In brief
The widow of Nain is a Galilean mother whom Jesus meets at her town’s gate as her only son is carried out for burial. Already deprived of her husband, she loses her only support. Luke says that when the Lord saw her, “he had compassion on her.” He tells her not to cry, touches the coffin and commands the young man to arise. The dead man sits up, speaks, and Jesus gives him to his mother. She asked for nothing: this miracle, told only by Luke, reveals Jesus’ compassion toward human distress.
What does the name The Widow of Nain mean?
The Bible does not give her name. Luke presents her as a mother who “was a widow,” at the gate of “a city called Nain,” a town in Galilee (Luke 7:11-12). She is therefore called the widow of Nain, after her town, as we speak of the Shunammite or the Canaanite woman.
The story of The Widow of Nain
Two processions at the city gate
Luke 7:11-12Soon after the healing of the centurion’s servant, Jesus goes to Nain with his disciples and a great crowd. Near the city gate, another procession comes out: “one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.” Many people of the city are with her. Life and death cross paths.
Moved with compassion
Luke 7:13Luke writes that the Lord “had compassion on her” as soon as he saw her, and told her, “Don’t cry.” Jesus sees the mother first, before the dead son. She has asked for nothing; he takes the initiative. His “Don’t cry” is not a reproach but the announcement that her grief is about to end.
Young man, arise
Luke 7:14-15Jesus comes near and touches the coffin, and the bearers stand still. He says, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sits up and begins to speak, and Jesus “gave him to his mother.” The miracle is for her: the son returned to the one who had lost him, as Elijah had given back her son to the widow of Zarephath.
God has visited his people
Luke 7:16-17Fear takes hold of everyone and they glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” The report goes out through all Judea and the surrounding region. By raising a widow’s son, Jesus recalls Elijah and Elisha and shows that God himself has come to his people.
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What The Widow of Nain teaches us
- Jesus sees your pain before you even put it into words; the widow asked for nothing, and he came to her.
- Jesus’ compassion is not a feeling from a distance: it draws near, it touches, it acts.
- Jesus’ “Don’t cry” does not forbid tears; it announces that he alone can turn mourning into joy.
- Jesus has authority over death; the word that raised this young man is the same that promises resurrection to those who believe.
Key verses
The whole miracle springs from Jesus’ gaze on a grieving mother. The compassion that seizes him comes from the depths of his being, and it comes before any request.
Jesus touches a coffin, which made one unclean under the law, and commands a dead man to arise. His word has authority where no one can do anything anymore.
“He gave him to his mother.” The purpose of the miracle is stated in one sentence: to give a son back to the woman who had lost him. Jesus’ power serves his tenderness.
Sermons about The Widow of Nain
- Luke 7: Jesus Sees Your Pain, Comes Near and Gives LifeThe message follows Luke 7:11-17 step by step: the widow says nothing and asks for nothing, but the Lord sees her, has compassion, draws near, raises the young man and gives him to his mother.
- 20 Bible Verses About God's MercyAmong twenty verses on mercy, the account of Nain illustrates Jesus’ mercy: the widow asked for nothing, he sees her, is moved with compassion, tells her not to cry and gives her son back alive.
- You Are the Salt of the Earth: Let Easter Rekindle Your FlavorThe preacher shows a Jesus who weeps with the bereaved and turns aside a procession to stop beside the widow of Nain, who has just lost her son (Luke 7:11-17).
- Acts 9: Become Indispensable to Your Church Like DorcasOn the raising of Dorcas, the preacher recalls that each time Jesus raises someone, it is for a specific reason: at Nain, he is moved with compassion for a widow who has lost her only son.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the widow of Nain in the Bible?
She is a woman of the town of Nain, in Galilee, already a widow, who is burying her only son when Jesus meets the funeral procession. Moved with compassion, Jesus tells her not to cry, touches the coffin, commands the young man to arise and gives him to his mother (Luke 7:11-17).
Why did Jesus raise the widow of Nain’s son?
Luke gives one reason: when the Lord saw her, “he had compassion on her” (Luke 7:13). The widow asked for nothing and no faith is mentioned. The miracle springs from Jesus’ compassion and leads the crowd to recognize that God has visited his people (Luke 7:16).
Where is the story of the widow of Nain in the Bible?
The story is found only in Luke 7:11-17, right after the healing of the centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10). It can be compared with two Old Testament accounts in which a son is given back to his mother: Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24) and Elisha and the Shunammite (2 Kings 4:18-37).