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(Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.)
John 11:5 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
  • KJV Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
  • BSB Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
  • NKJV Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
  • NLT So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,

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

John affirms that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. His love frames the delay that follows.

Overview

This explicit statement of love prevents any misreading of Jesus' delay as indifference. His coming actions, though painful, flow from genuine affection. The verse assures us that Christ's love and His mysterious timing are not in conflict.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • John 15:9–13Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.
  • John 17:26I made known to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
  • John 11:36The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!”
  • John 16:27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came from God.
  • John 11:8The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 11:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 11:5 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.