John 11 13

John 11:13 kjv

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

John 11:13 nkjv

However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.

John 11:13 niv

Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

John 11:13 esv

Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.

John 11:13 nlt

They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.

John 11 verses

John 11 13 Meaning

John 11:13 clarifies the profound misunderstanding between Jesus and His disciples concerning Lazarus. Jesus' statement about Lazarus "falling asleep" was intended to convey his physical death, a truth understood through spiritual insight. However, the disciples, lacking this divine understanding at the time, interpreted His words literally as natural, temporary slumber. This verse highlights the disparity between divine communication and limited human perception, preparing for the dramatic revelation of Jesus' power over death.

John 11 13 Context

John 11 begins with Lazarus's illness, followed by Jesus' delay in reaching Bethany, despite being informed of his friend's critical condition. The disciples' understanding of Jesus' intentions, and specifically His metaphorical language regarding death, becomes crucial. This misunderstanding serves as a foundational element, contrasting Jesus' divine foresight and power over life and death with the disciples' earthly perception. The entire chapter builds toward the climactic raising of Lazarus, which functions as a profound demonstration of Jesus' identity as the "resurrection and the life" and serves as a prelude to His own resurrection. Historically, using "sleep" as a euphemism for death was common in both Jewish and Greco-Roman cultures, making the disciples' initial literal interpretation understandable, yet Jesus' further clarification in John 11:14 (that Lazarus had died) was essential for their spiritual growth and a deeper grasp of His ministry.

John 11 13 Word analysis

• However (Ancient Greek: μεν ουν - men oun): This phrase serves as a conjunction, often indicating a transition, continuation, or a mild contrast. Here, it introduces the clarifying statement, contrasting what Jesus meant with what the disciples understood. It signifies a movement from the reported action to the narrator's interpretation.
• Jesus (Ancient Greek: Ιησους - Iēsous): The Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name "Joshua" meaning "the Lord is salvation." His actions and words in this context underscore His unique divine authority and understanding, distinct from human comprehension.
• spoke (Ancient Greek: ειρηκει - eirekei): This is the perfect active indicative of legō ("to say, speak"). The perfect tense emphasizes a completed action with continuing relevance; Jesus had definitively stated His meaning, though it remained hidden to the disciples.
• death (Ancient Greek: θανατου - thanatou): The genitive form of thanatos, referring to physical cessation of life. Jesus uses the euphemism of "sleep" but inwardly knows and speaks of the stark reality of biological death.
• they (Ancient Greek: αυτοι - autoi): Refers specifically to Jesus' disciples present at the time. Their collective misinterpretation highlights their present lack of spiritual discernment despite being close to Jesus.
• thought (Ancient Greek: εδοξαν - edoxan): Aorist active indicative of dokeō, meaning "to seem, to suppose, to think." It conveys their mistaken perception or assumption based on appearances rather than understanding the deeper reality Jesus implied.
• speaking (Ancient Greek: ειρηκει - eirekei): Same verb as above, reinforcing the act of communication, but here tied to the disciples' perception of it.
• natural (Ancient Greek: φυσικου - physikou): Genitive of physikos, meaning "natural," "pertaining to nature or the body." It directly refers to the common, biological act of sleep, explicitly clarifying how the disciples understood the term "sleep," namely in its literal, physical sense.
• sleep (Ancient Greek: υπνου - hypnou): The genitive form of hypnos, referring to the temporary state of rest or slumber. In this context, it stands in stark contrast to "death," demonstrating the fundamental gap in understanding between Jesus and His disciples.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• However, Jesus spoke of his death: This phrase establishes the narrator's corrective insight, revealing Jesus' true intent behind His previous cryptic statement ("Lazarus has fallen asleep"). It emphasizes Jesus' foresight and deliberate, if veiled, communication of the grim reality of Lazarus's condition, highlighting His unique understanding of life and death.
• but they thought that he was speaking of natural sleep: This immediately sets up the profound irony and the central theme of misunderstanding in John's Gospel. The contrast between Jesus' spiritual meaning and the disciples' physical interpretation is stark. It showcases their limited, human-centric worldview, where common euphemisms are taken literally, obscuring the deeper, miraculous truth Jesus intends to convey. This interpretive gap foreshadows the grander revelation of Jesus' power.

John 11 13 Bonus section

The motif of misunderstanding, so prevalent in John's Gospel (e.g., Nicodemus on being "born again," the Samaritan woman on "living water," or the crowd on "eating Jesus' flesh"), reaches a poignant moment here. It's not a critique of the disciples' intelligence but rather a pedagogical tool employed by Jesus and highlighted by the evangelist. This dramatic irony serves to instruct the audience, gradually leading them to a profound revelation. The disciples' initial confusion serves to accentuate Jesus' omniscient insight and the magnitude of His forthcoming miracle. Furthermore, Jesus' use of "sleep" for death also redefines death from a dreaded finality to a temporary, revocable state in the eyes of the Creator. This perspective shifts death from being a barrier into an entryway for God's glory to be revealed, particularly through resurrection. It challenges the conventional view of death by aligning it with an act that Jesus can effortlessly undo.

John 11 13 Commentary

John 11:13 serves as a pivotal interpretive key in the narrative of Lazarus. It reveals the deliberate, yet challenging, nature of Jesus' communication, where His words carried profound spiritual truth often masked by everyday language. The disciples' misinterpretation of "sleep" for actual death underscores a recurring Johannine theme: the inability of humans to grasp divine realities without spiritual insight. This wasn't merely a communication breakdown; it was an instance of spiritual blindness. Jesus used "sleep" to imply that for Him, death was not an ultimate end, but a temporary state from which He could awaken. This metaphor beautifully anticipates the resurrection and emphasizes Jesus' sovereignty over life and death. The narrative intends to guide both the disciples and the readers from a naturalistic understanding to a theological one, setting the stage for Jesus to reveal Himself as "the resurrection and the life." The verse demonstrates that divine truth often requires clarification because human perception, left to itself, interprets phenomena at a superficial level. It encourages believers to look beyond the surface, trusting in Jesus' deeper, spiritual meaning, especially concerning the grave.