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. 1 Kings 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. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Luke 7:11-23 - "god Hath Visited His People"
Nain lay near the plain of Esdraelon, on the slopes of Little Hermon. Two confluent streams met there-those with Christ and those with death, Luke 7:11-12. He wipes away tears by removing the cause. When the young are being borne by their young companions to graves of sin, it is thus that the Master arrests them. See Ephesians 5:14. There was a threefold gradation in the power He put forth-to Jairus' daughter, just dead; to this young man, on the way to burial; and to Lazarus, who was three days dead. The depression from John's long confinement in the gloomy fortress of Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea, and the fact that Jesus had not sent to deliver him, were the double root of this sad lapse from the position taken up on the Jordan bank, when he recognized and indicated the Lamb of God. But our Lord did not chide; He understood, Psalms 103:9. His miracles of mercy and power are His best evidences, and He left John to draw his own conclusions, Isaiah 35:5-6. May ours be the blessedness of the un-offended, who will trust Christ, even though He does not hasten to deliver them just as they had hoped! [source]
Chapter Summary: Luke 7
1Jesus finds a greater faith in the centurion; 10heals his servant, being absent; 11raises from death the widow's son at Nain; 18answers John's messengers with the declaration of his miracles; 24testifies to the people what opinion he held of John; 31compares this generation to the children in the marketplaces, 36and allowing his feet to be washed and anointed by a woman who was a sinner, 44he shows how he is a friend to sinners, to forgive them their sins, upon their repentance
Greek Commentary for Luke 7:15
Sat up [ανεκατισεν] First aorist active indicative. The verb in the N.T. only here and Acts 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). [source]
Gave him to his mother [εδωκεν αυτον τηι μητρι αυτου] Tender way of putting it. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). So in Luke 9:42. [source]
Sat up [ἀνεκάθισεν] Compare Acts 9:40. In this in-transitive sense the word is used mostly by medical writers. [source]
Delivered [ἔδωκεν] Rev., gave. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). Compare Luke 9:42. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 7:15
Luke 9:42Dashed him [ερρηχεν αυτον] First aorist active indicative of ρηγνυμι rēgnumi or ρησσω rēssō to rend or convulse, a common verb, used sometimes of boxers giving knockout blows.Tare grievously (συνεσπαραχεν sunesparaxen). Rare word as only here and Mark 9:20 in the N.T., which see note.Gave him back to his father Tender touch alone in Luke as in Luke 7:15. [source]
Luke 9:42Gave him back to his father [απεδωκεν αυτον τωι πατρι αυτου] Tender touch alone in Luke as in Luke 7:15. [source]
Acts 9:40Tabitha, arise [Tabeithaanastēthi)] With sublime faith like Taleitha koum of Jesus in Mark 5:41. She sat up (anekathisen). Effective aorist active indicative of anakathizō Often in medical writers, only here in the N.T. and Luke 7:15 where Westcott and Hort have in the margin the uncompounded form ekathisen Vivid picture. [source]
Acts 9:40She sat up [anekathisen)] Effective aorist active indicative of anakathizō Often in medical writers, only here in the N.T. and Luke 7:15 where Westcott and Hort have in the margin the uncompounded form ekathisen Vivid picture. [source]
What do the individual words in Luke 7:15 mean?
Andsat upthedead [man]beganto speakHe gavehimto themotherof him
Greek Commentary for Luke 7:15
First aorist active indicative. The verb in the N.T. only here and Acts 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). [source]
Tender way of putting it. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). So in Luke 9:42. [source]
Compare Acts 9:40. In this in-transitive sense the word is used mostly by medical writers. [source]
Rev., gave. “For he had already ceased to belong to his mother” (Bengel). Compare Luke 9:42. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 7:15
First aorist active indicative of ρηγνυμι rēgnumi or ρησσω rēssō to rend or convulse, a common verb, used sometimes of boxers giving knockout blows.Tare grievously (συνεσπαραχεν sunesparaxen). Rare word as only here and Mark 9:20 in the N.T., which see note.Gave him back to his father Tender touch alone in Luke as in Luke 7:15. [source]
Tender touch alone in Luke as in Luke 7:15. [source]
With sublime faith like Taleitha koum of Jesus in Mark 5:41. She sat up (anekathisen). Effective aorist active indicative of anakathizō Often in medical writers, only here in the N.T. and Luke 7:15 where Westcott and Hort have in the margin the uncompounded form ekathisen Vivid picture. [source]
Effective aorist active indicative of anakathizō Often in medical writers, only here in the N.T. and Luke 7:15 where Westcott and Hort have in the margin the uncompounded form ekathisen Vivid picture. [source]