The Meaning of John 11:20 Explained

John 11:20

KJV: Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

YLT: Martha, therefore, when she heard that Jesus doth come, met him, and Mary kept sitting in the house.

Darby: Martha then, when she heard Jesus is coming, went to meet him; but Mary sat in the house.

ASV: Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Martha,  as soon as  she heard  that  Jesus  was coming,  went and met  him:  but  Mary  sat  [still] in  the house. 

What does John 11:20 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This picture of Martha as the activist and Mary as the more passive of the two sisters harmonizes with Luke"s presentation of them ( Luke 10:38-42).

Context Summary

John 11:17-27 - Jesus The Resurrection And The Life
His step may linger, but Jesus comes at length. While He seems to tarry, He knows each sigh, pang, and tear that escapes from the sufferer and His friends; and when He arrives He does more than we asked or thought. He raises not the sick, but the dead. He makes the darkness of the tomb the background to set forth the resurrection glory. He turns tears into jewels, as the sun does with dewdrops. In after days the three would not have wished it otherwise. They would review it all, as we shall our life from the hilltops of heavenly glory, with the cry of "Amen, Hallelujah." Amen, the reverent assent of the will. Hallelujah, the glad ascription of praise, John 11:25. If we die before His second advent, we shall still live; if we live to see it, we shall be changed in a moment into His likeness.
Note that majestic consciousness of I AM, John 11:25. None ever spoke like this. It is the crown of the eight I AMs of this Gospel. He is unchangeably the same. All who have lived are living still in Him. When you stand by the grave where your cherished hopes lie buried, still dare to affirm that He is the Christ, the expression of the love of God. [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 11:20

That Jesus was coming [οτι Ιησους ερχεται]
Present middle indicative retained in indirect discourse after the secondary tense ηκουσεν — ēkousen (first aorist active). Went and met him First aorist (ingressive) active indicative of υπανταω — hupantaō old compound verb, to go to meet (Matthew 8:28) with the associative instrumental case αυτωι — autōi But Mary still sat in the house Imperfect middle of κατεζομαι — kathezomai old verb to sit down, graphic picture of Mary, “while Mary was sitting in the house.” Both Martha and Mary act true to form here as in Luke 10:38-42. [source]
That Jesus was coming [ὅτι ὁ Ιησοῦς ἔρχεται]
Literally, is coming. The exact words of the message: Jesus is coming. [source]
Went and met [ὐπήντησεν]
The verb means to go to meet. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 11:20

John 11:30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town [ουπω δε εληλυτει ο Ιησους εις την κωμην]
Explanatory parenthesis with past perfect as in John 11:19. Martha had her interview while he was still coming (John 11:20) and left him (went off, απηλτεν — apēlthen John 11:28) to hurry to Mary with the news. Why Jesus tarried still where he had met Martha we do not know. Westcott says, “as though He would meet the sisters away from the crowd of mourners.” [source]

What do the individual words in John 11:20 mean?

- Therefore Martha when she heard that Jesus is coming met Him Mary however in the house was sitting
οὖν Μάρθα ὡς ἤκουσεν ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἔρχεται ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ Μαριὰμ δὲ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ ἐκαθέζετο

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Μάρθα  Martha 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Μάρθα  
Sense: was the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany.
ἤκουσεν  she  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ἔρχεται  is  coming 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ὑπήντησεν  met 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ὑπαντάω  
Sense: to go to meet, to meet.
Μαριὰμ  Mary 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: Μαρία 
Sense: Mary the mother of Jesus.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
οἴκῳ  house 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
ἐκαθέζετο  was  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καθέζομαι  
Sense: to sit down, seat one’s self, sit.