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Wednesday, August 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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New Life Version

John 11:3

The sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, "Lord, your friend is sick!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Family;   Friendship;   Jesus, the Christ;   Lazarus;   Miracles;   Readings, Select;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dead, the;   Faith;   Faith-Unbelief;   Hindrances;   Miracles;   Mortality-Immortality;   Resurrection;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Afflictions Made Beneficial;   Families;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bethany;   Lazarus;   Mary;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - John, gospel of;   Lazarus;   Love;   Martha;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Friend, Friendship;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Lazarus;   Martha;   Holman Bible Dictionary - John, the Gospel of;   Lazarus;   Life;   Martha;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Bethany;   Lazarus;   Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Martha;   Mary;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Dominion (2);   Hospitality;   Lazarus;   Love;   Martha ;   Mary;   Names and Titles of Christ;   Pity;   Poverty (2);   Reserve;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lazarus ;   Mary, Sister of Lazarus and Martha;   New Testament;   8 To Love, Have Affection for;   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 - Bethabara;   Lazarus;   Martha;   Peraea;   Truth;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for April 7;   Every Day Light - Devotion for October 16;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
King James Version (1611)
Therefore his sister sent vnto him, saying, Lord, behold, hee whom thou louest, is sicke.
King James Version
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
English Standard Version
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
New American Standard Bible
So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
New Century Version
So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
Amplified Bible
So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, he [our brother and Your friend] whom You love is sick."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
Legacy Standard Bible
So the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
Berean Standard Bible
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one You love is sick."
Contemporary English Version
The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.
Complete Jewish Bible
So the sisters sent a message to Yeshua, "Lord, the man you love is sick."
Darby Translation
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Easy-to-Read Version
So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, "Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is sick."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Therefore his sisters sent vnto him, saying, Lord, beholde, he whome thou louest, is sicke.
George Lamsa Translation
His two sisters therefore sent to Jesus, saying, Our Lord, behold, the one whom you love is sick.
Good News Translation
The sisters sent Jesus a message: "Lord, your dear friend is sick."
Lexham English Bible
So the sisters sent word to him, saying, "Lord, behold, the one whom you love is sick."
Literal Translation
Then the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord, behold, the one whom You love is sick.
American Standard Version
The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Bible in Basic English
So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, your dear friend is ill.
Hebrew Names Version
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have affection is sick."
International Standard Version
So the sisters sent word to Jesus,sent to him
">[fn] saying, "Lord, the one whom you love is ill."
Etheridge Translation
And his two sisters sent unto Jeshu, saying, Our Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Murdock Translation
And his two sisters sent to Jesus, and said: Our Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Therfore, his sisters sent vnto hym, saying: Lorde, beholde, he whom thou louest is sicke.
English Revised Version
The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
World English Bible
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
saying, Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick.
Weymouth's New Testament
So the sisters sent to Him to say, "Master, he whom you hold dear is ill."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor hise sistris senten to hym, and seide, Lord, lo! he whom thou louest, is sijk.
Update Bible Version
The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, Lord, look, he whom you love is sick.
Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore his sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
New English Translation
So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, look, the one you love is sick."
New King James Version
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
New Living Translation
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick."
New Revised Standard
So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The sisters, therefore, sent out unto him, saying - Lord, see! he whom thou tenderly lovest, is sick.
Douay-Rheims Bible
His sisters therefore sent to him, saying: Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Revised Standard Version
So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and his sisters sent vnto him sayinge. Lorde behold he whom thou lovest is sicke.
Young's Literal Translation
therefore sent the sisters unto him, saying, `Sir, lo, he whom thou dost love is ailing;'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The sent his sisters vnto hi, & sayde: LORDE, beholde, he who thou louest lyeth sicke.
Mace New Testament (1729)
his two sisters therefore sent this message to Jesus; he, Lord, whom you love, is sick.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him of their brother's deathly illness.

