Luke 7:11-17 · Bible study
Luke 7:11-17 Commentary: The Raising of the Widow's Son at Nain
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus raises a widow's only son at Nain, demonstrating divine compassion and power. Study the Greek, historical context, and theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus raises a widow's only son at Nain, showing divine compassion and power over death, fulfilling the hope that God has visited His people.
- Key Words: ἐσπλαγχνίσθη (was moved with compassion), μονογενής (only begotten), ἐγέρθητι (be raised), κύριος (Lord).
- Main Debate: Whether the crowd's identification of Jesus as a 'great prophet' is insufficient, Luke's use of 'Lord' points toward a higher Christology.
- Theological Theme: God's visitation in Christ, the resurrection as a sign of the kingdom and a foretaste of the general resurrection.
- Best Use: Preaching comfort in grief, demonstrating Jesus' authority, and showing that God initiates mercy even before we ask.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
11Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with Him, accompanied by a large crowd.
12As He approached the town gate, He saw a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her.
13When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said, “Do not weep.”
14Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. “Young man,” He said, “I tell you, get up!”
15And the dead man sat up and began to speak! Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.
16A sense of awe swept over all of them, and they glorified God. “A great prophet has appeared among us!” they said. “God has visited His people!”
17And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding region.
WEB World English Bible 2000
11Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him.
12Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only born son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.
13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Don’t cry.”
14He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”
15He who was dead sat up and began to speak. Then he gave him to his mother.
16Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!”
17This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.
KJV King James Version 1769
11And 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.
12Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
16And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.
17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
11And it came to pass soon afterwards, that he went to a city called Nain; and his disciples went with him, and a great multitude.
12Now when he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, there was carried out one that was dead, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
13And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not.
14And he came nigh and touched the bier: and the bearers stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
15And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
16And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people.
17And this report went forth concerning him in the whole of Judæa, and all the region round about.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
11And it came to pass, on the morrow, he was going on to a city called Nain, and there were going with him many of his disciples, and a great multitude,
12and as he came nigh to the gate of the city, then, lo, one dead was being carried forth, an only son of his mother, and she a widow, and a great multitude of the city was with her.
13And the Lord having seen her, was moved with compassion towards her, and said to her, `Be not weeping;'
14and having come near, he touched the bier, and those bearing it stood still, and he said, `Young man, to thee I say, Arise;'
15and the dead sat up, and began to speak, and he gave him to his mother;
16and fear took hold of all, and they were glorifying God, saying--`A great prophet hath risen among us,' and--`God did look upon His people.'
17And the account of this went forth in all Judea about him, and in all the region around.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
11And it came to pass afterwards he went into a city called Nain, and many of his disciples and a great crowd went with him.
12And as he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she a widow, and a very considerable crowd of the city [was] with her.
13And the Lord, seeing her, was moved with compassion for her, and said to her, Weep not;
14and coming up he touched the bier, and the bearers stopped. And he said, Youth, I say to thee, Wake up.
15And the dead sat up and began to speak; and he gave him to his mother.
16And fear seized on all, and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet has been raised up amongst us; and God has visited his people.
17And this report went out in all Judaea concerning him, and in all the surrounding country.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
11And it came to pass afterwards that he went into a city that is called Naim: and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude.
12And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow. And a great multitude of the city was with her.
13Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not.
14And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise.
15And he that was dead sat up and begun to speak. And he gave him to his mother.
16And there came a fear upon them all: and they glorified God saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited his people.
