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"Jesus wept" (Koinē Greek:ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς,romanized: edákrusen ho Iēsoûs,pronounced[ɛˈdakrysɛn(h)oi.eˈsus]) is a phrase famous for being theshortest verse in theKing James Version of the Bible, as well as in many othertranslations.[1] It is not the shortest in the original languages.[2] The phrase is found in theGospel of John,chapter 11, verse 35.[3] Verse breaks—orversification—were introduced into the Greek text byRobert Estienne in 1551 in order to make the texts easier to cite and compare.
This verse occurs in John's narrative of the death ofLazarus of Bethany, a follower ofJesus. Lazarus's sisters—Mary andMartha—sent word to Jesus of their brother's illness and impending death, but Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus died. Jesus, after talking to the grieving sisters and seeing Lazarus's friends weeping, was deeply troubled and moved. After asking where Lazarus had been laid and being invited to come see him, Jesus wept. He then went to the tomb and told the people to remove the stone covering it,prayed aloud to hisFather, and ordered Lazarus to come out, resurrected.[3]
TheGospel of Luke also records that Jesus wept as he enteredJerusalem before his trial anddeath, anticipating thedestruction of the Temple.[4]
| Translation | Text |
|---|---|
| Biblical Greek | ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. edákrusen ho Iēsoûs. "Jesus shed tears." |
| Peshitta | ܘܐܵܬ݂ܝܵܢ ܗ̄ܘܲܝ̈ ܕܸܡ̈ܥܵܘܗܝ ܕܝܼܫܘܿܥ. Wʾatiyan hway demʿawhy d-Yushwoʿ. "And the tears of Jesus came." |
| Vulgate | Et lacrimātus est Iēsus "And Jesus wept." |
| Luther Bible | Und Jesus gingen die Augen über. "And the eyes of Jesus overcame." |
| ASV,Darby Bible,ERV,ESV,HCSB,KJV,NASB,NET,NIV,NJB,NKJV, NLT (pre-2005 version),RSV,Recovery Version,WEB,YLT | "Jesus wept." |
| Bible in Basic English | "And Jesus himself was weeping." |
| God's Word | "Jesus cried." |
| The Message | "Now Jesus wept." |
| New American Bible,Douay–Rheims Bible | "And Jesus wept." |
| New Living Translation (2005 Version) | "Then Jesus wept." |
| New Revised Standard Version | "Jesus began to weep." |
| Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) | "Yeshua cried," |
| The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures | "Jesus gave way to tears." |
Significance has been attributed to Jesus's deep emotional response to his friends' weeping, and his own tears, including the following:
Jesus's tears have figured among therelics attributed to Jesus.[8]
In some parts of theEnglish-speaking world, includingGreat Britain,Ireland (particularlyDublin andBelfast) andAustralia, the phrase "Jesus wept" is an expletive some people use when something goes wrong or to express incredulity.[9] In Christianity, this usage is consideredblasphemous and offensive by the devout, as it is seen as violating thesecond or third of theTen Commandments.[10][11]
The verse is used inthe The's song "Angels of Deception" from the 1986 albumInfected.
Kanye West uses the verse to end "Bound 2", the last song on his 2013 albumYeezus: "After all these long-ass verses, I'm tired, you tired, Jesus wept."[12]
