Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It’s easy to think this verse is just about being nice, but the original Greek uses words for "rejoicing" and "weeping" that imply a deep, emotional sharing. Paul isn't just asking us to offer polite congratulations or condolences; he's calling for us to genuinely enter into the emotional experience of others, making their joys and sorrows feel like our own.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is instructing believers on how to live out their faith authentically in community, following his call to present themselves as living sacrifices. He moves from general commands about love and service to specific applications, urging them to practice selfless empathy by sharing in both the joys and sorrows of their fellow Christians, which flows directly from the idea of the church as one body. This call for genuine sympathy prepares the way for the subsequent exhortation to humility and unity within that body.
Ever notice how easy it is to celebrate with friends when things are going great, but harder to really share their joy when you're struggling? This verse calls us to something deeper.
This command is all about genuine empathy – sharing in both the highs and lows of life with others. It's not just about offering a quick 'congratulations' or a polite 'sorry for your loss.'
Sharing the Joy:
When others succeed, God is often blessing them, and we're called to enter into that happiness. Think of it as expanding God's joy within the community. It’s a way to multiply happiness and strengthen our bonds.
Bearing the Sorrow:
When someone is hurting, our presence and shared grief can lighten their load. Jesus Himself wept with Mary and Martha over Lazarus, showing us the power of compassionate tears. This empathy helps us feel less alone in our struggles.
We might think of sympathy as just a feeling, but the Bible calls it an action, a choice that shapes our lives.
This isn't just about a fleeting emotion; it’s about a directed will and a lifestyle. The Apostle Paul is urging believers to consciously choose to align their inner lives with the experiences of fellow believers.
The Will at Work:
Sympathy, like love, can be cultivated. It requires us to actively 'mind' or 'consider' the state of others, making their joys and sorrows a part of our own concern. This isn't always easy – it’s often more natural to feel with those who need us, but less so with those who are simply succeeding.
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Authenticity Through Motive:
True sympathy isn't just performative; it’s rooted in the Christian motive. When our empathy flows from Christ’s love within us, it becomes genuine and prevents our expressions of feeling from being hollow or insincere. It’s about aligning our outward actions with an inward transformation.
This passage echoes the idea of shared experience within the body of Christ, stating that when one part rejoices, all rejoice with it, directly supporting the concept of empathetic rejoicing.
Galatians 6:2This verse calls believers to 'bear one another's burdens,' which is a direct parallel to the command to 'weep with those who weep,' emphasizing the practical outworking of shared emotional experiences.
Philippians 2:4The exhortation to 'look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others' underpins the ability to rejoice with and weep for others, promoting a selfless concern for their well-being.
1 Peter 3:8This verse explicitly calls for believers to be 'all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous,' which is the very heart of rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.
barnesRomans 12:15: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
Rejoice with them ... - This command grows out of the doctrine stated in Romans 12:4-5 , that the church is one; that it has one interest; and therefore that there should be common sympathy in its joys and sorrows. Or, enter into the welfare of your fellow-Christians, and show your attachment to them by rejoicing that they are made happy; compare 1 Corinthians 12:26 , "And whether .... one member be honored, all th…
bengelRomans 12:15: "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
Romans 12:15 . Χαίρειν , rejoice ) the infinitive for the imperative, a thing not unfrequent among the Greeks, and here a gentle mode of expression [ moratus , indicative of ἦθος , a feeling, viz. here the avoidance of the authoritative Imperative]. I exhort is understood, taken from Romans 12:1 . Laughter is properly opposed to weeping, but in this passage as in 1 Corinthians 7:30 , joy is used, not laughter , whi…
It’s easy to think this verse is just about being nice, but the original Greek uses words for "rejoicing" and "weeping" that imply a deep, emotional sharing. Paul isn't just asking us to offer polite congratulations or condolences; he's calling for us to genuinely enter into the emotional experience of others, making their joys and sorrows feel like our own.
Paul is instructing believers on how to live out their faith authentically in community, following his call to present themselves as living sacrifices. He moves from general commands about love and service to specific applications, urging them to practice selfless empathy by sharing in both the joys and sorrows of their fellow Christians, which flows directly from the idea of the church as one body. This call for genuine sympathy prepares the way for the subsequent exhortation to humility and unity within that body.
Paul is instructing believers on how to live out their faith authentically in community, following his call to present themselves as living sacrifices. He moves from general commands about love and service to specific applications, urging them to practice selfless empathy by sharing in both the joys and sorrows of their fellow Christians, which flows directly from the idea of the church as one body. This call for genuine sympathy prepares the way for the subsequent exhortation to humility and unity within that body.
"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." — It’s easy to think this verse is just about being nice, but the original Greek uses words for "rejoicing" and "weeping" that imply a deep, emotional sharing. Paul isn't just asking us to offer polite…
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Last reviewed October 2026