John 11:16

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, that we may die with him.”

BSB

Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “ Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

KJV

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

ASV

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

BBE

Then Thomas, who was named Didymus, said to the other disciples, Let us go so that we may be with him in death.

Original Greek

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Εἶπεν Eipen Said G2036 οὖν oun therefore G3767 Θωμᾶς Thōmas Thomas G2381 ὁ ho who G3588 λεγόμενος legomenos is being named G3004 Δίδυμος Didumos Didymus G1324 τοῖς tois to the G3588 συμμαθηταῖς summathētais fellow disciples G4827 ἄγωμεν agōmen Let us go G71 καὶ kai also G2532 ἡμεῖς hēmeis us G3165 ἵνα ina that G2443 ἀποθάνωμεν apothanōmen we may die G599 μετ met᾽ with G3326 αὐτοῦ autou Him G846

The early church

"Let us go, that we also may die with Him." Some say that he desired himself to die; but it is not so; the expression is rather one of cowardice. Yet he was not rebuked, for Christ as yet supported his weakness, but afterwards he became stronger than all, and invincible. For the wonderful thing is this; that we see one who was so weak before the Crucifixion, become after the Crucifixion, and after having believed in the Resurrection, more zealous than any. So great was the power of Christ. The very man who dared not go in company with Christ to Bethany, the same while not seeing Christ ran well nigh through the inhabited world, and dwelt in the midst of nations that were full of murder, and desirous to kill him.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on John
The disciples, checked by our Lord's answer to them, dared no longer oppose; and Thomas, more forward than the rest, says, Let us also go that we may die with him. What an appearance of firmness! He speaks as if he could really do what he said; unmindful, like Peter, of his frailty.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 11–16

Since we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that resurrection to eternal life, make it as easy for us to put off the body and die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he dies, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein death is better than sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.

Read Matthew Henry on John 11 →

Cross-references

11

People & places

Thomas

Topics

LoveCourageThomasDidymus (Twin)

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.