Luke 8:52
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
Original Language Analysis
κλαίετε
Weep
G2799
κλαίετε
Weep
Strong's:
G2799
Word #:
1 of 15
to sob, i.e., wail aloud (whereas 1145 is rather to cry silently)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
4 of 15
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἐκόπτοντο
bewailed
G2875
ἐκόπτοντο
bewailed
Strong's:
G2875
Word #:
5 of 15
to "chop"; specially, to beat the breast in grief
αὐτήν
her
G846
αὐτήν
her
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
6 of 15
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Μὴ
not
G3361
Μὴ
not
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
10 of 15
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
κλαίετε
Weep
G2799
κλαίετε
Weep
Strong's:
G2799
Word #:
11 of 15
to sob, i.e., wail aloud (whereas 1145 is rather to cry silently)
Historical Context
First-century mourning practices were immediate and intense—bodies were buried within 24 hours due to climate, and mourning began instantly upon death. The presence of mourners confirmed the finality of death in the community's eyes, making their ridicule of Jesus (v.53) a public attestation that the girl was genuinely deceased, not merely unconscious or in a coma.
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus's reframing of death as 'sleep' transform Christian perspectives on mortality and grief?
- In what current 'dead' situations (relationships, ministries, hopes) might you need to hear Jesus say, 'She is not dead, but sleepeth'?
- What does this passage teach about the difference between human perspective ('dead') and divine perspective ('sleeping')?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And all wept, and bewailed her (ἔκλαιον δὲ πάντες καὶ ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν)—the imperfect tense indicates ongoing weeping and loud lamentation. The verb koptō (bewailed) literally means 'to beat' (the breast in mourning), describing the demonstrative grief displays common in ancient Near Eastern death rituals. But he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth (μὴ κλαίετε· οὐ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν ἀλλὰ καθεύδει)—Jesus's present imperative klaiete commands them to stop their weeping immediately.
The statement she is not dead, but sleepeth doesn't deny biological death (Luke explicitly states in v.55 that 'her spirit came again') but reframes death from the perspective of Jesus's resurrection power. For Christ, death is temporary sleep because he possesses authority to awaken the dead. This anticipates his declaration at Lazarus's tomb: 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep' (John 11:11). Paul later uses this same sleep metaphor for believers who have died (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).