John 11:37

But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Onlookers at Lazarus’s tomb voice a question to the crowd after Jesus weeps and the Jews remark on His love for the dead man.

The words — The Greek οὐκ ἐδύνατο (ouk edunato) renders literally as “was not able,” structuring the remark as a challenge to Jesus’ power rather than a denial of His past miracles.

The thread — This pattern of testing divine capability appears in Psalms 78:19, Matthew 27:40, and recalls the prior healing in John 9:6.

Why it lands — The text forces a reader to confront the gap between acknowledging Christ’s power and trusting His timing, requiring a choice between faith in His sovereignty or retreat into skepticism.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

King James Version

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?

Cross-references

John 9:6 When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes.
Psalms 78:19 They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?
Matthew 27:40 and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”
Luke 23:35 The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”
John 11:32 When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mark 15:32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.
John 11:21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.