John Calvin Commentary Luke 8:52

"And all were weeping, and bewailing her: but he said, Weep not; for she is not dead, but sleepeth." — Luke 8:52 (ASV)

And all were weeping. The Evangelists mention the lamentation, that the resurrection may be more fully believed. Matthew expressly states that musicians were present, which was not usually the case till death had been ascertained, and while the preparations for the funeral were going forward. The flute, he tells us, was heard in mournful tunes.

Now, though their intention was to bestow this sort of honor on their dead and, so to speak, to adorn their grave, we see how strongly inclined the world is not only to indulge but to promote its faults.

It was their duty to employ every method for alleviating grief; but as if they had not sinned enough in disorderly lamentation, they are eager to heighten it by new incitements. The Gentiles even thought that this was a way of soothing departed spirits; and thus we see how many corruptions were at that time spread throughout Judea.⁵²⁹

⁵²⁹ “Dont nous pouvons recueillir comment le pays de Judee estoit lots reinply de beaucoup de corruptions, et diverses sortes d'abus;” — “whence we may infer how much the country of Judea was then filled with many corruptions, and various sorts of abuses.”;” — “whence we may infer how much the country of Judea was then filled with many corruptions, and various sorts of abuses.”