“As Jesus approached
The gate of the town,
He saw
A dead man
Being carried out.
He was his mother’s
Only son.
She was also a widow.
A large crowd
From the town
Was with her.”
ὡς δὲ ἤγγισεν τῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐξεκομίζετο τεθνηκὼς μονογενὴς υἱὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτὴ ἦν χήρα, καὶ ὄχλος τῆς πόλεως ἱκανὸς ἦν σὺν αὐτῇ.
Luke has this unique story about the widow at Nain, since he had a soft spot for widows. Luke said that as Jesus approached (ὡς δὲ ἤγγισεν) the gate of the town of Nain (ῇ πύλῃ τῆς πόλεως), he saw a dead man being carried out (καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐξεκομίζετο τεθνηκὼς). He was his mother’s only son (μονογενὴς υἱὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ). She was also a widow (καὶ αὐτὴ ἦν χήρα). There was a large crowd of mourners from the town with her (καὶ ὄχλος τῆς πόλεως ἱκανὸς ἦν σὺν αὐτῇ). They would bury people in cemeteries outside the town gates. Thus, Jesus and his entourage saw this take place outside the town. There were many people with his poor widow, mourning his death, as they prepared to bury him. They must have learned somehow that she was a widow burying her only son. Is losing an only child that difficult? Or is losing a husband more difficult?
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 