John 11 · Verse 4

John 11:4

When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

John 11:4, King James Version

John 11:4 in other translations

BSB	When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
WEB	But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it.”
ASV	But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.
YLT	and Jesus having heard, said, ‘This ailment is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'
DARBY	But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.
BBE	When this came to his ears, Jesus said, The end of this disease is not death, but the glory of God, so that the Son of God may have glory because of it.
Webster	When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.

What does John 11:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 11:3-5

3-5. his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick--a most womanly appeal, yet how reverential, to the known affection of her Lord for the patient. (See Joh 11:5, 11). "Those whom Christ loves are no more exempt than others from their share of earthly trouble and anguish: rather are they bound over to it more surely" [Trench].

Read the full comment on John 11:3-5 →

Barnes' Notes

Verse 4. This sickness is not unto death. The word death here is equivalent to remaining render death, Rom 6:23: "The wages of sin is death"---permanent or unchanging death, opposed to eternal life. Jesus evidently did not intend to deny that he would die. The words which he immediately adds show that he would expire, and that he would raise him up to show forth the power and glory of God. Comp. Jn 11:11. Those words cannot be understood on any other supposition than that he expected to raise him up. The Saviour often used expressions similar to this to fix the attention on what he was about to say in explanation. The sense may be thus expressed: "His sickness is not fatal. It is not designed for his death, but to furnish an opportunity for a signal display of the glory of God, and to furnish a standing proof of the truth of religion. It is intended to exhibit the power of the Son of God, and to be a proof at once of the truth of his mission; of his friendship for this family; of his mild, tender, peculiar love as a man; of his power and glory as the Messiah; and of the great doctrine that the dead will rise."

For the glory of God. That God may be honoured See Jn 9:3.

That the Son of God, &c. The glory of God and of his Son is the same. That which promotes the one promotes also the other. Few things could do it more than the miracle which follows, evincing at once the lovely and tender character of Jesus as a man and a friend, and his power as the equal with God.

(d) "for the glory of God" Jn 9:3, 11:40

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 4 This sickness is not unto death - Not to final privation of life at this time; but a temporary death shall be now permitted, that the glory of God may appear in the miracle of his resurrection. It is very likely that this verse contains the message which Christ sent back, by the person whom the afflicted sisters had sent to him; and this, no doubt, served much to strengthen their confidence, though their faith must have been greatly exercised by the death of their brother: for when this took place, though they buried him, yet they believed, even then, probably on the ground of this message, that Jesus might raise him from the dead. See Joh 11:22.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 11:1-6

It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of…

Read the full comment on John 11:1-6 →

John 11:4 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἈκούσαςAkousasHaving heardG191

δὲdethenG1161

ὁho<the>G3588

ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424

εἶπεν·eipensaid;G2036

αὕτηhautēThisG3778

ἡhē<the>G3588

ἀσθένειαastheneiasicknessG769

οὐκouknotG3756

ἔστινestinisG1510

πρὸςprosuntoG4314

θάνατονthanatondeathG2288

ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235

ὑπὲρhuperforG5228

τῆςtēstheG3588

δόξηςdoxēsgloryG1391

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦtheouof GodG2316

ἵναinathatG2443

δοξασθῇdoxasthēamay be glorifiedG1392

ὁhotheG3588

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θεοῦtheouof GodG2316

δι᾽di᾽throughG1223

αὐτῆς.¶autēsit.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 11:4

John 11:40
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
John 9:3
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
1 Peter 4:14
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
John 5:23
That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Mark 5:39-42
And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.
John 13:31-32
Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
John 2:11
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
John 12:28
Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
John 8:54
Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
Philippians 1:20
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

This.
9:3; Mr 5:39-42; Ro 11:11
for.
40; 9:24; 12:28; 13:31,32; Php 1:11; 1Pe 4:11,14
that.
2:11; 5:23; 8:54; 13:31,32; 17:1,5,10; Php 1:20; 1Pe 1:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

John 11:3
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
John 11:4
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John 11:5
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Read all of John 11

John 11:4 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Y oyéndolo Jesús, dijo: Esta enfermedad no es para muerte, mas por gloria de Dios, para que el Hijo de Dios sea glorificado por ella.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Jésus, l’ayant entendu, dit: Cette maladie n’est pas à la mort, mais pour la gloire de Dieu, afin que le Fils de Dieu soit glorifié par elle.
German Elberfelder 1871	Als aber Jesus es hörte, sprach er: Diese Krankheit ist nicht zum Tode, sondern um der Herrlichkeit Gottes willen, auf daß der Sohn Gottes durch sie verherrlicht werde.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Audiens autem Jesus dixit eis: Infirmitas hæc non est ad mortem, sed pro gloria Dei, ut glorificetur Filius Dei per eam.