Luke 19:41 kjv
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luke 19:41 nkjv
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
Luke 19:41 niv
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it
Luke 19:41 esv
And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it,
Luke 19:41 nlt
But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep.
Luke 19 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 19:42 | "saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." | Missed opportunity for peace |
| Matt 23:37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often I would have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" | Jesus' lament over Jerusalem's rejection |
| Lk 13:34-35 | (Same as Matt 23:37) | Repetition of Jesus' lament |
| Lk 21:20-24 | "when you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near... there will be great distress upon the land..." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction (70 AD) |
| Jn 11:35 | "Jesus wept." | Jesus' empathy and sorrow (different Greek word: ἐδάκρυσεν for silent tears) |
| Heb 5:7 | "In the days of His flesh, He offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears..." | Jesus' human anguish and dependence on God |
| Jer 9:1 | "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" | Prophetic lament over Israel's state |
| Lam 1:1 | "How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations!" | Lament for devastated Jerusalem |
| Dan 9:26 | "the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." | Old Testament prophecy of Jerusalem's destruction |
| Mic 3:12 | "Therefore Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins..." | Prophecy of Jerusalem's utter desolation |
| Hos 11:8 | "How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? My heart is torn within Me..." | God's compassionate grief for His people |
| Isa 5:3-7 | Parable of the Vineyard: "What more could have been done for My vineyard that I have not done in it?" | God's expectation vs. Israel's unfruitfulness |
| Jn 1:11 | "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him." | Israel's rejection of their Messiah |
| Rom 11:25 | "a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." | Spiritual blindness of Israel |
| Deut 28:49-57 | Descriptions of severe siege, famine, and desolation as a consequence of disobedience. | Covenant curses for rejection |
| Lev 26:30-33 | Warning of desolation and scattering for breaking covenant. | Warnings of national judgment |
| Isa 63:9 | "In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them..." | God's shared suffering with His people |
| Zech 9:9 | "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey..." | Prophecy of the King's humble arrival |
| Psa 78:60-64 | "So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh...and gave His strength into captivity..." | God allowing consequences for disobedience |
| 1 Sam 16:1 | "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him?" | Divine rejection due to disobedience |
| Isa 1:2-7 | "Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against Me." | Israel's rebellion and desolate state |
| Zech 12:10 | "They will look on Me whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son." | Future repentance and mourning for Christ |
| Mal 3:1-4 | "And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple..." | Messiah's coming, a purification and judgment |
Luke 19 verses
Luke 19 41 Meaning
Luke 19:41 presents a profoundly poignant moment where Jesus, approaching Jerusalem amidst shouts of praise during His triumphal entry, halts, looks upon the city, and weeps. This weeping signifies deep, audible grief and sorrow. It is not merely a tearful moment but a loud lament over Jerusalem's impending destruction due to its spiritual blindness and rejection of the divine visitation He brought. Jesus, with perfect foresight, understands the catastrophic consequences of their spiritual rejection and laments the fate awaiting the city and its people. His grief stems from love, warning, and prophetic insight into their tragic choice.
Luke 19 41 Context
Luke 19:41 takes place immediately after Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (often called Palm Sunday). As He descends the Mount of Olives, large crowds, stirred by His recent miracles (like raising Lazarus), greet Him with exultant shouts of "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" (Lk 19:38). They lay down their cloaks and palm branches, symbolizing their recognition of Him as the long-awaited Messiah. However, their expectations were primarily political and nationalistic – they looked for a king to deliver them from Roman oppression. In this context of overflowing public acclamation, Jesus' reaction of weeping provides a sharp, prophetic contrast. He knows their immediate triumph will turn to rejection, leading to His crucifixion and, later, Jerusalem's catastrophic destruction by Roman armies in 70 AD, just as He prophecies in the immediately following verses.
Luke 19 41 Word analysis
And when he was come near: This emphasizes His proximity, the point where Jerusalem becomes fully visible and distinct. It marks the culmination of His journey toward the city and His destined Passion.
he beheld: The Greek verb is eiden (εἶδεν), the aorist of horao, meaning to see, but often implying a gaze with understanding or perception, rather than just a casual glance. Jesus attentively viewed the city, absorbing its spiritual and historical significance, as well as its impending doom.
the city: Refers specifically to Jerusalem (Greek: polin, πόλιν), the holy city, the heart of Jewish life, faith, and the site of God's Temple. It represented the culmination of God's covenant with Israel, yet paradoxically became the focal point of their rejection of the Messiah.
and wept over it: The Greek verb used is eklausen (ἔκλαυσεν), from klaio (κλαίω). This signifies a deep, audible weeping or wailing, a lament, distinct from merely shedding tears (such as dakryo in Jn 11:35 for Lazarus). Jesus' sorrow here is profound, externalized, and akin to the lamentations of Old Testament prophets (like Jeremiah) over Israel's spiritual failings and impending judgment. His tears are directed over (ep' autēn, ἐπ’ αὐτήν) the city, signifying a grief specifically for Jerusalem and its tragic future.
"he beheld the city, and wept over it": This phrase unites comprehensive sight with profound sorrow. Jesus’ ability to behold the city goes beyond physical vision; it encompasses His divine knowledge of Jerusalem’s past opportunities, present spiritual blindness, and future suffering. His subsequent weeping over it demonstrates both His human empathy and His divine, prophetic understanding of the inevitable consequences of their rejection. It is a moment where the full weight of Jerusalem's missed "day of visitation" presses upon the Messiah's heart.
Luke 19 41 Bonus section
This unique display of grief highlights Jesus as the ultimate Lamenting Prophet, echoing the sorrowful laments of Jeremiah. It reveals that the heart of God aches over the self-inflicted wounds of His people. The "day of visitation" (implied in the subsequent verses) refers to the time when God intervened directly through Christ's ministry, offering salvation and peace. Jerusalem, representing the entire nation, failed to recognize this momentous spiritual truth, focusing instead on temporal power. Jesus' tears in this instance are not merely a reaction to suffering but a lament for suffering chosen through ignorance and rejection, an outpouring of sorrow over humanity's profound spiritual blindness to God's ultimate purpose and provision for peace. This scene is often used to emphasize the heavy cost of spiritual indifference and missed opportunities when divine truth is presented.
Luke 19 41 Commentary
Luke 19:41 is a pivotal and deeply moving scene demonstrating Jesus' true nature. Far from being overwhelmed by the triumphant crowds, He sees beyond the superficial acclamation to the city's spiritual condition and its dire future. His weeping (eklausen), a profound wail of lamentation, underscores His divine knowledge and prophetic insight into Jerusalem's impending judgment (the 70 AD destruction) as a direct consequence of its refusal to recognize "the things that belong unto your peace" (Lk 19:42). This passage beautifully intertwines Jesus' humanity, revealing His deep compassion and grief, with His deity, as He accurately prophesies an event decades in the future. It stands as a powerful testament to His unwavering love for His people, even in the face of their tragic, self-imposed blindness, and a sober reminder that divine opportunities, if unrecognized, can lead to devastating loss. This event also highlights that while God longs for peace and salvation for all, He honors human freedom to choose, even if that choice leads to sorrowful outcomes.