JHN 11:17-37

Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary

17Therefore when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

19And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

20Therefore when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary was sitting in the house.

21Therefore Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

22But even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you."

23Jesus says to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24Martha says to him, "I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day."

25Jesus said to her: "I myself am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.

26And everyone who lives and believes in me will certainly not die into eternity. Do you believe this?"

27She says to him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

28And having said this, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."

29And when she heard this, she rose quickly and was coming to him.

30Now Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him.

31Therefore the Jews who were with her in the house and were comforting her, seeing that Mary rose quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

32Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled himself,

34and said, "Where have you laid him?" They say to him, "Lord, come and see."

35Jesus wept.

36Therefore the Jews were saying, "See how he loved him!"

37But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this one also should not die?"

In the world it was spoken into

In first-century Jewish culture, mourning rituals were highly structured and communal. The presence of many Jews from Jerusalem at Bethany underscores the social expectation of collective grief. Martha’s statement, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died,' reflects a common Jewish belief in the power of a holy man’s presence to avert tragedy. Her words also hint at the tension between faith in Jesus’ authority and the reality of Lazarus’ death. The term (to console) was not merely about emotional comfort but also about reaffirming communal solidarity and hope in the face of loss. Jesus’ response, marked by (deeply moved or indignant), aligns with prophetic traditions where righteous anger or distress signals divine concern over human suffering and death’s dominion. This moment would have resonated with Jewish listeners familiar with prophetic figures who confronted death as an enemy.

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How other translations render this

JHN 11:17

KJV: Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
BSB: When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb.
Koinōnos: Therefore when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days.

JHN 11:18

KJV: Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
BSB: Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
Koinōnos: Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

JHN 11:19

KJV: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
BSB: and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother.
Koinōnos: And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

JHN 11:20

KJV: Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
BSB: So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home.
Koinōnos: Therefore when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary was sitting in the house.

JHN 11:21

KJV: Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
BSB: Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Koinōnos: Therefore Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

JHN 11:22

KJV: But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
BSB: But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”
Koinōnos: But even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you.

JHN 11:23

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
BSB: “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.
Koinōnos: Jesus says to her, "Your brother will rise again.

JHN 11:24

KJV: Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
BSB: Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Koinōnos: Martha says to him, "I know that he will rise in the resurrection at the last day.

JHN 11:25

KJV: Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
BSB: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.
Koinōnos: Jesus said to her: "I myself am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.

JHN 11:26

KJV: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
BSB: And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Koinōnos: And everyone who lives and believes in me will certainly not die into eternity. Do you believe this?

JHN 11:27

KJV: She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
BSB: “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Koinōnos: She says to him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.

JHN 11:28

KJV: And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
BSB: After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”
Koinōnos: And having said this, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you.

JHN 11:29

KJV: As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
BSB: And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.
Koinōnos: And when she heard this, she rose quickly and was coming to him.

JHN 11:30

KJV: Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
BSB: Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.
Koinōnos: Now Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him.

JHN 11:31

KJV: The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
BSB: When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
Koinōnos: Therefore the Jews who were with her in the house and were comforting her, seeing that Mary rose quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

JHN 11:32

KJV: Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
BSB: When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Koinōnos: Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

JHN 11:33

KJV: When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
BSB: When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
Koinōnos: Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled himself,

JHN 11:34

KJV: And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
BSB: “Where have you put him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
Koinōnos: and said, "Where have you laid him?" They say to him, "Lord, come and see.

JHN 11:36

KJV: Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
BSB: Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
Koinōnos: Therefore the Jews were saying, "See how he loved him!

JHN 11:37

KJV: And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
BSB: But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Koinōnos: But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this one also should not die?

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 11:19

Mary:The word translated 'comfort' here carries the sense of encouraging someone to endure or to take heart, often in the face of difficulty or sorrow.

JHN 11:25

I myself:The term used here for 'I myself' is emphatic, highlighting the speaker's personal involvement and identity in the statement being made.

JHN 11:26

certainly:The word translated 'certainly' is a strong, objective negation, indicating a factual impossibility rather than a subjective doubt or rejection.

JHN 11:33

He was deeply moved:The phrase 'He was deeply moved' describes a strong, visceral reaction, often associated with indignation, anger, or a deep, inward agitation, like a snorting horse.