John 11:21 (GNV)

Passage

Then said Martha vnto Iesus, Lord, if thou hadst bene here, my brother had not bene dead.

Nearby Context

John 11:19 And many of ye Iewes were come to Martha and Marie to comfort them for their brother.

John 11:20 Then Martha, when shee heard that Iesus was comming, went to meete him: but Mary sate still in the house.

John 11:21 Then said Martha vnto Iesus, Lord, if thou hadst bene here, my brother had not bene dead.

John 11:22 But now I know also, that whatsoeuer thou askest of God, God will giue it thee.

John 11:23 Iesus said vnto her, Thy brother shall rise againe.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "Then Martha when shee heard that Iesus..." into verse 22's "But now I know also that whatsoeuer...", so "said" and "martha" 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 "said" and "martha" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.