The Meaning of John 11:40 Explained

John 11:40

KJV: Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

YLT: Jesus saith to her, 'Said I not to thee, that if thou mayest believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?'

Darby: Jesus says to her, Did I not say to thee, that if thou shouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

ASV: Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Jesus  saith  unto her,  Said I  not  unto thee,  that,  if  thou wouldest believe,  thou shouldest see  the glory  of God? 

What does John 11:40 Mean?

Context Summary

John 11:36-44 - Victory Over Death
1. The Lord had been praying about this matter before He came to the grave: "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me."Notice that past tense. Perhaps He had done so when He first received the news of Lazarus' sickness. He had prayed and had received the assurance that His prayer was answered. When He started back across the Jordan, it was with the full assurance that Lazarus would be raised to life.
2. He was conscious, also, of a life of unceasing prayer. There was unbroken and constant co-operation between Him and the Father. He always did the things that pleased God and God was always answering Him. This, also, might be our constant experience.
3. Christ made this prayer that those who stood around, as they saw the effect of prayer, should understand that prayer alone can work great miracles, which become the credentials of Christ, and of all who love and obey Him. His people similarity can do great miracles, as missionaries, Christian workers, and philanthropists. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 11

1  Jesus raises Lazarus, four days buried
45  Many Jews believe
47  The high priests and Pharisees gather a council against Jesus
49  Caiaphas prophesies
54  Jesus hides himself
55  At the Passover they enquire after him, and lay wait for him

Greek Commentary for John 11:40

Said I not unto thee? [Ουκ ειπον σοι]
Jesus pointedly reminds Martha of his promise to raise Lazarus (John 11:25.). That if thou believedst Indirect discourse with εαν — ean and the first aorist active subjunctive (condition of third class) retained after the secondary tense ειπον — eipon He had not said this very phrase, εαν πιστευσηις — ean pisteusēis to Martha, but he did say to her: Πιστευεις τουτο — Pisteueis touto (Believest thou this?). He meant to test Martha as to her faith already hinted at (John 11:22) on this very point. Jesus had also spoken of increase of faith on the part of the disciples (John 11:15). Thou shouldest see the glory of God Future middle indicative of the old defective verb οραω — horaō retained in the conclusion of this condition in indirect discourse. Jesus means the glory of God as shown in the resurrection of Lazarus as he had already said to the disciples (John 11:4) and as he meant Martha to understand (John 11:25) and may in fact have said to her (the report of the conversation is clearly abridged). Hence Bernard‘s difficulty in seeing how Martha could understand the words of Jesus about the resurrection of Lazarus here and now seems fanciful and far-fetched. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 11:40

John 1:14 Glory [δόξαν]
Not the absolute glory of the Eternal Word, which could belong only to His pre-existent state, and to the conditions subsequent to his exaltation; but His glory revealed under human limitations both in Himself and in those who beheld Him. The reference is again to the Old Testament manifestations of the divine glory, in the wilderness (Exodus 16:10; Exodus 24:16, etc.); in the temple (1 Kings 8:11); to the prophets (Isaiah 6:3; Ezekiel 1:28). The divine glory flashed out in Christ from time to time, in His transfiguration (Luke 9:31; compare 2 Peter 1:16, 2 Peter 1:17) and His miracles (John 2:11; John 11:4, John 11:40), but appeared also in His perfect life and character, in His fulfillment of the absolute idea of manhood. [source]
John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name [πατερ δοχασον σου το ονομα]
First aorist (note of urgency) active imperative of πνευμα — doxazō and in the sense of his death already in John 12:16, John 12:23 and again in John 13:31; John 17:5. This is the prayer of the πσυχη — pneuma (or σαρχ — psuchē) as opposed to that of the ονομα — sarx (flesh) in John 12:27. The “name” (πωνη εκ του ουρανου — onoma) of God expresses the character of God (John 1:12; John 5:43; John 17:11). Cf. Matthew 6:9. A voice out of heaven (και εδοχασα και παλιν δοχασω — phōnē ek tou ouranou). This was the Father‘s answer to the prayer of Jesus for help. See note on the Father‘s voice at the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11) and on the Father‘s voice at the transfiguration (Mark 9:7). The rabbis called the audible voice of God εδοχασα — bath -δοχασω — qol (the daughter of a voice). I have both glorified it and will glorify it again (kai edoxasa kai palin doxasō). This definite assurance from the Father will nerve the soul of Jesus for the coming ordeal. Cf. John 11:40 for edoxasa and John 13:31; John 17:5 for doxasō f0). [source]
1 John 2:11 Hath blinded [ἐτύφλωσεν]
For the image see Isaiah 6:10. See on closed, Matthew 13:15. Compare John 1:5, and see note on κατέλαβεν , overtook; John 11:35, John 11:40. The aorist tense, blinded, indicates a past, definite, decisive act. When the darkness overtook, it blinded. The blindness is no new state into which he has come. [source]

What do the individual words in John 11:40 mean?

Says to her - Jesus Not said I to you that if you should believe you will see the glory - of God
Λέγει αὐτῇ Ἰησοῦς Οὐκ εἶπόν σοι ὅτι ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς ὄψῃ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ

Λέγει  Says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῇ  to  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
εἶπόν  said  I 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
σοι  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
πιστεύσῃς  you  should  believe 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πιστεύω  
Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
ὄψῃ  you  will  see 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
δόξαν  glory 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: δόξα  
Sense: opinion, judgment, view.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ  of  God 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.