John 11:21 (ASV)

Passage

Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Nearby Context

John 11:19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

John 11:20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.

John 11:21 Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

John 11:22 And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee.

John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "martha", "therefore", "said", "jesus", "lord", "thou", "hadst", and "been". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "martha" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Martha therefore when she heard that Jesus..." into verse 22's "And even now I know that whatsoever...", so "martha" and "therefore" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "martha" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.