John 11:39

Take ye away. Jesus could have removed the stone by a miracle. But the task was something that human hands could perform. Men are to cooperate with God and not to expect God to do for them that which they can do themselves (see p. 209).

He stinketh. This impulsive outburst shows that Martha’s faith was too feeble to grasp the full significance of what was implied in vs. 23-26 (see on v. 22). Her reaction provided positive evidence to the Jews that no deception was being practiced, and that Lazarus was really dead, the fact that Martha feared that putrefaction had already set in suggests that the body had not been embalmed, although v. 44 indicates a careful preparation of the body.

Four days. Jewish tradition of the 3rd century A.D., probably reflecting elements of belief in the time of Jesus, taught that for three days the soul returns to the body in the hope of entering into it again. When at the end of the period the soul observes that the countenance has become disfigured, it departs and never returns. Hence for three days the relatives would visit the tomb, in the hope that the person was probably only in a coma, and not actually dead. When the fourth day arrived there was no longer any question about death. If these traditions were current in the time of Jesus, the fact that it was the fourth day would be convincing evidence that Lazarus was really dead. Jesus may have had this popular concept in mind when He delayed His arrival until the fourth day.