John 11:21

John 11:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
• New International Version (NIV)“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Context of John 11:21

19And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now 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 of God, God will give You.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

John 11:21 word by word

εἶπεν οὖν ἡ Μάρθα πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν· κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε, οὐκ ἂν ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀδελφός μου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Marthaὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• MarthaΜάρθαMartha · MarthaG3136
• untoπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• ifεἰei · ifG1487
• thou hadst beenεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• hereὧδεhōde · hereG5602
• myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• brotherἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• hadθνῄσκωthnēskō · to die/be deadG2348
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ·ἄνan · ifG302

Cross-references for John 11:21

• John 11:32Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
• John 4:47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
• 1 Kings 17:18So she said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?”
• Psalms 78:19Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
• Matthew 9:18While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
• Luke 7:6Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.
• Luke 8:49While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, “Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.”

Commentaries on John 11:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died - Mary said the same words to him a little after, John 11:32, which proves that these sisters had not a complete knowledge of the omnipotence of Christ: they thought he could cure at hand, but not at a distance; or they thought that it was because he did not know of their brother's indisposition that he permitted him to die. In either of these cases it plainly appears they had not a proper notion of his…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-32Verses 17-32 Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Lord, if You had been here: Mary later repeated Martha’s words (11:32), because both sisters knew that Jesus had a reputation as a healer. They concluded that Jesus would have healed Lazarus, but they did not imagine that Jesus would restore him from death.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2220-22. Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him--true to the energy and activity of her character, as seen in Lu 10:38-42. (See on Lu 10:38-42). but Mary sat ... in the house--equally true to her placid character. These undesigned touches not only charmingly illustrate the minute historic fidelity of both narratives, but their inner harmony.Read the comment

Topics related to John 11:21

• Faith
• Friendship
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles
• Readings, Select
• Sorrow

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Martha
• Awake
• Lazarus
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Dead
• Die
• John, Gospel of
• Olives, Mount of

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