Both Martha and Mary (verse 32) greet Jesus with the same words: If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! Some commentators take these words as a reproach, suggesting that Jesus should have been there to prevent the death of Lazarus. However, it is better to take them as an expression of painful regret, at the same time revealing faith in the power of Jesus to heal.

The condition contrary to fact may be expressed in some languages as “You should have been here, Lord; then my brother would not have died.” But in some languages the clear expression of a condition contrary to fact must be made explicit by appropriate negations, for example, “If you were here, Lord (but you were not), my brother would not have died (but he did).”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .