John Chrysostom

"Where have ye laid him?" So that the question might not be attended with lamentation. But why doth He ask? Because He desired not to cast Himself on the miracle, but to learn all from them, to do all at their invitation, so as to free the miracle from any suspicion.

Homily on the Gospel of John 63 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

"Where have you laid him?" the Lord asks not because He does not know (for, being in another place and far away, He still knew that Lazarus had died), but so that they would not think that He Himself volunteers to perform the miracle of His own accord. He wishes to learn everything from them and to perform the miracle at their request, so as to free it from all suspicion. …

Commentary on John ↗

Augustine of Hippo

And said, Where have ye laid him? He knew where, but He asked to try the faith of the people. (lib. 83. Quaest. qu. lxv.) The question has an allusion too to our hidden calling. That predestination by which we are called, is hidden; and the sign of its being so is our Lord asking the question: He being as it were in ignorance, so long as we are ignorant ourselves. Or because our Lord elsewhere shows that He knows not sinners, saying, I know you not, (Matt. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Thomas Aquinas

1536 Then our Lord shows the emotion in his own heart by words; he says, Where have you laid him? Was our Lord really ignorant of the place where he had been buried? It seems not, for just as in his absence he knew, because of his divinity, of Lazarus' death, so in the same way he knew where his tomb was. Why did he ask about something he already knew? I answer that he did not ask as though he did not know, but upon being shown the tomb by the people, he wanted them to admit that Lazarus had died and was buried. …

Commentary on John ↗

Bonaventure

He said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see: and there follows the manifestation of compassion.

Commentary on John, Chapter 11 ↗