still angry1 as He arrived at the tomb,
John 11:38
What really is going on here: Let’s investigate. Follow the footnotes above to the information all gained from E-Sword
Dictionaries / Lexicons
Strongs
1) ἐμβριμάομαι embrimaomai (em-brim-ah’-om-ahee)
From G1722 and βριμάομαι brimaomai (to snort with anger); to have indignation on, that is, (transitively) to blame, (intransitively) to sigh with chagrin, (specifically) to sternly enjoin: – straitly charge, groan, murmur against.
2) ταράσσω tarassō ( tar-as’-so ) G5015 Of uncertain affinity; to stir or (roil water): – trouble.
3) δακρύω dakruō (dak-roo’-o) From G1144; to shed tears: – weep. Compare G2799.
NASEC
1) ἐμβριμάομαι
embrimaomai; from G1722 and βριμάομαι brimaomai (to snort with anger); to be moved with anger, to admonish sternly: – deeply moved (2), scolding (1), sternly warned (2).
2) ταράσσω
G5015 tarassō; from a prim. root ταραχ- tarach-; to stir up, to trouble: – disturbed (1), disturbing (2), stirred (3), stirring (1), terrified (2), troubled (9).
3) δακρύω dakruō from G1144; to weep: – wept .
Thayer
1) ἐμβριμάομαι embrimaomai to charge with earnest admonition, sternly to charge, threatened to enjoin
2) ταράσσω – tarassō) to agitate, trouble (a thing, by the movement of its parts to and fro)
- 1a) to cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity
- 1b) to disquiet, make restless
- 1c) to stir up
- 1d) to trouble
- 1d1) to strike one’s spirit with fear and dread
- 1e) to render anxious or distressed
- 1f) to perplex the mind of one by suggesting scruples or doubts
3) δακρύω dakruō
1) to weep, shed tears
Commentaries
Vine’s Word Studies
The word for groaned occurs three times elsewhere: Mat_9:30; Mar_1:43; Mar_14:5. In every case it expresses a charge, or remonstrance, accompanied with a feeling of displeasure. On this passage there are two lines of interpretation, both of them assuming the meaning just stated. (1) Τῷ πνευ.ματι, the spirit, is regarded as the object of Jesus’ inward charge or remonstrance. This is explained variously: as that Jesus sternly rebuked the natural shrinking of His human spirit, and summoned it to the decisive conflict with death; or that He checked its impulse to put forth His divine energy at once. (2) Takes in the spirit, as representing the sphere of feeling, as Joh_13:21; Mar_8:12; Luk_10:21. Some explain the feeling as indignation at the hypocritical mourning of the Jews, or at their unbelief and the sisters’ misapprehension; others as indignation at the temporary triumph of Satan, who had the power of death.
The interpretation which explains τῷ πνεύματι as the sphere of feeling is to be preferred. Comp. Joh_11:38,in himself. The nature of the particular emotion of Jesus must remain largely a matter of conjecture. Rev. renders, in margin, was moved with indignation in the spirit.
Was troubled (ἐτάραξεν ἑαυτὸν)
Literally, troubled Himself. Probably of the outward manifestation of His strong feeling.
Gill
He groaned in the spirit; in his human soul; and which shows, that he had a real human soul, subject to passions, though sinless ones. The word signifies an inward motion of the mind, through indignation and anger; and it may be partly at the weakness of Mary’s faith, and at her immoderate sorrow; and partly at the hypocrisy of the Jews: or else this inward groaning was through grief, sympathizing with Mary, and her friends, his human soul being touched with a fellow feeling of their griefs and sorrows:
and was troubled; or troubled himself; threw himself into some forms and gestures of sorrow, and mourning, as lifting up his eyes, wringing his hands, and changing the form of his countenance.
Barnes
Joh 11:33
He groaned in the spirit – The word rendered “groaned,” here, commonly denotes to be angry or indignant, or to reprove severely, denoting violent agitation of mind. Here it also evidently denotes violent agitation – not from anger, but from grief. He saw the sorrow of others, and he was also moved with sympathy and love. The word “groan” usually, with us, denotes an expression of internal sorrow by a special sound. The word here, however, does not mean that utterance was given to the internal emotion, but that it was deep and agitating, though internal.
Was troubled – Was affected with grief. Perhaps this expression denotes that his countenance was troubled, or gave indications of sorrow (Grotins).
Jamieson Fausett Brown
John 11:33-38
When Jesus … saw her weeping, and the Jews … weeping … he groaned in the spirit — the tears of Mary and her friends acting sympathetically upon Jesus, and drawing forth His emotions. What a vivid and beautiful outcoming of His “real” humanity! The word here rendered “groaned” does not mean “sighed” or “grieved,” but rather “powerfully checked his emotion” – made a visible effort to restrain those tears which were ready to gush from His eyes.
and was troubled — rather, “troubled himself” (Margin); referring probably to this visible difficulty of repressing His emotions.
All of the above was gained from E-Sword. I am deliberately limiting myself to E-Sword in order to show what you can gain from it.
Ok now put it all together. My summary comments in the next Gem! See how we match in our interpretation of what this passage is all about. Why did Jesus show the emotion and what sort of emotion was it?
What are you doing for God that He could not do alone? How kind of Him to use us. How wise of us to remember.
Max Lucado
MY JOB HISTORY (Series) – My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned – couldn’t concentrate.