Lazarus' Sickness and Jesus' Intention
John 11:1-16
John.11.1 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- Ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- ασθενων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- Λαζαρος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- απο: PREP
- Βηθανιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- εκ: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- κωμης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- Μαριας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- Μαρθας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- αδελφης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- αυτης: PRO,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- John 12:1-8 (structural): Same Bethany setting with Lazarus, Mary and Martha; continues the episode (anointing of Jesus) and links to the raising of Lazarus and the passion motif.
- Luke 10:38-42 (thematic): Earliest Gospel account naming Martha and Mary at Bethany; highlights the sisters’ relationship to Jesus and the themes of hospitality and discipleship found in John 11.
- Mark 14:3 (cf. Matthew 26:6-13) (thematic): Anointing at Bethany by a woman called Mary (traditionally linked to John’s Mary of Bethany); connects place, person and the foreshadowing of Jesus’ death.
- Luke 16:19-31 (verbal): The name Lazarus appears prominently in a Jewish parable about wealth, poverty and reversal of fortunes; the shared name invites literary/allusive connections to themes of death and vindication.
- Mark 5:21-43 (cf. Matthew 9:18-26; Luke 8:40-56) (thematic): Raising narratives (Jairus’ daughter and the woman healed) parallel John’s motif of Jesus’ power over illness and death and the communal responses to miraculous restoration.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now a certain man was ill—Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
- Now a certain man was sick—Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
John.11.2 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- Μαριαμ: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- αλειψασα: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,f
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- κυριον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- μυρω: NOUN,dat,sg,n
- και: CONJ
- εκμαξασα: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,f
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- ποδας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- θριξιν: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- αυτης: PRO,gen,sg,f
- ης: PRON,gen,sg,f
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- αδελφος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- Λαζαρος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ησθενει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 12:3 (verbal): Same woman (Mary of Bethany) anoints Jesus' feet and wipes them with her hair; direct narrative continuation and fuller account of the act mentioned in John 11:2.
- Mark 14:3-9 (verbal): Parallel anointing narrative set in Bethany where a woman anoints Jesus with costly ointment; overlaps in action and the motif of preparing Jesus for burial.
- Matthew 26:6-13 (verbal): Synoptic parallel to Mark's anointing story (an expensive ointment poured on Jesus' head/feet), emphasizing the act's significance and its defense by Jesus.
- Luke 7:37-38 (allusion): Different anointing episode (a sinful woman at Simon the Pharisee's house) who also wets Jesus' feet with tears and wipes them with her hair; thematically and verbally echoes the intimate act of devotion.
- John 11:5 (thematic): Contextual link: the statement that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus explains the relational background for Mary’s demonstrative act described in 11:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- It was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; the man who was ill was Lazarus.
- (It was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was sick.)
John.11.3 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- απεστειλαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- ουν: CONJ
- αι: ART,nom,pl,f
- αδελφαι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- προς: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- λεγουσαι·Κυριε: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,f+NOUN,voc,sg,m
- ιδε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- φιλεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- ασθενει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 11:5 (verbal): States explicitly that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, which explains the wording 'whom you love' in 11:3 and grounds the emotional context of the sisters' message.
- John 11:32 (quotation): Mary's later verbal plea to Jesus—'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died'—continues the sisters' appeal for Jesus' intervention introduced in 11:3.
- John 11:36 (thematic): The crowd's reaction 'See how he loved him!' reflects back on the 'whom you love' language of 11:3 and highlights the same theme of Jesus' affection for Lazarus.
- John 13:23 (verbal): Uses the phrase 'the disciple whom Jesus loved,' paralleling the Johannine motif and phrasing of personal love found in 11:3.
- Mark 5:22-23 (thematic): Jairus' urgent plea to Jesus to heal his dying daughter parallels the sisters' sending for Jesus on behalf of a loved one in desperate need.
Alternative generated candidates
- So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
- So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold—the one you love is sick.”
John.11.4 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ακουσας: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,m,sg
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ειπεν·Αυτη: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg+DEM,nom,sg,f
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- ασθενεια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- προς: PREP
- θανατον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- αλλ᾽υπερ: CONJ+PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- δοξης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- ινα: CONJ
- δοξασθη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- υιος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- δι᾽αυτης: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- John 9:3 (thematic): Jesus reframes an illness not as punishment but as occasion for God's works to be revealed—parallel logic to 'not unto death but for the glory of God.'
- John 11:40 (structural): Immediate context: Jesus tells Martha that if she believes she will see God's glory, echoing 11:4's claim that the situation exists to reveal the Father's glory through the Son.
- John 12:23-28 (thematic): Jesus declares 'the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified,' linking suffering/death and the resulting glorification of the Son and the Father, the same dynamic asserted in 11:4.
