John 11:37

Contemporary English Version

Some of them said, "He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
But some of them said, "Jesus healed the eyes of the blind man. Why didn't he help Lazarus and stop him from dying?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And some of the sayde: coulde not he which openned the eyes of the blynde have made also that this man shuld not have dyed?

Hebrew Names Version
Some of them said, "Couldn't this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also caused that this man wouldn't die?"

International Standard Version
But some of them said, "Surely the one who opened the eyes of the blind man could have kept this man from dying, couldn't he?"John 9:6;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
But some of them said, "Could this Man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?"

New Century Version
But some of them said, "If Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man, why couldn't he keep Lazarus from dying?"

Update Bible Version
But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?

Webster's Bible Translation
And some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

English Standard Version
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"

World English Bible
Some of them said, "Couldn't this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also caused that this man wouldn't die?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Could not this person, who opened the eyes of the blind, have even caused that this man should not have died?

Weymouth's New Testament
But others of them asked, "Was this man who opened the blind man's eyes unable to prevent this man from dying?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And summe of hem seiden, Whethir this man that openyde the iyen of the borun blynde man, myyte not make that this schulde not die?

English Revised Version
But some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?

Berean Standard Bible
But some of them asked, "Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Amplified Bible
But some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the blind man's eyes, have kept this man from dying?"

American Standard Version
But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?

Bible in Basic English
But some of them said, This man, who made open the eyes of the blind man, was he not able to keep his friend from death?

Complete Jewish Bible
But some of them said, "He opened the blind man's eyes. Couldn't he have kept this one from dying?"

Darby Translation
And some of them said, Could not this [man], who has opened the eyes of the blind [man], have caused that this [man] also should not have died?

Etheridge Translation
But some of them said, Could not this who opened the eyes of that blind have caused also that this should not have died ?

Murdock Translation
And some of them said: Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man, have caused that this also should not have died?

King James Version (1611)
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blinde, haue caused that euen this man should not haue died?

New Living Translation
But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

New Life Bible
Some of them said, "This Man opened the eyes of the blind man. Could He not have kept this man from dying?"

New Revised Standard
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And some of them saide, Coulde not he, which opened the eyes of the blinde, haue made also, that this man should not haue died?

George Lamsa Translation
Some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of that blind man, have also kept this man from dying?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, some from among them, said - Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that, this one also, should not have died?

Douay-Rheims Bible
But some of them said: Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind have caused that this man should not die?

Revised Standard Version
But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And some of them sayde: Coulde not he which opened the eyes of the blinde, haue made also, that this man shoulde not haue dyed?

Good News Translation
But some of them said, "He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?"

Christian Standard Bible®
But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?”

King James Version
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Lexham English Bible
But some of them said, "Was not this man who opened the eyes of the blind able to do something so that this man also would not have died?"

Literal Translation
But some of them said, Was this One, the One opening the eyes of the blind, not able to have caused that this one should not die?

Young's Literal Translation
and certain of them said, `Was not this one, who did open the eyes of the blind man, able to cause that also this one might not have died?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But some of the saide: Coulde no the which opened the eyes of ye blynde, haue made also, that this ma shulde not haue dyed?

Mace New Testament (1729)
but some of them said, this man who has given sight to the blind, could not he have prevented Lazarus's death?

THE MESSAGE
Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man."

New English Translation
But some of them said, "This is the man who caused the blind man to see! Couldn't he have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?"

New King James Version
And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"

Simplified Cowboy Version
but some people said it was his fault Lazarus had died. Some of them said, "If he could heal the blind, he could have healed his friend if he cared that much."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"

Legacy Standard Bible
But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"

Contextual Overview

³³ When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset ³⁴ and asked, "Where have you put his body?" They replied, "Lord, come and you will see." ³⁵ Jesus started crying, ³⁶ and the people said, "See how much he loved Lazarus." ³⁷ Some of them said, "He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" ³⁸ Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. ³⁹ Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, "Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell." ⁴⁰ Jesus replied, "Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹ After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, "Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. ⁴² I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so that the people here would believe that you sent me."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Could: John 9:6, Psalms 78:19, Psalms 78:20, Matthew 27:40-42, Mark 15:32, Luke 23:35, Luke 23:39

Reciprocal: Isaiah 35:5 - the eyes Isaiah 42:20 - Seeing John 5:36 - the works John 9:7 - and came John 11:21 - if John 11:32 - if Acts 9:37 - she was

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And some of them said,.... Who were averse to him, and bore him a secret grudge, and were willing to put the worst construction on every action of his:

could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind; as it is said, at least pretended, that he did, John 9:6, for this must be understood as calling the miracle into question, and as a sneer upon it, and not as taking it for granted that so it was; and even supposing that, it is mentioned to his reproach, since if so, he might

have caused that, even this man should not died: for either the above cure was a sham, or, if it was a real thing, he who did that could have prevented Lazarus's death; and if he could, and would not, where is his friendship? and what must be thought of all this show of affection to him? and what are these tears, but crocodile ones? but this reasoning, as specious as it may seem, was very fallacious; for he that cured the man born blind could raise Lazarus from the dead, which he intended; and therefore did not prevent his death, that he might still give more joy to the family, bring more glory to God, and himself, and more shame and confusion to his enemies.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 37. Could not this man, which opened the eyes, c.] Through the maliciousness of their hearts, these Jews considered the tears of Jesus as a proof of his weakness. We may suppose them to have spoken thus: "If he loved him so well, why did he not heal him? And if he could have healed him, why did he not do it, seeing he testifies so much sorrow at his death? Let none hereafter vaunt the miracle of the blind man's cure if he had been capable of doing that, he would not have permitted his friend to die." Thus will men reason, or rather madden, concerning the works and providence of God; till, by his farther miracles of mercy or judgment, he converts or confounds them.