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John 11:12

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

His disciples were like, 'Lord, if he's just sleeping, that's actually a good sign, he'll get better.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

Sometimes we misread the situation completely and think everything's fine when it's really not.

📚 Historical Context

In the Gospel of John, chapter 11, Jesus is speaking to his disciples about Lazarus, who has fallen ill and died, using the word "sleep" as a metaphor for death. The disciples, however, take Jesus' words literally, assuming that Lazarus is simply resting and will recover naturally, which reflects the common biblical use of sleep to describe death in a cultural context where such metaphors were prevalent. This misunderstanding sets the stage for Jesus to demonstrate his power over death by raising Lazarus.

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