Contextual Overview

1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This was the Mary who put perfume on the Lord and dried His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3 The sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, "Lord, your friend is sick!" 4 When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. It has happened so that it will bring honor to God. And the Son of God will be honored by it also." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 But when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. 7 Then He said to His followers, "Let us go into the country of Judea again." 8 The followers said to Him, "Teacher, the Jews tried to throw stones at You to kill You not long ago. Are You going there again?" 9 Jesus said, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walks during the day, he will not fall. He sees the light of this world. 10 If a man walks during the night, he will fall. The light is not in him."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he: John 11:1, John 11:5, John 13:23, Genesis 22:2, Psalms 16:3, Philippians 2:26, Philippians 2:27, 2 Timothy 4:20, Hebrews 12:6, Hebrews 12:7, James 5:14, James 5:15, Revelation 3:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:1 - thy father 1 Kings 14:3 - he shall tell 1 Kings 17:17 - the son of the woman 2 Kings 4:20 - and then died 2 Kings 4:22 - I may run 2 Kings 13:14 - fallen sick Daniel 10:19 - O man Mark 1:30 - they tell Mark 5:23 - besought Luke 4:38 - they Luke 7:2 - was sick John 2:3 - They have Acts 9:37 - she was

Cross-References

Genesis 11:4
Then they said, "Come, let us build a city for ourselves, with a tower that touches the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves, or else we may be sent everywhere over the whole earth."
Genesis 11:6
And the Lord said, "See, they are one people, and they all have the same language. This is only the beginning of what they will do. Now all they plan to do will be possible for them.
Genesis 11:7
Come, let Us go down and mix up their language so they will not understand what each other says."
Genesis 11:18
When Peleg had lived thirty years, he became the father of Reu.
Genesis 14:10
Now the Siddim valley was full of deep holes with tar. The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah turned and ran, and some fell there. But the others ran away into the hill country.
Exodus 1:14
They made their lives bitter with hard work building with stones and with all kinds of work in the field. They made them work very hard.
Exodus 2:3
But the time came when she could hide him no longer. So she took a basket made from grass, and covered it with tar and put the child in it. And she set it in the grass by the side of the Nile.
2 Samuel 12:31
He brought out the people who were in it also. He made them work with saws, sharp iron tools, and iron axes. And he made them work in the heat making building stones. He did this to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Psalms 64:5
They talk each other into doing sinful things. They talk about setting hidden traps. They say, "Who will see them?"
Proverbs 1:11
If they say, "Come with us. Let us lie in wait to kill someone. Let us set a trap for those who are without blame.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Therefore his sisters sent unto him,.... Both the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, sent to Jesus; they did not go themselves, being women, and the place where Jesus was, was at some distance; and besides, it was necessary they should abide at home, to attend their brother in his sickness, and therefore they sent a messenger, or messengers to Christ,

saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick; for it seems that Lazarus was in a very singular manner loved by Christ, as man, as John the beloved disciple was; and this is the rather put into the message by the sisters, to engage Jesus to come to his assistance; and they were very right in applying to Christ in this time of need, who is the physician, both of the bodies and souls of men; and are greatly to be commended both for their modesty and piety, in not prescribing to Christ what should be done in this case: and it may be further observed, that such who are the peculiar objects of Christ's love, are attended in this life with bodily sickness, disorders, and diseases, which are sent unto them, not in a way of vindictive wrath, but in love, and as fatherly chastisements; which, as they are designed, so they are overruled for their good; and are to be considered, not as instances of wrath, but as tokens of love.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whom thou lovest - John 11:5. The members of this family were among the few special and intimate friends of our Lord. He was much with them, and showed them marks of special friendship Luke 10:38-42, and they bestowed upon him special proofs of affection in return. This shows that special attachments are lawful for Christians, and that those friendships are especially lovely which are tempered and sweetened with the spirit of Christ. Friendships should always be cemented by religion, and one main end of those attachments should be to aid one another in the great business of preparing to die.

Sent unto him - They believed that he had power to heal him John 11:21, though they did not then seem to suppose that he could raise him if he died. Perhaps there were two reasons why they sent for him; one, because they supposed he would be desirous of seeing his friend; the other, because they supposed he could restore him. In sickness we should implore the aid and presence of Jesus. He only can restore us and our friends; he only can perform for us the office of a friend when all other friends fail; and he only can cheer us with the hope of a blessed resurrection.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 11:3. He whom thou lovest is sick. — Nothing could be more simple, nor more modest, than this prayer: they do not say, Come and heal him: or, Command the disease to depart even where thou art, and it will obey thee: - they content themselves with simply stating the case, and using an indirect but a most forcible argument, to induce our Lord to show forth his power and goodness: - He is sick, and thou lovest him; therefore thou canst neither abandon him, not us.


 
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