- John 17:1-5 (verbal): In the high-priestly prayer Jesus asks the Father to 'glorify your Son' so the Son may glorify the Father—language and the mutual glorification motif closely mirror 11:4.
- Philippians 2:8-11 (thematic): Paul portrays Christ's humiliation and death followed by exaltation and universal glorification—the theological pattern of suffering serving the purpose of the Son's glorification reflected in John 11:4.
Alternative generated candidates
- When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
- When Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
John.11.5 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ηγαπα: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- Μαρθαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- αδελφην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- αυτης: PRO,gen,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- Λαζαρον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- John 11:3 (verbal): The messengers describe Lazarus as 'the one you love,' using the same verb and highlighting the familial affection referenced in 11:5.
- John 11:35-36 (thematic): Jesus' weeping (v.35) and the Jews' reaction 'See how he loved him!' (v.36) directly display and comment on the love stated in 11:5.
- Luke 10:38-42 (thematic): The account of Jesus' close relationship with Martha and Mary provides a parallel portrayal of his personal bond with this family.
- John 13:23 (verbal): The phrase 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' echoes John's language of Jesus' affectionate relationships, paralleling the explicit love named in 11:5.
- John 21:7, 20-21 (allusion): Post-resurrection scenes highlighting the 'beloved disciple' and Jesus' special relational language allude to the Johannine motif of personal love as in 11:5.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John.11.6 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ως: ADV
- ουν: CONJ
- ηκουσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- οτι: CONJ
- ασθενει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τοτε: ADV
- μεν: PART
- εμεινεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- ω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- τοπω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- δυο: NUM,acc,pl,m
- ημερας·: NOUN,acc,pl,f
Parallels
- John 11:4 (structural): Immediate Johannine context: Jesus interprets Lazarus' illness as serving God's glory, showing his foreknowledge and purpose behind remaining two days.
- John 11:15 (structural): Jesus later explains the delay—he was glad he had not been there so the disciples would believe—making the two-day stay part of his salvific timing.
- Mark 5:35-42 (thematic): Jairus' daughter dies while Jesus is delayed; he arrives afterwards and raises her—paralleling the motif of Jesus' apparent delay followed by a resurrection.
- Luke 8:49-56 (thematic): Synoptic parallel to Mark's account: the same pattern of delay, reported death, and then Jesus' bringing the child back to life echoes the Lazarus narrative.
- John 7:6-8 (verbal): Jesus deliberately stays away because 'his time had not yet come'—another Johannine instance of Jesus delaying travel for providential timing, akin to remaining two days after hearing of Lazarus' illness.
Alternative generated candidates
- So when he heard that he was ill, he remained two days where he was.
- So when he heard that he was sick he remained two days in the place where he was.
John.11.7 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- επειτα: ADV
- μετα: PREP
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- μαθηταις·Αγωμεν: NOUN,dat,pl,m; VERB,pres,act,subj,1,pl
- εις: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- Ιουδαιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- παλιν: ADV
Parallels
- John 7:1; 7:8–10 (thematic): Jesus' movement to and from Judea is contrasted with earlier reluctance—here he again resolves to go to Judea despite danger, echoing the narrative tension about entering hostile territory.
- John 4:3–4 (structural): Both passages record Jesus' intentional travel decisions between Judea and Galilee, highlighting the motif of region-to-region movement that frames his ministry and mission choices.
- Luke 9:51 (thematic): Jesus' determined journey toward Jerusalem (‘set his face to go’) parallels the resolute decision in John to go into Judea where opposition and the path to his destiny await.
- Matthew 26:2 (cf. Mark 10:33–34) (allusion): Jesus' foreknowledge of going up to suffer and die in Jerusalem thematically parallels the decision to return to Judea—both point to deliberate movement toward the locus of his passion.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
- Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go again into Judea.”
John.11.8 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- λεγουσιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- μαθηται·Ραββι: NOUN,nom,pl,m+NOUN,voc,sg,m
- νυν: ADV
- εζητουν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,pl
- σε: PRON,acc,sg,2
- λιθασαι: VERB,aor,act,inf
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- Ιουδαιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- παλιν: ADV
- υπαγεις: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- εκει: ADV
Parallels
- John 7:1 (thematic): States that Jesus did not openly go into Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill him—same general threat that the disciples cite in 11:8.
- John 10:31-33 (verbal): Describes the Jews picking up stones to stone Jesus after his claims about the Father—language and the action of stoning parallel the disciples’ warning in 11:8.
- John 8:59 (verbal): Reports that the crowd picked up stones to stone Jesus after his teaching, echoing the specific danger of stoning mentioned by the disciples in 11:8.
- John 11:7 (structural): The immediately preceding verse records Jesus’ decision to go back to Judea; 11:8 is the disciples’ immediate response expressing fear that Jews there seek to stone him.
Alternative generated candidates
- The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?"
