Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 7:15
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
And he that was dead,…. That had been dead, (for he was now alive,) as it was a clear case to all his relations and friends, or they would never have brought him out to bury him:
sat up; upon the bed, or bier: and began to speak; both which, his sitting up and speaking, were plain proofs of his being brought to life:
and he delivered him to his mother; for whose sake he raised him from the dead, commiserating her case: wherefore, as Christ showed his power in raising the dead man, he discovered great humanity, kindness, and tenderness, in delivering him alive to his mother; which might be done after he came off of the bier, by taking him by the hand, and leading him to his mother, and giving him up into her arms: think what affecting scene this must be!
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Sat up (). First aorist active indicative. The verb in the N.T. only here and Ac 9:40. Medical writers often used it of the sick sitting up in bed (Hobart, Med. Lang. of St. Luke, p. 11). It is objected that the symmetry of these cases (daughter of Jairus raised from the death-bed, this widow’s son raised from the bier, Lazarus raised from the tomb) is suspicious, but no one Gospel gives all three (Plummer).
Gave him to his mother ( ). Tender way of putting it. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). So in Lu 9:42.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Sat up [] . Compare Act 9:40. In this intransitive sense the word is used mostly by medical writers.
Delivered [] . Rev., gave. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). Compare ch. 9 42.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak.” (kai anekathisen ho nekros kai erksato lalein) “And the dead man sat up and began to talk,” obeying the command of the giver and sustainer of life, Act 17:28; Mat 11:5; Luk 8:54-55; Joh 11:44. Sitting up indicated life had returned and speaking indicated possession of mental faculties.
2) “And he delivered him to his mother.” (kai edoken auton te metri autou) “And he (Jesus) gave him to his mother,” alive again, evidencing His resurrection power when He shall call all the dead corpses from the grave, at the resurrection of the just and the unjust, Job 19:25; Luk 14:14; 1Co 15:52; Joh 5:28-29; 1Ki 17:23; 2Ki 4:36. Restoration to life was restoration to a broken home, as the new birth brings one into the family of God.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(15) He delivered him to his mother.Literally, He gave him. The mother was, probably, following at some little distance with the other mourners. As she came up she received her son as given to her once again, God-given, in a higher sense then when she had rejoiced that a man-child was born into the world.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. Dead sat up began to speak As the soul is again enshrined in the bodily frame, then the bodily action recommences. The raised corpse is about to speak. What will this man from the dead say? Whatever he would say; whether he would express his astonishment at the scene around him, or would commence disclosing the secrets of the spirit-land, his speech is cut short. Jesus silences his lips by handing him over to his mother. Such a benefactor can say weep not with a value in his words.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.’
And the dead man sat up and began to talk (compare 1Ki 17:22 LXX where the child on being raised from the dead by Elijah ‘cried out’). And Jesus then handed him over to his mother. For ‘He gave him to his mother’ compare 1Ki 17:23 LXX where the same words are used. Jesus would not call someone who was so necessary to his aged mother to follow Him. It is impossible for us to appreciate quite how she must have felt. In one instant of meeting Jesus her whole life was transformed from misery and hopelessness to joy and hope. Today somewhere in the world the same thing happens daily as men who are dead in sin meet the Lord of life and have their lives transformed. For Luke wants us to know that His power is still the same today.
The comments above make clear that we are intended to connect this incident with the miracle performed by Elijah. Jesus is greater than Elijah, greater than Moses, greater than all the prophets (compare Luk 9:10).
We only have details of three occasions on which Jesus raised people from the dead, one a son (here), one a daughter (Luk 8:54), and the third was Lazarus (John 11). But Luk 7:22 suggests a number of others. Eusebius quotes Quadratus (125 AD) as saying in his Apology to Hadrian, ‘The persons who were healed, and those who were raised from the dead, by Jesus, were not only seen when they were healed and raised but were always present also afterwards, and not only during the time when the Saviour walked on the earth, but after His departure also, they were present for a considerable time, so that some of them even lived until our times’.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
15 And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
Ver. 15. Delivered him to his mother ] To be a Scipio to her; the staff and stay of her old age.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
15. . . . . ] Doubtless there was a deeper reason than the mere consoling of the widow (of whom there were many in Israel now as beforetime), that influenced our Lord to work this miracle: Olshausen (vol. i. p. 271) remarks, “A reference in this miracle to the raised man himself is by no means excluded. Man, as a conscious being, can never be a mere means to an end, which would here be the case, if we suppose the consolation of the mother to have been the only object for which the young man was raised.” He goes on to say that the hidden intent was probably the spiritual awakening of the youth; which would impart a deeper meaning to . . . and make her joy to be a true and abiding one.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 7:15 . , sat up: the is implied even if the reading be adopted; to sit was to sit up for one who had been previously lying; sitting up showed life returned, speaking, full possession of his senses; the reality and greatness of the miracle thus asserted.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
he that was dead = the corpse. See App-139. sat up. A medical word (Col 4:14). Greek anakathizo. Occurs only here and Act 9:40. Common in medical writings; and found also in the Papyri, in a letter from a Christian servant to his absent master about the illness of his mistress (Milligan’s Selections, p. 130).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
15. . . . .] Doubtless there was a deeper reason than the mere consoling of the widow (of whom there were many in Israel now as beforetime), that influenced our Lord to work this miracle: Olshausen (vol. i. p. 271) remarks, A reference in this miracle to the raised man himself is by no means excluded. Man, as a conscious being, can never be a mere means to an end, which would here be the case, if we suppose the consolation of the mother to have been the only object for which the young man was raised. He goes on to say that the hidden intent was probably the spiritual awakening of the youth; which would impart a deeper meaning to . . . and make her joy to be a true and abiding one.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 7:15. , gave) For the youth had already ceased to belong to his mother.[72] Comp. , ch. Luk 9:42; 1Ma 10:9.
[72] By His death: therefore he used , not a , which however Ac reads, though BDab Vulg. Iren. support .-ED. and TRANSL.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Ki 17:23, 1Ki 17:24, 2Ki 4:32-37, 2Ki 13:21
Reciprocal: 2Ki 4:35 – and the child opened 2Ki 4:36 – Take up 2Ki 6:7 – Take it up Mar 5:41 – Damsel Luk 7:22 – the dead Luk 8:54 – Maid Luk 9:42 – and delivered Joh 5:21 – even Joh 11:43 – Lazarus Joh 11:44 – Loose Act 9:41 – widows
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
n response to the command of Jesus the man came to life and sat up. It was not merely a mechanical performance upon a dead body for the young man spoke to them and then rejoined his mother.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 7:15. And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. The commanding word wrought its proper effect. Not only life, but health and strength had returned.
And he gave him to his mother. The compassion (Luk 7:13) completes its work. This act of love fulfils all that was implied in the consoling word: Weep not.
The sublime simplicity of Luke should guard against a too sentimental representation of the death of the young man, the sorrow of the widow, the joy of the reunion, and the like. All these, purely human, fanciful, and dramatic additions may call forth tears, without leading any nearer to the Giver of eternal Life. Doubtless the miracle itself had deeper reasons than the consolation of the widow and the quickening of the young man, even though no mention is made of them here. The effect upon others is however narrated in the verses that follow.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Luke probably wrote that the young man sat up and spoke to authenticate the resuscitation. Luke drew additional attention to the parallel incident when Elijah raised a widow’s son by noting that Jesus gave the young man back to his mother (cf. 1Ki 17:23). He had given him to her once at birth indirectly, but now he gave him to her again. This act further illustrates Jesus’ compassion for the widow and His grace.