And comforted her. — Better, were comforting her — i.e., were engaged in the prescribed ceremonial of those who were called comforters.
Saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. — The better reading is, thinking, She goeth... The practice was and is common among the Orientals, as well as among other nations.
Their following her, defeats the object Martha had in view in calling her secretly. We may say, also, that it defeated our Lord’s object in remaining outside the village; but this is not inconsistent with His knowing that it would be so.