17And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the country round about.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 7:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this miracle reveals Jesus' divine authority and compassion. The timing, 'the day after' the healing of the centurion's servant, places it in a sequence demonstrating God's power extending beyond national boundaries. The location, Nain, a small village meaning 'beauty' (Lange, citing Jerome), shows God's visitation to the humble, not just Jerusalem or Capernaum. The parallel with Elijah raising the Zarephath widow's son (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Elisha's similar miracle is widely acknowledged (Calvin, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The Greek verb ἐσπλαγχνίσθη (he was moved with compassion) indicates a gut-level, visceral mercy, Jesus acts without being asked, anticipating the widow's grief (Calvin). The term κύριος (Lord) used for Jesus here is characteristically Lucan and signals early Christian belief in His divine status (Cambridge Bible). The crowd's cry, 'God has visited His people,' echoes the Benedictus (Luke 1:68) and identifies Jesus as the fulfillment of God's promised deliverance.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus raised a dead man, restoring him to his mother, and the crowd recognized that God was at work in an extraordinary way.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of Jesus in this passage | Jesus performs the miracle as an act of divine compassion, and the crowd recognizes Him as a prophet sent by God. | Some traditions emphasize the crowd's confession as a preliminary step toward full faith in Christ; others point out that Luke's consistent use of 'the Lord' implies a higher identity from the start. |
| Ceremonial uncleanness from touching the bier | Jesus touches the bier, which according to Jewish law would make Him unclean. | Some commentators (e.g., Cambridge Bible) see this as Jesus setting aside the ceremonial law for a higher principle of mercy; others focus on His authority to redefine purity. |
| The nature of the miracle | The event is a literal, historical raising of a dead man. All traditions affirm this as a sign of Jesus' divine power. | A small number of critical scholars question the historicity of the miracle, but the overwhelming consensus of Christian tradition is that it happened as narrated. |
| The phrase 'God has visited His people' | This echoes the Benedictus (Luke 1:68) and indicates God's saving intervention. | Some interpreters see this as a specific fulfillment of the Old Testament hope for a return of prophecy (Elijah). Others link it more directly to the coming of the Messiah. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jewish practice required burial outside city walls, often on the same day as death due to ceremonial uncleanness and the warm climate. Nain, identified by Eusebius and Jerome as two miles south of Mount Tabor, was a small walled town. The meeting of the two processions at the gate, Jesus' followers and the funeral party, is dramatically fitting: life meets death at the boundary of the living community. The widow's situation was especially dire: she had already lost her husband, and now her only son, her social security and lineage, was gone. The word μονογενής (only begotten) emphasizes her total loss; she had no other children to care for her. The funeral procession would have included professional mourners, as was common (cf. Edersheim cited in Vincent), adding to the public nature of the event. Jesus' touch of the σοροῦ (bier or open coffin) broke Levitical purity rules (Numbers 19:11-16), showing His authority over the ceremonial law (Cambridge Bible). This act, and the command ἐγέρθητι ('be raised'), parallel the call of Ezekiel to dry bones (Ezekiel 37:4), linking Jesus' miracle to God's promised restoration. The crowd's response, fear and glorifying God, is typical of theophany encounters; they recognize divine power present.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note a textual variant in the timing phrase. Some manuscripts read τῇ ἑξῆς (the next day), while others read τῷ ἑξῆς (soon afterward). The Cambridge Bible observes that if τῇ is correct, the feminine noun ἡμέρᾳ (day) is implied, making it 'the next day.' If τῷ is read, it gives a wider limit of time. The difference does not affect the meaning of the miracle itself, the event follows closely after the centurion's healing. No other significant variants are noted in the supplied excerpts.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this story has been a source of comfort for the bereaved. The narrative resonates with the Old Testament accounts of Elijah and Elisha raising widows' sons, and Christian preachers have long drawn the parallel to underline that Jesus surpasses the prophets. In the liturgy of many traditions, this passage is read at funerals to proclaim the hope of the resurrection. The phrase 'weep not' has been used in hymns and pastoral counsel as a word of Christ to all who grieve. Reformed commentator Calvin saw the miracle as an emblem of spiritual resurrection, Christ's word brings dead souls to life. The story also appears in Christian art, most notably in the works of the Renaissance, where the meeting at the gate is a dramatic scene of life conquering death. Throughout history, this text has affirmed that God sees our sorrow and acts, even when we do not ask.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Compassion that Acts Without Being Asked, Jesus sees the widow's grief and initiates the miracle (v.13). His compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι) is not just emotion but action, restoring life and hope.
- Authority Over Death, By touching the bier and commanding the dead man to arise, Jesus demonstrates that He holds the keys of death. His word carries creative power (Romans 4:17).
- Visitation That Changes Everything, The crowd's cry, 'God has visited His people,' recognizes that this is no ordinary prophet. Jesus' presence inaugurates God's saving intervention.
Five-Point Outline
- Setting: The day after the centurion's servant is healed, Jesus goes to Nain. Continuity of ministry: no gap in doing good (Acts 10:38).
