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?

JOHN 11:37KJV
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John 11:37 (KJV)

What does John 11:37 mean?

John 11:37 shows that some people questioned Jesus’ power, wondering aloud if the man who healed the blind could have prevented Lazarus from dying. This verse highlights the doubts and mixed opinions among those watching Jesus at Lazarus’s tomb.

In this scene, a group of mourners is speaking about Jesus after Lazarus has died. They remember that Jesus previously healed a blind man, and they ask each other why he did not stop Lazarus’s death. Their question reveals both a recognition of Jesus’s miracles and a lingering skepticism about his abilities or intentions.

The Greek behind John 11:37

  • ἠνέῳξεν (ēneōixen, “opened”): This word refers to Jesus opening the eyes of the blind man in John 9. The use of this specific word connects the crowd’s memory of that miracle to their current expectations of Jesus.
  • ἐποίησεν (epoiēsen, “caused” or “done”): This verb suggests an active intervention. The people are not just wondering if Jesus could have helped, but if he could have directly acted to prevent Lazarus’s death.
  • ἀποθανεῖν (apothanein, “to die”): The form here emphasizes the finality of Lazarus’s death, underlining the seriousness of what they are questioning Jesus about.

Why John 11:37 matters

  • John 11:37 reveals that even those who witnessed Jesus’s miracles could still doubt or question his choices, showing the complexity of faith and skepticism in the crowd.
  • This verse connects the miracle of healing the blind man (John 9) to the current story, reminding readers of Jesus’s reputation and the expectations people had for him.
  • The question sets up the dramatic tension for what follows, as Jesus is about to demonstrate his power over death itself, not just illness.

Where else these words appear

“blind” Greek G5185 · used in 48 verses

  • Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
  • Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
  • John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.

“opened” Greek G455 · used in 75 verses

  • Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
  • John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
  • Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

“eyes” Greek G3788 · used in 86 verses

  • Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
  • Luke 6:42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.
  • Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

“should” Greek G599 · used in 99 verses

  • Matthew 8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
  • John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
  • Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.