Luke 7:12 Meaning and Explanation
“Now 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At the town gate Jesus meets a funeral procession: a widow burying her only son.
What Does Luke 7:12 Mean?
At the gate two crowds meet — one following the Lord of life, one carrying a dead man out to burial. Luke layers the sorrow: the dead man is young, the only son of his mother, and she is a widow, with the whole town walking in her grief.
For a widow in that world, an only son was livelihood, protection, and posterity in one; his bier carried her future. Luke wants us to see her before Jesus acts, because compassion begins with truly seeing. Every detail — gate, bier, mourners — sets the stage for a collision Scripture has been awaiting: death's procession meets the Prince of life, and one of them must turn around.
Luke 7:12 in the Original Language
monogenes (μονογενής), 'only son' -- an only child, one and only.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 7:12
What does Luke 7:12 mean?
At the town gate Jesus meets a funeral procession: a widow burying her only son.