John 11 21

John 11:21 kjv

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

John 11:21 nkjv

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

John 11:21 niv

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

John 11:21 esv

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

John 11:21 nlt

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

John 11 verses

John 11 21 Meaning

Martha's statement conveys profound grief and regret, articulating a common human belief in Jesus's power to prevent sickness and death. It reflects her deep trust in His ability to heal and intervene, but her current understanding does not yet fully grasp His power to reverse death once it has occurred, viewing it as an irreversible finality. Her "if only" expresses both her love for her brother and a poignant lament about Jesus's timing, serving as a critical setup for His subsequent revelation of divine authority over death itself.

John 11 21 Context

The chapter opens with Jesus receiving news of Lazarus's illness, yet He deliberately delays His journey to Bethany for two days (Jn 11:6). This purposeful timing allows Lazarus to die and be buried for four days by the time Jesus arrives (Jn 11:17), which, in Jewish custom, passed the commonly held belief that the soul lingered near the body for three days. Martha, having heard of Jesus's approach, proactively goes out to meet Him outside the village. Her statement in John 11:21 is her immediate, heartfelt address, deeply colored by grief, lament, and her understanding of Jesus's powerful reputation. It sets the critical stage for Jesus's subsequent, profound revelation as "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25), challenging her initial perspective and preparing the disciples for an unparalleled miracle. Historically, mourning rituals were prominent, and the Jewish community would be deeply involved in comforting the grieving family, highlighting the public nature of Lazarus's death and eventual resurrection.

John 11 21 Word analysis

• Martha (Μάρθα): A sister of Lazarus and Mary. She embodies a deeply faithful follower who earnestly trusts Jesus but simultaneously grapples with immense personal loss and the apparent delay of divine intervention. Her proactive action in meeting Jesus shows her persistent faith despite grief.
• then (οὖν): This Greek conjunction, 'oun', signifies a logical consequence or a strong transition, directly linking Martha's emotional outpouring to Jesus's long-awaited arrival and setting the scene for a pivotal dialogue.
• said (εἶπεν): A straightforward verb, 'eipo', conveying her direct communication. However, in context, it carries the profound weight of both sorrow and an underlying, conditional belief.
• to Jesus (τῷ Ἰησοῦ): This denotes a direct, personal encounter, underscoring Martha's intimate relationship with the Messiah and her readiness to confront Him with her pain and expectations.
• Lord (Κύριε): Transliterated 'Kyrie', this address goes beyond mere politeness. It acknowledges Jesus's authority, power, and potentially His divine status, even if Martha's current understanding of that power's scope is still limited by her human perception of death.
• if (εἰ): Transliterated 'ei'. This Greek particle introduces a second-class conditional statement—a condition contrary to fact ("if you had been here," implying "but you weren't"). It profoundly conveys a sense of deep regret and missed opportunity.
• you (σὺ): This emphatic personal pronoun, 'su', singles out Jesus, focusing Martha's sentiment directly on His presence (or lack thereof) as the determining factor in her brother's fate.
• had been here (ὧδε ἦς): Transliterated 'hōde ēs'. "Here" (ὧδε, 'hōde') denotes physical presence in Bethany, emphasizing Martha's belief that Jesus's physical proximity would have been sufficient to prevent death. The imperfect tense points to a continuous state that she believed was crucially absent.
• my brother (ὁ ἀδελφός μου): This possessive phrase highlights the intense personal bond and profound grief Martha feels for Lazarus (Λάζαρος).
• would not have died (οὐκ ἂν ἀπέθανεν): Transliterated 'ouk an apethanen'. This emphatic phrase expresses a certain, contrary-to-fact outcome in Martha's mind. It clearly indicates her strong conviction in Jesus's power to prevent death, but subtly reveals her initial theological boundary—that this power was primarily effective before death, not after it had taken hold.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Martha then said to Jesus, 'Lord...'": This opening segment vividly portrays Martha's direct, yet deferential, approach to Jesus. Despite her anguish, she maintains a tone of respect and acknowledgment of His status ("Lord"), indicating an underlying trust in His capability. Her action of speaking directly underscores her expectation of His personal intervention.
• "...if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'": This full phrase encapsulates Martha's core lament, expressing both her belief in Jesus's power and her sorrow over His perceived absence. It perfectly articulates her understanding of Jesus's healing prowess as preventative ("would not have died"), while subtly revealing the human limitation in comprehending His power over the finality of actual death. This statement lays the crucial groundwork for Jesus to reveal His superior and absolute power, moving beyond mere prevention to resurrection itself.

John 11 21 Bonus section

• The striking similarity between Martha's (v. 21) and Mary's (v. 32) statements emphasizes their shared grief and understanding of Jesus's power. It illustrates a common human experience of sorrow and a universal way of expressing lament in the face of loss.
• Jesus's intentional delay (John 11:6) was precisely to elevate the nature of the miracle. Had He arrived before Lazarus died, it would have been a great healing; by delaying, He positioned Himself to demonstrate absolute authority over death, an irrefutable sign of His divine nature. This strategic delay highlights God's perfect timing, which often defies human logic or immediate desire.
• Martha's address marks a critical turning point where Jesus moves from revealing His power through actions (healings) to profoundly defining His essence through words ("I am the resurrection and the life"), directly challenging her conditional faith with His absolute identity. This deepens our understanding of His self-revelation throughout John's Gospel.

John 11 21 Commentary

Martha's poignant lament to Jesus is deeply human, reflecting the universal grief and the desire for God's immediate intervention in suffering. Her belief, "Lord, if you had been here," underscores her strong faith in Jesus's miraculous ability to prevent death, based on His numerous healings. However, it also reveals the initial boundaries of her faith; she envisions His power as primarily preventative, struggling to conceive of it as restorative after death has occurred. This "if only" is not an accusation but a raw expression of profound trust marred by sorrow and a human expectation of how divine power should operate within our temporal framework. Jesus, in response, does not invalidate her grief or her partial faith but uses it as a catalyst to introduce a far grander revelation: that His power extends beyond preventing death to being the resurrection and the life, demonstrating absolute sovereignty even over the grave.