After Lazarus's death, Jesus comes to the tomb and summons him.
John 11:44 Loose him, and let him go.
John 11:44 Take off the grave clothes and let him go.
Untie him and permit him to depart.
In calling Lazarus out of darkness, Jesus is freeing him.
This verse is a play on the idea of freeing or releasing someone. Every verb in it has the sense of setting someone free. The word translated as "loose" is an uncommon Greek word that means "untie." The word translated as "let," is a very common word in the Gospels, that means "let go." Finally, the word translated as "go" is one that Jesus usually uses to mean "depart." All of these words are commonly translated in ways that do not make this shade of meaning clear. "Loose" is translated as "broken" most recently in John 10:35, referring to annulling laws. The "let" is translated as "forgive" when used with the word translated as "sins" (see this article). However, "go" is usually translated as "go."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "let" does not capture the specific meaning of the word. This is the active verb.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "go" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to go."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "ltake" should be something more like "untie."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "off the grave clothes" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "let" does not capture the specific meaning of the word. This is the active verb.
- WF - Wrong Form - The "go" is not an active verb but an infinitive, "to go."
Loose -- The word translated as "loose" means to "unbind. "dissolve," "break up," "undo," "and means "to annul" a law. It is the same word Jesus uses to refer to "breaking" commandments.
him, -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
let -- (CW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave," "forgive," "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See this article for more. It has the sense of leaving something alone and letting it drop. This is not a helper verb but an active verb.
him, -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
go. -- (WF) "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart." It is an infinitive, not an active verb.
Take -- (WW) The word translated as "take" means to "unbind. "dissolve," "break up," "undo," "and means "to annul" a law. It is the same word Jesus uses to refer to "breaking" commandments. It does not make "take."
off the grave clothes -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "off the grave clothes" in the Greek source.
him, -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it is can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."
let -- (CW) The word translated as "forgive" primarily means "to let go" or "to send away." This same word is usually translated as "leave," "forgive," "suffer," and "let" in the New Testament. See this article for more. It has the sense of leaving something alone and letting it drop. This is not a helper verb but an active verb.
him, -- The word translated as "him" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
go. -- (WF) "Go" is a Greek verb that means literally "go under" or "bring under," and Jesus uses it to mean "go," but he often uses it to mean "go away" and "depart." It is an infinitive, not an active verb.
Λύσατε [10 verses](verb 2nd pl aor imperat act) "Destroy" is lyo, (luo) which means "loosen," "unbind," "unfasten," "unyoke," "unharness," "release," "deliver," "give up," "dissolve," "break up," "undo," "destroy," "repeal," "annul," "break," "solve," "fulfill," "atone for," "fulfill," and "pay."
αὐτὸν [720 verses] (adj sg masc acc) "Him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it means "just here" or "exactly there."
καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."
ἄφετε [73 verses](verb 2nd sg aor imperat act) "Let" is aphiemi, which means "to let fall," "to send away," "give up," "hand over," "to let loose," "to get rid of," "to leave alone," "to pass by," "to permit," and "to send forth from oneself."
αὐτὸν [720 verses] (adj sg masc acc) "Him" is autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord." In the adverbial form, it means "just here" or "exactly there."
ὑπάγειν. [47 verses] (pres inf act) "Go" is hypago, which means "to lead under," "to bring under," "to bring a person before judgment," "to lead on by degrees," "to take away from beneath," "to withdraw," "to go away," "to retire," "to draw off," and "off with you."
All the verbs here are related to freeing or releasing someone.