The Greek verb dakryo means to weep or shed tears silently — as opposed to klaio, which often implies louder wailing or crying. It appears only once in the New Testament (John 11:35), in the simple but profound statement that 'Jesus wept' at the tomb of Lazarus.
The single use of dakryo in Scripture contains one of theology's most important affirmations: the Son of God weeps. This is not a theatrical display — Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus. His tears reveal that He was moved by the grief of Mary and Martha, and by the reality of human death itself. The incarnation means that God has experienced dakryo — He has not watched human suffering from a distance but entered it. The weeping God is also the God who raises the dead (John 11:43–44), showing that compassion and power are not in tension in Christ.