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 11:37KJVWhat 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.