Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Parallel translations
- WEB The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
- BSB His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”
- NKJV Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
- NASB The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.”
- NLT The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The disciples take Jesus literally, thinking that if Lazarus sleeps he will recover. They misunderstand His meaning.
Overview
Their literal reading reflects the recurring pattern in John of misunderstanding Jesus' figurative speech. They suppose natural sleep means Lazarus is improving. Their confusion prompts Jesus to speak plainly in the next verses.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 11:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.