New English Translation
John 11:4
4When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
John 11:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
- New International Version (NIV)When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
- New King James Version (NKJV)When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Context of John 11:4
2(Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5(Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) 6So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days.
Read all of John 11John 11:4 word by word
Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· αὕτη ἡ ἀσθένεια οὐκ ἔστιν πρὸς θάνατον ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ δι᾽ αὐτῆς.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whenδέde · thenG1161
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
- he saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- sicknessἀσθένειαastheneia · weakness: illG769
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
- the gloryδόξαdoxa · gloryG1391
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- might be glorifiedδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
- therebyδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
- ·αὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
Cross-references for John 11:4
- John 9:3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.
- Mark 5:39When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.”
- Romans 11:11I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.
- John 11:40Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?”
- John 9:24Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.”
- John 12:28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
- John 13:31When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.
- Philippians 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
- 1 Peter 4:11Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
- John 2:11Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
- John 5:23so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
- John 8:54Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’
- John 17:1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you –
- Philippians 1:20My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die.
- 1 Peter 1:21Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Commentaries on John 11:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4This sickness is not unto death - Not to final privation of life at this time; but a temporary death shall be now permitted, that the glory of God may appear in the miracle of his resurrection. It is very likely that this verse contains the message which Christ sent back, by the person whom the afflicted sisters had sent to him; and this, no doubt, served much to strengthen their confidence, though their faith must have been greatly exercised by the death…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4This sickness is not unto death - The word “death” here is equivalent to remaining under death, Romans 6:23. “The wages of sin is death” - permanent or unchanging death, opposed to eternal life. Jesus evidently did not intend to deny that he would die. The words which he immediately adds show that he would expire, and that he would raise him up to show forth the power and glory of God. Compare John 11:11. Those words cannot be understood on any other…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Jesus responded with words that were similar to his words about the man born blind (9:1–5). Jesus already knew Lazarus was dead (11:14). He was talking about Lazarus's resurrection, which would bring glory to God (11:43).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-53-5. his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick--a most womanly appeal, yet how reverential, to the known affection of her Lord for the patient. (See Joh 11:5, 11). "Those whom Christ loves are no more exempt than others from their share of earthly trouble and anguish: rather are they bound over to it more surely" [Trench].Read the comment
Topics related to John 11:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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