Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 11:6-10

"When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was. Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. The disciples say unto him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him." — John 11:6-10 (ASV)

Here the Evangelist presents the raising of the dead Lazarus.

First, we see that Christ desired to do this. Second, the sequence of events surrounding the raising is given, beginning at Jesus therefore came (John 11:17).

We see three things related to the first point:

1. Our Lord allows death.
2. He states his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died, at then after that, he said.
3. He reveals his intention to raise him, at these things he said, and after that he said to them (John 11:11).

Christ allowed this death by prolonging his stay beyond the Jordan: when he had heard therefore that he was sick, he remained in the same place for two days. From this, we can infer that Lazarus died on the very day that Jesus received the message from his sisters. This is because when Christ went to the place where Lazarus died, it was already the fourth day. After receiving the message, Christ remained for two days in the same place, and on the day after, he went to Judea.

He delayed for these few days for two reasons. First, so that the death of Lazarus would not be prevented by his presence, for where life is present, death has no entry. Second, he delayed in order to make the miracle more credible, so that people would not say that Christ revived Lazarus from a coma rather than from death.

Here our Lord declares his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died: then after that, he said to his disciples: let us go into Judea again. This section covers three points:

1. Our Lord’s plan.
2. The fear of the disciples, at the disciples said to him.
3. Our Lord dispelling their fear, at Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours of the day?

Regarding the first point, the Evangelist says that after that—the prolonged delay—Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” One might ask why Christ made a point of telling the apostles he was about to go into Judea again, since he had not done this on other occasions.

The reason was that the Jews had just recently persecuted Christ in Judea and had almost stoned him; indeed, that is why he had left. So it was to be expected that when Christ wanted to go there again, the disciples would become fearful. And because, as Gregory says, darts that are foreseen do not strike and foreseen evils are more easily borne, our Lord mentioned his planned journey to them to calm their fears.

As for the mystical sense, we can understand Christ’s return to Judea to mean that he will return again at the end of the world to the Jews, who will be converted to him: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the gentiles come in (Romans 11:25).

The fear of the disciples is mentioned when the Evangelist says, the disciples said to him: Rabbi, the Jews just now sought to stone you, and you are going there again? This was like saying, it seems that you are deliberately going to your death. Yet their fear was unreasonable, because the disciples had God with them as their protector, and one who is with God should not fear: let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? (Isaiah 50:8). The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalms 27:1).

Our Lord dispels this fear by strengthening them. The Evangelist says, Jesus answered his disciples, “Are there not twelve hours of the day?” He addresses three points:

1. Something about time itself.
2. The time that is suited for walking, which he explains with, if a man walks in the day, he does not stumble.
3. The time that is not suited for walking, explained with, but if he walks in the night, he stumbles.

To understand this passage, we should note that it has been explained in three ways. The first way is from Chrysostom, and it is this: The question, Are there not twelve hours of the day? is like saying, “You hesitate to go to Judea because the Jews recently wanted to stone me; but the day has twelve hours, and what happens at one hour does not happen in another.” So, although they would have stoned me before, they would not want to do this at another hour: for everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3:1); every matter has its time and way (Ecclesiastes 8:6).

A question about the literal meaning arises here, because he is speaking of either the natural day or the artificial day. If he is speaking of the natural day, then what he says is false, because the natural day has twenty-four hours, not twelve. If he is speaking of the artificial day (the period of daylight), his statement also seems false, because this is true only at the equinox, as not all artificial days have twelve hours of equal length.

The answer is that we should understand this to refer to the artificial day, which can be understood as always having twelve hours. The hours of such days are measured in two ways: some are of equal length, and some are not.

Hours of equal length are measured according to the circle of the equator. By this measure, not all days have twelve hours; some have more and some less, except at the equator itself. Unequal hours, however, are distinguished according to the ascensions of the zodiac, accounting for its obliquity. Because the zodiac does not ascend at a uniform rate in all its parts (though it does at the equator), the hours vary in length.

Each artificial day has twelve of these unequal hours. This is because every day has six zodiac signs that ascend during the day and six at night. The signs that ascend in summer have a slower motion than those that ascend in winter, and the ascent of each sign makes up two hours.

If a man walks in the day—that is, honorably and without a guilty conscience, as in let us conduct ourselves honorably as in the day (Romans 13:13)—he does not stumble, meaning he does not encounter anything that might harm him. This is because he sees the light of this world; that is, the light of righteousness is in him: light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart (Psalms 97:11). It is as if our Lord were saying, “We can go securely because we are walking during the day.”

But if he walks in the night—that is, in the night of sin—he will easily find dangers. Concerning this night we read, those who sleep, sleep at night (1 Thessalonians 5:7). Such a person stumbles, or strikes against something, because the light of righteousness is not in him.

Theophylact, a Greek commentator, explains this another way. Beginning with if a man walks in the day, he says that the day is the presence of Christ in the world, and the night is the time after Christ’s Passion. The meaning, then, is this: the Jews are not to be feared because as long as I am in the world, it is not you, but I, who am in danger. Thus, when the Jews wanted to arrest Christ, he said to the crowd, if therefore you seek me, let these go their way. That the word might be fulfilled which he said: Of them whom you have given me, I have not lost any one (John 18:8–9). But if he walks in the night—that is, in the time after the Passion—you should be afraid to go into Judea, because you will suffer persecution from the Jews: strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered (Zechariah 13:7).

Augustine explains it another way, suggesting that the day indicates Christ, as in I must do the works of him who sent me while it is day (John 9:4), and as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). The twelve hours of this day are the twelve apostles: have I not chosen you twelve? (John 6:71).

But what should we say of what follows: and one of you is a devil (John 6:71)? Judas, therefore, was not an hour of this day because he gave no light. We should say that our Lord spoke these words not in reference to Judas, but to his successor, Matthias.

Thus, the meaning of Are there not twelve hours of the day? is as if he were saying, “You are the hours; I am the day. Just as the hours follow the day, so you must follow me. If I wish to go to Judea, you should not go ahead of me or change my will, but you should follow me.” He said something similar to Peter: Get behind me, Satan! (Matthew 16:23)—that is, do not go ahead of me, but follow me by imitating my will.

If a man walks in the day is the same as saying, “You should not fear any danger, because you are going with me, who am the day.” Just as one who walks in the day does not run into anything—that is, he does not stumble—so it is for you who walk with me: if God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31). This is because he sees the light of this world in me. But if he walks in the night—in the darkness of ignorance and sin—then he stumbles. This is because the spiritual light is not in him, not because of a defect in the light, but because of his own rebellion: there are those who rebel against the light (Job 24:13).