John 11:12

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

The disciples, therefore, said unto him - Lord! if he have fallen asleep, he will recover.

Parallel Translations

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

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

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

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

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."

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

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."

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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."

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.

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

English Revised Version
The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is 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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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

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.

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."

Contextual Overview

¹ Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha her sister. ² And Mary was she who anointed the Lord with perfume, and wiped his feet with her hair - whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³ The sisters, therefore, sent out unto him, saying - Lord, see! he whom thou tenderly lovest, is sick. ⁴ But Jesus hearing, said - This sickness, is not unto death, but for the glory of God, - that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. ⁶ When, therefore, he heard that he was sick, then, indeed, he abode in the place where he was, two days. ⁷ Then, after this, he saith unto the disciples - Let us be leading on into Judaea, again. ⁸ The disciples say unto him - Rabbi! just now, were the Jews seeking to stone thee - and, again, goest thou thither? ⁹ Jesus answered - Are there not, twelve hours, in the day? If one walk in the day, he doth no stumble, because, the light of this world, he seeth; ¹⁰ But, if one walk in the night, he stumbleth, because, the light, is not in him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Cross-References

Luke 3:36
of Cainan, of Arphaxad, of Shem, - of Noah, of 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.