And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't just feel pity; the original Greek describes His "bowels of compassion" being stirred – a deep, visceral reaction to the widow's grief. He offers comfort before the miracle, a profound reassurance that His power to bring life is already active and certain.
And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is traveling with a crowd and disciples toward the town of Nain when they encounter a funeral procession. The deceased is a young man, the only son of a widow, and a large group from the town is accompanying her in her grief. As Jesus sees the sorrowful mother, his heart is moved with compassion.
Jesus encounters a grieving widow, and His reaction isn't just sympathy – it's a visceral, gut-level response. What does this tell us about God's heart for suffering?
Luke calls Jesus 'the Lord' here, a title showing His divine authority and care. When Jesus 'saw her,' it wasn't a casual glance but an observant gaze that took in her profound sorrow. The word for 'compassion' isn't just feeling sorry for someone; it describes a deep, internal stirring of the gut, a powerful empathy that compels action.
Jesus speaks to a weeping widow before performing a miracle. What is the significance of His command, and how does it reveal the authority of His words?
Jesus’ command, 'Do not weep,' is more than just a comforting phrase; it's a declaration of His power to reverse sorrow. He speaks with divine authority, assuring her that the source of her grief will be overcome.
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Understand the original words
kyrios · Greek Noun
A common designation for Jesus, acknowledging His sovereign authority, divinity, and lordship over all creation and specifically over death in this context.
splagchnizomai · Greek Verb
A deep, visceral feeling of sympathy and sorrow for the suffering of others, often resulting in concrete action to alleviate that suffering. It is a divine attribute frequently ascribed to Jesus in His ministry.
c. 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus travels throughout Galilee, teaching, healing, and performing miracles, gathering a significant following.
c. 1st century AD
Jewish Funeral Customs
Funerals were often public, with a procession including family, friends, and sometimes hired mourners carrying the deceased on a bier. Burial typically occurred on the same day.
c. 1st century AD
Nain Becomes Known for the Miracle
The event at Nain, witnessed by many, spreads the news of Jesus' power, contributing to his growing fame and the people's expectation of a divine visitor.
This passage describes the Messiah being sent to 'comfort all who mourn,' which directly parallels Jesus' compassionate response to the grieving widow.
Jeremiah 31:13This prophetic promise of God turning sorrow into joy and mourning into gladness is powerfully fulfilled in Jesus' action, bringing the mourning mother comfort.
John 11:35Jesus' tears over Lazarus' death and His subsequent raising him from the dead echo the compassion and power over death seen in Luke 7.
1 Kings 17:20-24This Old Testament account of Elijah raising the widow of Zarephath's son shows a similar compassionate intervention by a prophet, foreshadowing Jesus' greater work.
Romans 8:11The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that brings spiritual life to believers, mirroring the physical resurrection Jesus enacted out of compassion.
calvinLuke 7:11-17: "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people."
- And it happened, when he departed, that he went into a city, which was called Nain, and many of his disciples, and a great multitude, went along with him. 12. And as he was approaching to the gate of the city, there was carried out a dead man, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and a great multitude from the city was with her. 13. A…
jfbLuke 7:13: "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not."
- the Lord—"This sublime appellation is more usual with Luke and John than Matthew; Mark holds the mean" [Bengel].saw her, he had compassion, &c.—What consolation to thousands of the bereaved has this single verse carried from age to age!
Jesus doesn't just feel pity; the original Greek describes His "bowels of compassion" being stirred – a deep, visceral reaction to the widow's grief. He offers comfort before the miracle, a profound reassurance that His power to bring life is already active and certain.
Jesus is traveling with a crowd and disciples toward the town of Nain when they encounter a funeral procession. The deceased is a young man, the only son of a widow, and a large group from the town is accompanying her in her grief. As Jesus sees the sorrowful mother, his heart is moved with compassion.
Jesus is traveling with a crowd and disciples toward the town of Nain when they encounter a funeral procession. The deceased is a young man, the only son of a widow, and a large group from the town is accompanying her in her grief. As Jesus sees the sorrowful mother, his heart is moved with compassion.
"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”" — Jesus doesn't just feel pity; the original Greek describes His "bowels of compassion" being stirred – a deep, visceral reaction to the widow's grief. He offers comfort before the miracle, a profoun…
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Last reviewed October 2026