### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word G5066 (τεταρταῖος, transliterated as *tetartaîos*) is an adjective derived from τέσσαρες (tessares, `{{G5064}}`), meaning "four." Its core meaning denotes "pertaining to the fourth day" or "being of four days' duration." It specifically refers to a temporal state, indicating that an event or condition has persisted for four days. The semantic range of G5066 is highly restricted due to its precise numerical and temporal nature, primarily serving to quantify the duration of time passed since a particular event.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The word G5066 (τεταρταῖος) appears only once in the New Testament, specifically in the Gospel of John:
* **[[John 11:39]]**: "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days (τεταρταῖος).'"
In this singular occurrence, Martha's statement regarding her brother Lazarus being "four days" dead is profoundly significant. In Jewish belief of the first century, it was commonly held that the soul departed from the body after three days, and by the fourth day, decomposition would have visibly begun, making death undeniable and irreversible. Martha's use of G5066 (τεταρταῖος) emphasizes the finality and reality of Lazarus's death, highlighting that there was no possibility of a mere swoon or misdiagnosis. Her concern about the "stench" further underscores the advanced state of decay, leaving no room for doubt about the miraculous nature of what Jesus was about to do. This context sets the stage for the unparalleled demonstration of Jesus's power over death.
### Related Words & Concepts
The primary linguistic root for G5066 (τεταρταῖος) is τέσσαρες (tessares, `{{G5064}}`), meaning "four." Other related terms and concepts include:
* ἡμέρα (hēmera, `{{G2250}}`): "day," which is the unit of time implied by G5066.
* ἀποθνήσκω (apothnēskō, `{{G599}}`): "to die," the state that Lazarus was in for four days.
* ἀνάστασις (anastasis, `{{G386}}`): "resurrection," the divine act that reversed the state described by G5066.
* Concepts of decay and corruption: The four-day period was culturally understood to signify irreversible physical deterioration.
* The number four: Often associated with the created world, totality, or completion (e.g., four corners of the earth, four seasons). In this context, it signifies the completion of the death process.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of G5066 (τεταρταῖος) in [[John 11:39]] is immense and multifaceted.
1. **Undeniable Reality of Death:** The "four days" serves to utterly remove any ambiguity regarding Lazarus's death. It was not a coma, a faint, or a mistaken diagnosis. The cultural understanding of decay by the fourth day meant that Lazarus was truly, undeniably dead. This fact magnifies the subsequent miracle exponentially.
2. **Highlighting Jesus's Divine Power:** By raising someone who had been dead "four days," Jesus demonstrates His absolute sovereignty over death, even in its most advanced and irreversible stages. This is a profound vindication of His earlier declaration, "I am the resurrection and the life" ([[John 11:25]]). The greater the apparent impossibility, the greater the glory revealed in the divine intervention.
3. **Prefigurement of Christ's Resurrection:** While Jesus Himself rose on the third day, the raising of Lazarus after four days provides a powerful prefigurement of the ultimate victory over death. It assures believers that Jesus has the power to raise the dead, a promise central to Christian hope.
4. **Confronting Human Limitations:** Martha's statement, rooted in human experience and understanding of death, underscores the boundary of human capability. It is precisely at this point of human despair and finality that divine power intervenes, demonstrating that God's power is not limited by human understanding or natural processes.
### Summary
The Greek word G5066 (τεταρταῖος), meaning "pertaining to the fourth day," is a singular yet profoundly significant term in the New Testament. Its sole occurrence in [[John 11:39]], in Martha's declaration that Lazarus had been dead "four days," serves a critical theological purpose. It unequivocally establishes the undeniable reality and finality of Lazarus's death, particularly within the cultural context of irreversible decay after three days. This temporal detail is not incidental; rather, it sets the stage for Jesus's most dramatic public miracle, powerfully demonstrating His divine authority and absolute sovereignty over death. The "four days" transforms the resurrection of Lazarus from a remarkable event into an unparalleled display of Christ's life-giving power, confirming His identity as "the resurrection and the life" and offering a tangible prefigurement of the ultimate victory over the grave.
TRV