- Meeting at the Gate: Two crowds converge, life and death collide. The gate symbolizes the boundary between the living and the dead.
- Jesus' Initiative: He doesn't wait to be asked. He sees the widow, has compassion, and speaks directly to her grief: 'Don't cry.'
- The Command: 'Young man, I say to you, arise!' The verb ἐγέρθητι (aorist imperative passive) implies 'be raised by God.' Jesus speaks with divine authority.
- Restoration and Response: The son sits up and speaks. Jesus gives him back to his mother, a restoration of relationship. The crowd fears and glorifies God.
Illustration Hooks
- A funeral procession in a small town where everyone knows everyone. The only son has died; the widow is left alone. The whole community grieves with her.
- A parent losing a child to illness or accident. The hopelessness of a future without that child.
- The moment when someone steps in to help without being asked, a neighbor mowing the lawn of a grieving family, a friend showing up at the hospital.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does Jesus still have power over death today? How do we experience that hope when we lose loved ones?
- Why does God sometimes let people die even when we pray? What does this miracle tell us about God's character?
- How can I trust in God's compassion when I feel alone and grief-stricken?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows Jesus as both compassionate and powerful. He meets a grieving widow at the moment of her deepest loss and restores her son, without her even asking. As you study, consider how this story challenges our assumptions about God's involvement in our suffering.
Discussion Questions
- Read Luke 7:11-17. What details does Luke include that make the widow's situation especially desperate? (Consider the words 'only' and 'widow'.)
- Why do you think Jesus initiates the miracle instead of waiting to be asked? What does this tell us about God's heart toward the grieving?
- Jesus touches the bier (the coffin). In Jewish law, contact with a dead body made a person unclean. Why do you think Jesus does this? What does it reveal about His priorities?
- The crowd calls Jesus 'a great prophet' and says 'God has visited His people.' How do these statements connect to the Old Testament stories of Elijah and Elisha? (See 1 Kings 17:17-24 and 2 Kings 4:32-37.)
- What is the difference between the crowd's understanding of Jesus (a prophet) and the full Christian confession (Lord and Christ)? How does Luke's use of 'the Lord' in verse 13 nudge us toward a fuller faith?
- How does this miracle give us hope for our own grief and the grief of others? What does it promise about God's final victory over death?
- In what situations today can we be an extension of Jesus' compassion, seeing others' pain and acting before being asked?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 10:38 | how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. |
| Genesis 22:2 | He said, “Now take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.” |
| Genesis 22:12 | He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” |
| II Samuel 14:7 | Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.” |
| I Kings 17:9 | “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain you.” |
| I Kings 17:12 | She said, “As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have anything baked, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jar. Behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” |
| I Kings 17:18 | She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!” |
| I Kings 17:23 | Elijah took the child and brought him down out of the room into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold, your son lives.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses the absolute certainty of the miracle: Jesus met the funeral by chance, without prearrangement, and by a single word restored a clearly dead man to life. No deception was possible. He then applies this to spiritual life: Jesus can raise sinners dead in trespasses, often restoring converted children to their parents as a source of joy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Luke alone records this story, and the commentary highlights Jesus' single Aramaic word "Kum" as a stark contrast to the prolonged, struggling efforts of Elijah and Elisha. The note also emphasizes that calling Jesus "the Lord" appears far more often in Luke than in Matthew or Mark, reflecting the spread of Christian faith among a later generation of disciples.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights the Jewish burial customs surrounding the widow's son, noting the many bearers and the bier's significance. He emphasizes that Christ, moved by compassion, touched the bier as a signal and then spoke with divine authority, proving his true deity by raising the dead with a word.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the mingled majesty and grace in this scene: Christ, the Resurrection and the Life in human flesh, exercises absolute divine power by commanding life back into a dead body, while Incarnate Compassion acts specifically to stop a widow's tears. This combination of sovereign authority and tender mercy carries unique consolation.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that this miracle happened openly at the city gate, witnessed by two crowds meeting there, making it as well attested as could be. He also observes that Christ did good every day and never had cause to complain of a wasted day.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights the concrete setting of Nain, a village on Little Hermon whose name alone authenticates its location since no convent or tradition marks the spot. He notes that in Galilee the women followed the bier, and he draws attention to the Greek word for compassion, which comes from the nobler entrails, the seat of the affections.