The disciples answered is literally “therefore the disciples said to him.” He will get well translates a verb which literally means “to be saved,” but it can be used with the meaning “to recover from sickness.” What the disciples had in mind was that if Lazarus was sleeping, the worst stage of his sickness had passed, and now he would gradually get better. But the situation was otherwise, as the next verse indicates.

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 .