John 11:12 (DRB)

Passage

His disciples therefore said: Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Nearby Context

John 11:10 But if he walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.

John 11:11 These things he said; and after that he said to them: Lazarus our friend sleepeth: but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.

John 11:12 His disciples therefore said: Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

John 11:13 But Jesus spoke of his death: and they thought that he spoke of the repose of sleep.

John 11:14 Then therefore Jesus said to them plainly: Lazarus is dead.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "disciples", "therefore", "said", "lord", "sleep", "shall", and "well". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "disciples" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "These things he said and after that..." into verse 13's "But Jesus spoke of his death and...", so "disciples" 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 "disciples" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.