- The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
John.11.9 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- απεκριθη: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,sg
- Ιησους·Ουχι: PROPN,nom,sg,m
- δωδεκα: NUM,acc,pl,m
- ωραι: NOUN,nom,pl,f
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- ημερας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- εαν: CONJ
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- περιπατη: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- ημερα: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- ου: PART,neg
- προσκοπτει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- οτι: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- φως: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- κοσμου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- τουτου: DEM,gen,sg,m
- βλεπει·: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 11:10 (structural): Immediate contrast/continuation of the same thought: if one walks at night he stumbles because the light is not in him—complements the day/light metaphor in v.9.
- John 9:5 (verbal): Jesus declares, 'While I am in the world I am the light of the world'—uses the same 'light of the world' language that undergirds v.9's claim about safe walking by day.
- John 8:12 (verbal): Jesus' statement 'I am the light of the world' provides the personal identification of the light that allows one to 'walk' without stumbling—directly related Johannine light motif.
- John 1:9 (thematic): The Prologue's 'true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world' supplies the broader Johannine theme of light entering the world that v.9 invokes.
- Ephesians 5:8 (thematic): Paul's call to 'walk as children of light' echoes the moral/spiritual dimension of the walking/light metaphor—walking in the day as walking in the light of Christ.
Alternative generated candidates
- Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
- Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks by day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
John.11.10 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- εαν: CONJ
- δε: CONJ
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- περιπατη: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- νυκτι: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- προσκοπτει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- οτι: CONJ
- το: ART,acc,sg,n
- φως: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- αυτω: PRON,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- John 11:9 (structural): Immediate literary parallel/contrast in the same pericope: walking by day does not make one stumble because one 'sees the light of the world'—frames 11:10's night/darkness motif.
- John 8:12 (thematic): Jesus proclaims himself 'the light of the world,' promising that those who follow him will not walk in darkness—direct theological contrast to walking in the night and stumbling.
- Proverbs 4:19 (verbal): Uses similar language about darkness and stumbling: 'the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble,' echoing the motif of ignorance and peril in darkness.
- Isaiah 59:10 (allusion): Imagery of groping and stumbling 'at noon as in the night' parallels the motif of blindness and stumbling in darkness found in John 11:10.
- 1 John 2:11 (thematic): Speaks of walking in darkness and not knowing where one goes because darkness blinds—parallel moral/ethical consequences of 'walking in the night'.
Alternative generated candidates
- But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him."
- But if anyone walks by night he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
John.11.11 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- μετα: PREP
- τουτο: PRON,nom,sg,n
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις·Λαζαρος: PRON,dat,pl,masc
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- φιλος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- κεκοιμηται: VERB,perf,mp,ind,3,sg
- αλλα: CONJ
- πορευομαι: VERB,pres,mid,ind,1,sg
- ινα: CONJ
- εξυπνισω: VERB,aor,act,subj,1,sg
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- John 11:14 (structural): Immediate follow-up in the same narrative where Jesus clarifies that Lazarus is dead, resolving the 'sleep' metaphor from v.11.
- Matthew 9:24 (verbal): In the Jairus story Jesus says the girl 'is not dead but sleeps,' using the same sleep/death language to set up a resurrection-like act.
- Luke 8:52 (verbal): Parallel account to Matthew 9:24; again Jesus describes death as sleep when about to raise the young girl, a close verbal parallel to John 11:11.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15 (thematic): Paul uses the 'sleep' metaphor for believers' death and connects it to future awakening at Christ's return, echoing the image of death as temporary sleep.
- 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (thematic): Paul contrasts 'sleep' with being changed in an instant at the last trumpet, thematically linked to the idea of awakening the dead.
Alternative generated candidates
- After saying these things he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him."
- These things he said; then he told them plainly, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go so that I may wake him out of sleep.”
John.11.12 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- ουν: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- μαθηται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- αυτω·Κυριε: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- κεκοιμηται: VERB,perf,mp,ind,3,sg
- σωθησεται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 11:11 (verbal): Jesus earlier uses the same 'sleep' metaphor for Lazarus ('Our friend Lazarus sleeps'), prompting the disciples' remark and framing the immediate context.
- John 11:14 (structural): Jesus explicitly clarifies that Lazarus 'is dead,' contrasting the sleep metaphor with literal death and preparing for the resurrection motif.
- Luke 8:52-55 (verbal): In the raising of Jairus' daughter Jesus likewise says she is 'not dead but sleeping,' using the same metaphor and then restoring life.
- Matthew 9:24 (verbal): Parallel Synoptic account where Jesus declares the girl 'not dead but asleep,' echoing the sleep/death language used in Johannine and Lukan narratives.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (thematic): Paul treats death as 'sleep' for believers and links it to hope in resurrection—theological background for the New Testament's sleep-as-death imagery.
