Nain

Biblical Account

Nain is mentioned only once in the entire Bible, in Luke 7:11. The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders it "a city called Nain," and Korean churches commonly refer to it as "Nainseong" ("the city of Nain").

After healing the centurion's servant in Capernaum (Luke 7:1-10), Jesus went to Nain with his disciples and a great crowd. As he approached the city gate, a widow's only son, who had died, was being carried out in a funeral procession. Moved with compassion for the mother, Jesus said, "Weep not," touched the bier to stop the procession, and then said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." When the dead man sat up and began to speak, Jesus delivered him to his mother. Fear came on all the people, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet is risen up among us" and "God hath visited his people," and the report spread throughout all Judea and the surrounding region (Luke 7:11-17). In the passage that follows, Jesus answers the disciples of John the Baptist by saying that "the dead are raised" (Luke 7:22).

Background

The Arab village of Nein, on the northwestern slope of the Hill of Moreh in present-day northern Israel, is traditionally identified as the site of Nain. The village lies roughly 10 km (about 6 miles) southeast of Nazareth. This identification, however, is an inference based on the name and on tradition. Some connect the name with the Hebrew na'im ("pleasant, lovely"), but this etymology is uncertain.

On the southern slope of the same hill lay Shunem, the village of the Shunammite woman whose son Elisha restored to life. The proximity of the settings of these two accounts is frequently noted.

It is generally understood that in that period a widow who lost her only son often suffered not only grief but also the loss of her means of support. The "bier" mentioned in the text is commonly thought to have been more like an open litter on which the body was carried than a closed, lidded coffin.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

This account parallels two Old Testament events:

• Elijah raising the son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24).
• Elisha raising the son of the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:18-37).

In particular, the phrase "he delivered him to his mother" (Luke 7:15) is nearly identical in wording to 1 Kings 17:23. The crowd's acclamation of Jesus as "a great prophet" is also read in light of this connection. Earlier, in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus had referred to Elijah and the widow of Zarephath (Luke 4:25-26).

The Gospels contain three accounts of Jesus raising the dead:

• The raising of Jairus's daughter
• The raising of the son of the widow of Nain
• The raising of Lazarus

Interpretations and Debates

• Resuscitation versus resurrection: Many traditions hold that this young man would have died again later. They therefore describe the event as a "resuscitation," distinguishing it from the resurrection of Jesus, who lives in a body that will never die again, and from the resurrection at the last day.
• Compassion and ritual purity: The Law held that contact with a dead body rendered a person unclean (Numbers 19:11). For this reason, some interpreters draw attention to Jesus' act of touching the bier.
• Figurative interpretation: Augustine is said to have interpreted the three accounts of raising the dead as figures of sin in the heart, sin expressed in action, and sin that has become habitual.
• Contemporary application: Charismatic preaching sometimes connects this passage with the expectation of miracles today. Others place greater emphasis on miracles as signs that reveal who Jesus is.
• Descriptions not found in the text: The image of "a procession of death meeting a procession of life at the city gate" is common in preaching, but it does not appear in the text itself.

In the Korean Church

The account of "the widow of Nain" is frequently used in sermons of comfort centered on the words "Weep not." It is especially common as a text for funeral services and for services held for bereaved families.