John 11:12

Contemporary English Version

They replied, "Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better."

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The followers answered, "But, Lord, if he can sleep, he will get well."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then sayde his disciples: Lorde yf he slepe he shall do well ynough.

Hebrew Names Version
The talmidim therefore said, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

International Standard Version
So the disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well."

New American Standard Bible
The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it."

New Century Version
The followers said, "But Lord, if he is only asleep, he will be all right."

Update Bible Version
The disciples therefore said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleepeth he will do well.

English Standard Version
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

World English Bible
The disciples therefore said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then the disciples said, Lord, if he sleep, he will recover.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Master," said the disciples, "if he is asleep he will recover."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor hise disciplis seiden, Lord, if he slepith, he schal be saaf.

English Revised Version
The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.

Berean Standard Bible
His disciples replied, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better."

Amplified Bible
The disciples answered, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

American Standard Version
The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.

Bible in Basic English
Then his disciples said to him, Lord, if he is resting he will get well.

Complete Jewish Bible
The talmidim said to him, "Lord, if he has gone to sleep, he will get better."

Darby Translation
The disciples therefore said to him, Lord, if he be fallen asleep, he will get well.

Etheridge Translation
His disciples say to him, Our Lord, if he sleep [fn] he is healed.

Murdock Translation
His disciples say to him: Our Lord, if he sleepeth, he is recovering.

King James Version (1611)
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleepe, he shall doe well.

New Living Translation
The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!"

New Life Bible
The followers said to Him, "If he is sleeping, he will get well."

New Revised Standard
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleepe, he shalbe safe.

George Lamsa Translation
His disciples said to him, Our Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get well.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The disciples, therefore, said unto him - Lord! if he have fallen asleep, he will recover.

Douay-Rheims Bible
His disciples therefore said: Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Revised Standard Version
The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde his disciples: Lorde, yf he slepe, he shall do well inough.

Good News Translation
The disciples answered, "If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well."

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.”

King James Version
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Lexham English Bible
So the disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well."

Literal Translation
Then His disciples said, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.

Young's Literal Translation
therefore said his disciples, `Sir, if he hath fallen asleep, he will be saved;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sayde his disciples: LORDE, yf he slepe, he shal do well ynough

Mace New Testament (1729)
then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he will recover;

THE MESSAGE
The disciples said, "Master, if he's gone to sleep, he'll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine." Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap.

New English Translation
Then the disciples replied, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

New King James Version
Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."

Simplified Cowboy Version
The cowboys looked at each other in confusion and said, "If he's asleep now, he'll probably be awake by the time we get there."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover."

Legacy Standard Bible
The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be saved from his sickness."

Contextual Overview

¹A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair. ³ The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick. ⁴ When Jesus heard this, he said, "His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son." ⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. ⁶ But he stayed where he was for two more days. ⁷ Then he said to his disciples, "Now we will go back to Judea." ⁸ "Teacher," they said, "the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?" ⁹ Jesus answered, "Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble. ¹⁰ But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light." ¹¹ Then he told them, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Luke 3:36
Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep,.... Soundly, quietly, and comfortably, and takes rest in it:

he shall do well; or "be saved" from the disease; he will be delivered from it; he will recover out of it; it is a sign the distemper is leaving him, and he is growing better, and will be restored to his health again: the Ethiopic version renders it by many words, "he will be well", and "will awake", and "will live". Sound sleep is a sign of health. This they said to, put off their master from going into Judea, fearing the danger he would be exposed unto.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If the sleep, he shall do well - Sleep was regarded by the Jews, in sickness, as a favorable symptom; hence it was said among them, “Sleep in sickness is a sign of recovery, because it shows that the violence of the disease has abated” (Lightfoot). This seems to have been the meaning of the disciples. They intimated that if he had this symptom, there was no need of his going into Judea to restore him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 11:12. If he sleep, he shall do well. — That is, if he sleep only, c. Though the word sleep frequently meant death, (see Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:20), yet, as it was an ambiguous term, the disciples appear here to have mistaken its meaning. Because, in certain acute disorders, the composing the patient to rest was a favourable sign; therefore the words, If he sleep, he shall do well, or recover, became a proverbial forth of speech among the Jews. In most diseases, sleep is a very favourable prognostic: hence that saying of Menander: -

Ὑπνος δε πασης εϚιν ὑγιεια νοσου.

Sleep is a remedy for every disease.

See Grotius here. The meaning of the disciples seems to have been this: There can be no need for thee to go into Judea to awake our friend Lazarus; he will awake time enough, and his very sleep is a presage of his recovery: therefore do not hazard thy life by going.