Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 7:13

"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not." — Luke 7:13 (ASV)

The cortege has already gone through the town and is on the way to the place of burial, customarily outside the town. The deceased was the “only son” of his mother. The compassion of the Lord Jesus goes out to the woman. As a widow without a man in her family, she would probably become destitute, unable in that society to earn a living. Our Lord’s words are deeply human: “Don’t cry,” but only he could say that and at the same time remove the cause of the tears.