And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
And {G2532} he that was dead {G2348} came forth {G1831}, bound {G1210} hand {G5495} and {G2532} foot {G4228} with graveclothes {G2750}: and {G2532} his {G846} face {G3799} was bound about {G4019} with a napkin {G4676}. Jesus {G2424} saith {G3004} unto them {G846}, Loose {G3089} him {G846}, and {G2532} let him {G863} go {G5217}.
The man who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, “Unwrap him, and let him go!”
The man who had been dead came out with his hands and feet bound in strips of linen, and his face wrapped in a cloth. “Unwrap him and let him go,” Jesus told them.
He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
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John 5:25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. -
John 20:7
And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. -
John 11:25
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: -
John 11:26
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? -
Philippians 3:21
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. -
1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. -
John 5:21
For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth [them]; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
John 11:44 captures the astonishing moment when Lazarus, whom Jesus had just called forth from the tomb, emerges alive. This verse vividly describes his appearance, still bound by the burial cloths, and Jesus's subsequent command to release him, highlighting the transition from death to complete freedom.
Context
This powerful scene climaxes the narrative in John chapter 11, where Jesus demonstrates His divine authority over death. Having arrived in Bethany four days after His friend Lazarus had died and been buried (John 11:17), Jesus engaged in profound conversations with Martha and Mary, declaring Himself the "Resurrection and the Life." After a prayer of thanksgiving to the Father (John 11:41), Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43). This verse immediately follows, detailing Lazarus's miraculous emergence and Jesus's instruction for his full liberation.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The "graveclothes" (Greek: othonia, ὀθόνια) were strips of linen cloth used in Jewish burial customs to wrap the body. The "napkin" (Greek: soudarion, σουδάριον) was a separate cloth used to cover the face. This detail is particularly significant because a similar soudarion was found folded neatly by itself in Jesus's own empty tomb after His resurrection (John 20:7), suggesting an orderly and complete departure, unlike Lazarus who needed to be unbound.
Practical Application
John 11:44 offers powerful spiritual insights for believers today. Just as Lazarus was called out of physical death, we are called out of spiritual death into new life in Christ. However, even after being spiritually regenerated, we may still carry "graveclothes"—old habits, lingering sins, past hurts, or limiting beliefs that hinder our full freedom in Christ. Jesus desires not just our salvation but our complete liberation. The command "Loose him, and let him go" serves as a reminder that the Christian journey involves both God's miraculous work in us and our active participation, often with the help of the believing community, in shedding whatever binds us, so we can fully walk in the newness of life provided by the Holy Spirit.