Devine Scripture

John 11:34

What does John 11:34 mean?

A plain-English look at John 11:34 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What John 11:34 means

Jesus asks, “Where have ye laid him?” and is invited, “Lord, come and see.” His question moves the scene from lament to location, from grief to the grave. The words “come and see” earlier in the Gospel invited disciples to behold where Jesus dwelt; here they invite Him to the place where death dwells. The exchange shows Jesus’ willingness to enter our darkest places. He does not stay aloof; He approaches the tomb at the mourners’ request. This step signals that the time for speaking is giving way to the time for acting.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And said, Where have you put him? They said, Come and see, Lord.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

`Where have ye laid him?' they say to him, `Sir, come and see;'

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And said: Where have you laid him? They say to him: Lord, come and see.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and said, Where have ye put him? They say to him, Lord, come and see.

Context

After expressing deep emotion, Jesus transitions to action by asking for the tomb’s location. The response draws Him to the very place of death. The next verse, “Jesus wept,” will display His tender identification with human sorrow even as He prepares to conquer its cause. Then comments from the crowd will alternate between admiration of His love and skeptical questioning, heightening the tension before the stone is removed.

v.33When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

v.34This passage

v.35Jesus wept.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • John 1:39

    He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see. They came therefore and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day: it was about the tenth hour.

  • Matthew 28:6

    He is not here; for he is risen, even as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

  • Mark 15:47

    And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

  • Mark 16:6

    And he saith unto them, Be not amazed: ye seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who hath been crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold, the place where they laid him!

  • John 20:2

    She runneth therefore, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we know not where they have laid him.

Related questions readers ask

Keep reading

Want to dig deeper? Explore John 11

Hand-picked devotionals, topical studies, and pastoral answers that draw on John 11.

Keep exploring

Follow this verse across Scripture

Topics, devotionals, original-language word studies, and figures connected to John 11:34.

Browse every hub

BibleTopicsBible answersDevotionalsFamous passagesWord studiesPeoplePlacesVerses for…Reading plansCommentary