Alternative generated candidates
- The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep he will recover."
- The disciples therefore said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep he will be saved.”
John.11.13 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ειρηκει: VERB,perf,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- περι: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θανατου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- εκεινοι: PRO,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- εδοξαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- οτι: CONJ
- περι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- κοιμησεως: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- υπνου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 11:11 (quotation): Jesus first says Lazarus has 'fallen asleep'—the exact language that the listeners took literally in 11:13.
- John 11:14 (structural): Jesus then speaks plainly that Lazarus is dead, correcting the misunderstanding that 'sleep' referred to ordinary sleep.
- Mark 5:39 (verbal): Jesus tells mourners that the dead child 'is not dead but asleep,' using the same sleep-as-death metaphor in a resurrection context.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (thematic): Paul uses 'sleep' as a euphemism for believers' death and addresses hopes about resurrection—echoing the metaphor and its theological implications.
- 1 Corinthians 15:18 (thematic): Paul speaks of those who have 'fallen asleep' in Christ, treating death as sleep in discussing the reality of resurrection.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant ordinary sleep.
- Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought he meant ordinary sleep.
John.11.14 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- τοτε: ADV
- ουν: CONJ
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- παρρησια·Λαζαρος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- απεθανεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- John 11:11 (structural): Immediately preceding verse uses the sleep metaphor ('Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep'), which Jesus then clarifies in 11:14 that Lazarus is dead—shows narrative contrast and verbal development.
- John 11:25-26 (thematic): Jesus' proclamation 'I am the resurrection and the life' occurs in the same episode and provides the theological framework for his statement that Lazarus is dead and for raising him.
- Matthew 9:24 (verbal): In the account of Jairus' daughter Jesus says she is 'not dead but sleeping'—the same sleep/death language and the motif of Jesus reversing death.
- Mark 5:39-42 (thematic): Parallel healing/raising narrative (Jairus' daughter) where death is described with sleep language and Jesus brings the person back to life, echoing the Lazarus episode.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (thematic): Paul uses the 'sleep' metaphor for believers' death and links it to future resurrection through Christ—theologically resonates with Jesus' description and purpose in John 11.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."
- Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died.”
John.11.15 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- χαιρω: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- δι᾽υμας: PREP+PRON,acc,pl,2
- ινα: CONJ
- πιστευσητε: VERB,fut,act,ind,2,pl
- οτι: CONJ
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ημην: VERB,impf,act,ind,1,sg
- εκει·αλλα: ADV,loc+CONJ
- αγωμεν: VERB,pres,act,subj,1,pl
- προς: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- John 20:31 (structural): Explicit statement of John's purpose: the Gospel is written so readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ — parallels 11:15's expressed intention that the event lead to belief.
- John 11:4 (thematic): Jesus says Lazarus' illness is for God's glory so the Son of God may be glorified; both verses frame Jesus' actions (including his prior absence) as serving a purpose that will elicit belief and reveal God's glory.
- John 11:40 (verbal): Jesus: 'Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?' Links belief as the expected response to Jesus' coming, echoing 11:15's aim that their faith be produced by his return.
- Mark 5:36 (cf. Luke 8:50) (verbal): Jesus' command 'Do not be afraid; only believe' when going to heal a dying person parallels the summons 'let us go to him' and the emphasis on trust in the face of apparent loss in John 11:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, that you may believe. But let us go to him."
- And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
John.11.16 - Details
Translation
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ουν: CONJ
- Θωμας: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- λεγομενος: PART,pres,pass,nom,sg,m
- Διδυμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- συμμαθηταις·Αγωμεν: NOUN,dat,pl,m + VERB,pres,act,subj,1,pl
- και: CONJ
- ημεις: PRON,nom,pl,1
- ινα: CONJ
- αποθανωμεν: VERB,aor,act,subj,1,pl
- μετ᾽αυτου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 26:35 (verbal): Peter declares he will never disown Jesus, even if he must die with him — language and the motif of willingness to die with Jesus parallel Thomas' statement.
- Luke 22:33 (thematic): Peter tells Jesus he is ready to go with him to prison and to death; shares the same theme of a disciple’s readiness to accompany Jesus even to death.
- John 13:37 (verbal): Peter says 'Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you,' echoing the personal resolve to die for Jesus found in Thomas' remark.
- Acts 21:13 (verbal): Paul’s companions (and Paul) express readiness to die with him over the dangers they face in Jerusalem — a later echo of the disciples’ willingness to face death alongside a leader.
Alternative generated candidates
- So Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
- Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Now a certain man was ill—Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; the man who was ill was Lazarus. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said, “This sickness will not end in death; rather it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he remained two days longer in the place where he was.
Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
After saying this he told them plainly, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep he will recover.”
(Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought he meant ordinary sleep.) So Jesus plainly told them, “Lazarus is dead.
Yet for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”