New King James Version
John 11:4
4When 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.”
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 Living Translation (NLT)But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”
Context of John 11:4
2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 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.” 5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
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 that the works of God should be revealed in him.
- Mark 5:39When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
- Romans 11:11I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles.
- John 11:40Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
- John 9:24So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
- John 12:28Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
- John 13:31So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
- Philippians 1:11being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
- 1 Peter 4:11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
- John 2:11This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
- John 5:23that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
- John 8:54Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
- John 17:1Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
- Philippians 1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
- 1 Peter 1:21who through Him believe 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries