Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister, Martha.
- BSB At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
- NKJV Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
- NASB Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
- NLT A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.
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
A man named Lazarus of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha, falls sick. This introduces the setting for the raising of Lazarus.
Overview
John names the family at Bethany, near Jerusalem, who were dear friends of Jesus. The sickness of Lazarus sets in motion the greatest of Jesus' signs in this Gospel. The personal detail prepares us for a scene of deep love, grief, and resurrection power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- John 12:17The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
- Luke 10:38–42Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
- 2 Kgs 20:1–12In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
- John 11:11These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
- John 12:9Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
- Matt 21:17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
- John 11:5–6Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
- Acts 9:37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.
- Mark 11:1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
- John 11:3Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
- Luke 16:20–25And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
- John 12:1–2Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
- Gen 48:1And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
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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 11:1 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
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