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Tuesday, June 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

John 11:13

Now Yeshua had used the phrase to speak about El‘azar's death, but they thought he had been talking literally about sleep.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostles;   Friendship;   Jesus, the Christ;   Lazarus;   Miracles;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dead, the;   Miracles;   Mortality-Immortality;   Resurrection;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Measures;   Miracles of Christ, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bethany;   Lazarus;   Mary;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jesus christ;   John, gospel of;   Lazarus;   Sleep;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Lazarus;   Martha;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John, the Gospel of;   Sleep;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bethany;   Death;   Lazarus;   Martha;   Mary;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Death (2);   Dominion (2);   Martha ;   Mary;   Mental Characteristics;   Metaphors;   Street;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lazarus ;   Mary, Sister of Lazarus and Martha;   New Testament;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Bethany;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Lazarus;   Martha;   Smith Bible Dictionary - John, Gospel of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - How;   Martha;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for March 2;   Every Day Light - Devotion for October 16;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep.
King James Version (1611)
Howbeit Iesus spake of his death: but they thought that hee had spoken of taking of rest in sleepe.
King James Version
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
English Standard Version
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
New American Standard Bible
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep.
New Century Version
Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but his followers thought he meant Lazarus was really sleeping.
Amplified Bible
However, Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was referring to natural sleep.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of actual sleep.
Berean Standard Bible
They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
Contemporary English Version
Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.
Darby Translation
But Jesus spoke of his death, but *they* thought that he spoke of the rest of sleep.
Easy-to-Read Version
They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was literally sleeping, but he really meant that Lazarus was dead.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Howbeit, Iesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of the naturall sleepe.
George Lamsa Translation
But Jesus spoke of his death; and they thought that what he said was sleeping in bed.
Good News Translation
Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep.
Lexham English Bible
(Now Jesus had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about real sleep.)
Literal Translation
But Jesus had spoken about his death, but they thought that He spoke of the sleep of slumber.
American Standard Version
Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.
Bible in Basic English
Jesus, however, was talking of his death: but they had the idea that he was talking about taking rest in sleep.
Hebrew Names Version
Now Yeshua had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
International Standard Version
Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about resting or sleeping.
Etheridge Translation
But Jeshu spake concerning his death; and they thought that concerning the repose of sleep he spake.
Murdock Translation
But Jesus spoke of his death; and they thought, he spoke of the sleep of repose.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Howbeit, Iesus spake of his death, but they thought that he had spoken of the naturall slepe.
English Revised Version
Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.
World English Bible
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of the natural rest in sleep.
Weymouth's New Testament
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought He referred to the rest taken in ordinary sleep.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But Jhesus hadde seid of his deth; but thei gessiden, that he seide of slepyng of sleep.
Update Bible Version
Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest in sleep.
New English Translation
(Now Jesus had been talking about his death, but they thought he had been talking about real sleep.)
New King James Version
However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
New Living Translation
They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
New Life Bible
But Jesus meant Lazarus was dead. They thought He meant Lazarus was resting in sleep.
New Revised Standard
Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But Jesus had spoken concerning his death; whereas, they, supposed that, concerning the taking of rest in sleep, he had been speaking.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Jesus spoke of his death: and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep.
Revised Standard Version
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
How be it Iesus spake of his deeth: but they thought yt he had spoke of ye naturall slepe.
Young's Literal Translation
but Jesus had spoken about his death, but they thought that about the repose of sleep he speaketh.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
(Howbeyt Iesus spake of his death but they thought yt he had spoke of ye bodely slepe.)
Mace New Testament (1729)
though Jesus meant it of Lazarus's death: but they understood it of the natural rest in sleep.
Simplified Cowboy Version
They didn't realize Jesus was saying Lazarus was dead.

Contextual Overview

1 There was a man who had fallen sick. His name was El‘azar, and he came from Beit-Anyah, the village where Miryam and her sister Marta lived. 2 (This Miryam, whose brother El‘azar had become sick, is the one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent a message to Yeshua, "Lord, the man you love is sick." 4 On hearing it, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may receive glory through it." 5 Yeshua loved Marta and her sister and El‘azar; 6 so when he heard he was sick, first he stayed where he was two more days; 7 then, after this, he said to the talmidim, "Let's go back to Y'hudah." 8 The talmidim replied, "Rabbi! Just a short while ago the Judeans were out to stone you — and you want to go back there?" 9 Yeshua answered, "Aren't there twelve hours of daylight? If a person walks during daylight, he doesn't stumble; because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a person walks at night, he does stumble; because he has no light with him."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: John 11:11 - sleepeth

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death,.... Under the figurative phrase of sleeping:

but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep; in a literal and natural sense.


 
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