📖 Biblical Definition
The Widow of Nain was the unnamed widow whose only son was being carried out for burial when Jesus arrived at the village gate. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. He touched the bier; the bearers stopped; He said Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. The dead man sat up and began to speak; Jesus presented him to his mother. The first recorded resurrection in Christ's ministry.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Unnamed widow of Nain whose only son Christ raised (Lk 7:11-17); first recorded resurrection in Christ's ministry.
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Luke 7:11-17 is the only Gospel account; the others do not record it. Nain was a small Galilean village south of Mount Tabor. The procession of mourners at the gate when Christ arrived was probably composed of the village's working population.
The structure deliberately echoes Elijah's raising of the widow of Zarephath's son (1 Kgs 17) and Elisha's raising of the Shunammite's son (2 Kgs 4). Christ's greater than both: He raised on the way; without invocation; with simple word.
📖 Key Scripture
Luke 7:13 — "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not."
Luke 7:14 — "And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise."
Luke 7:15 — "And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother."
Luke 7:16 — "And 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."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Christianity often skips the Widow of Nain; the first resurrection in Christ's ministry, encountered on the way, deserves attention.
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Luke 7:13's he had compassion on her is the engine of the scene. Christ was not asked; He was not interrupted; He simply saw and was moved. The household's implication: divine compassion sometimes initiates without our asking.
The witnesses' response (Lk 7:16) is striking: God hath visited his people. The phrase echoes the Magnificat and Benedictus. The resurrection at Nain confirmed in Galilean village memory what Mary and Zechariah had sung at Christ's birth.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek Nain; village name.
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Greek Nain — village in lower Galilee.
Note: location identified with modern Nein on the slopes of Mount Tabor.
Usage
"Divine compassion sometimes initiates without our asking."
"God hath visited his people."
"First recorded resurrection in Christ's ministry."