📖 Biblical Definition
To weep in Scripture is to grieve audibly, bodily, unrestrained by propriety. The Bible does not trim its weeping. David wept at Absalom's death until he could not walk (2 Sam 18:33). Peter went out and wept bitterly after denying Christ (Luke 22:62). Mary of Bethany's weeping triggered the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Paul wrote Corinthians "out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears" (2 Cor 2:4). The Psalmist promises that those who sow in tears shall reap in joy (Ps 126:5). Weeping is not weakness; it is biblical grammar for love that has been torn.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
WEEP, v.i.
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WEEP, v.i. [Sax. wepan.] To express sorrow, grief, or anguish by shedding tears, with audible voice; to lament with tears. In Scripture, weeping is both the natural expression of bereavement, repentance, and compassion — practiced openly by patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and the Lord Himself — and, in the eschatological register, the present condition of the Church awaiting the day when God shall wipe away every tear from every eye.
📖 Key Scripture
John 11:35 — "Jesus wept."
Psalm 126:5-6 — "Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."
Luke 22:62 — "And he went out and wept bitterly."
Revelation 21:4 — "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
American evangelicalism often rushes past weeping. Scripture grants it a dignity and duration the modern church has lost.
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Scripture never scolds weepers. Jesus wept. The Psalms weep. Paul wept. The modern American tendency to cheer grieving people up quickly — to produce their smile before the grief has done its work — is unbiblical. "Weep with those who weep" (Rom 12:15) is a separate command, often skipped. Make room for tears in your church. Sit with weepers. Weep with them. The promise comes later: "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes" (Rev 21:4). Do not skip to the handkerchief before the tears have fallen.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
H1058 — bakah — to weep. G2799 — klaiō — to weep aloud.
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H1058 — bakah (בָּכָה) — to weep, to wail; 114 OT occurrences.
G2799 — klaiō (κλαίω) — to weep, to wail aloud; Jesus at Lazarus' tomb.
G1145 — dakruō (δακρύω) — to shed tears quietly; used once in NT (John 11:35) but translated "wept."
Usage
"Jesus wept. The shortest verse in the Bible is permission to grieve fully and to be human in your sorrow."
"Those who sow in tears reap in joy. Do not bypass the tears; they are the seed."