Luke 23:27 kjv
And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
Luke 23:27 nkjv
And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.
Luke 23:27 niv
A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him.
Luke 23:27 esv
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.
Luke 23:27 nlt
A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women.
Luke 23 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Zec 12:10 | "...they will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn..." | Prophecy of mourning for the Messiah. |
| Jer 9:17-18 | "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider... send for the wailing women..." | Women as professional mourners in ancient culture. |
| Matt 24:30 | "...then all the tribes of the earth will mourn..." | Future lamentation at the second coming. |
| Mark 15:40 | "...There were also some women watching from a distance..." | Women present at the crucifixion. |
| Luke 23:49 | "But all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him... stood at a distance..." | Women remained steadfast in observing His death. |
| John 19:25 | "Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene." | Specific women at the foot of the cross. |
| Ps 22:6-7 | "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me..." | Prophecy of public scorn and suffering. |
| Isa 53:3 | "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain..." | Prophecy of His suffering and rejection. |
| Luke 8:2-3 | "...Mary (called Magdalene)... Joanna... Susanna, and many others who helped to support them..." | Women's support of Jesus's ministry. |
| Luke 23:48 | "And all the multitudes... returned home beating their breasts..." | Public display of sorrow at His death. |
| Matt 27:55 | "Many women were there, watching from a distance..." | Confirmation of women's presence. |
| John 12:12 | "The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast... went out to meet him." | Earlier "great multitude" celebrating Him. |
| Luke 19:37 | "When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully..." | Earlier crowd celebrating His entry. |
| Hos 10:8 | "...and to the mountains, 'Cover us!'; and to the hills, 'Fall on us!'" | Prophetic reference to judgment (referenced by Jesus later in Luke 23). |
| Jer 9:10 | "I will take up weeping and wailing for the mountains... because they are laid waste." | Intense national lament. |
| Rev 1:7 | "...every eye will see him... and all the tribes of the earth will mourn..." | Future universal mourning. |
| 2 Sam 1:11-12 | "Then David and all the people... tore their clothes... and wept..." | National mourning for fallen leaders. |
| Gen 50:10 | "...mourned for Joseph with a great and very grievous lamentation..." | Example of intense personal and communal grief. |
| 1 Cor 15:53 | "...this perishable body must put on the imperishable..." | The end goal of Christ's suffering and death. |
| Isa 49:15 | "Can a mother forget her nursing child...? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you." | Contrast of human grief with divine steadfastness. |
| Heb 5:7 | "During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears..." | Jesus' own prior experience of deep anguish. |
| Isa 50:6 | "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard..." | Prophecy of His physical suffering. |
| Lam 2:13 | "What can I say for you, O daughter of Jerusalem?..." | A plea for lamenting over great suffering. |
Luke 23 verses
Luke 23 27 Meaning
Luke 23:27 describes a significant moment on Jesus's journey to crucifixion. It states that a large crowd of people, including many women, followed Him. These women were expressing profound sorrow and public grief through weeping, mourning, and lamenting as they witnessed His suffering on the way to Golgotha. The verse highlights the emotional response of a segment of the population to Jesus's plight, contrasting with the official condemnation and hostile elements within the crowd.
Luke 23 27 Context
Luke 23:27 is part of the passion narrative, specifically after Pilate has condemned Jesus and He has begun His slow, torturous journey to Golgotha, carrying His cross (or at least starting to, before Simon of Cyrene assists Him). This verse immediately precedes Jesus's direct address to the "daughters of Jerusalem" in verses 28-31, where He shifts their focus from lamenting Him to lamenting themselves and their children for the impending judgment on Jerusalem. Historically and culturally, public demonstrations of grief, particularly by women, were common in Jewish society during processions of condemnation or funeral rites. This "great multitude" would have included those curious, hostile, and genuinely sympathetic, illustrating the diverse public reaction to Jesus's crucifixion. The women's intense grief would have been an expected, yet potent, part of such a public spectacle of suffering.
Luke 23 27 Word analysis
- And there followed Him (Greek:
ēkolouthēsen auton, ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ):Ēkolouthēsen(fromakoloutheō) means to "follow, accompany, or go along with." It implies more than just being in the same direction; it suggests an active choice to move in His path. This following highlights their identification with His journey, despite the danger or stigma. - a great multitude (Greek:
polys ochlos, πολὺς ὄχλος):Polysmeans "many" or "large," andochlosrefers to "a crowd, multitude, throng," often the common people or masses. This emphasizes that Jesus's passion was a public spectacle, drawing widespread attention from various segments of society, not just the temple authorities or Roman soldiers. It underscores the public nature of His condemnation and suffering. - of people, and of women (Greek:
anthrōpōn kai gynaikōn, ἀνθρώπων καὶ γυναικῶν): The separation ofgynaikōn("women") fromanthrōpōn("people" or "men/mankind") is significant. While "people" would encompass all, Luke specifically calls out the women, indicating their prominent role and specific actions in this event. Women were frequently followers and supporters of Jesus's ministry (Luke 8:2-3). - who also mourned (Greek:
ha kai ekopton, αἳ καὶ ἔκοπτον):Ekopton(fromkoptō) describes the physical action of grief, specifically "beating one's breast" or chest, or literally "to cut oneself" (though here metaphorical), which was a common, intense display of sorrow in the ancient world, often leading to audible wailing. This signifies deep emotional distress. - and lamented Him (Greek:
kai ethrēnōn auton, καὶ ἐθρήνουν αὐτόν):Ethrēnōn(fromthrēneō) means "to lament, wail, bewail." This refers to the verbal, audible expression of grief through cries, dirges, and wailing songs. Coupled with "mourned," it portrays a full, overt, and unrestrained display of public anguish and profound sorrow for Jesus.
Words-group analysis:
- "And there followed Him a great multitude of people, and of women": This phrase contrasts the hostile voices with those who still felt sympathy for Jesus. The women, in particular, stood out, perhaps not understanding the full redemptive purpose of His suffering but still deeply moved by His innocent pain. This multitude wasn't entirely antagonistic; a segment showed strong compassion.
- "who also mourned and lamented Him": This pairing of verbs,
ekopton(beating breast) andethrēnōn(wailing), vividly depicts the visceral and audible nature of their grief. It signifies an ancient cultural practice of extreme sorrow, conveying not just sadness, but utter desolation in response to Jesus's undeserved fate. Their lament was public, unrestrained, and focused on Him, as the object of their pity.
Luke 23 27 Bonus section
The active participation of women in expressing sorrow is consistently noted in the Passion narratives across the Gospels (e.g., Matt 27:55-56, Mark 15:40-41, John 19:25). This highlights a pattern of women being steadfast followers of Jesus, ministering to Him, and remaining with Him through His deepest suffering when many men had fled. Their lamentations were not just expressions of general sorrow, but culturally recognized signals of immense loss and tragedy. The immediate follow-up to this verse, where Jesus speaks to these "daughters of Jerusalem," transforms their empathetic lament into a deeper, prophetic warning. He acknowledges their immediate, natural human grief but encourages them to grieve for the impending spiritual consequences for themselves and their nation (Luke 23:28-31). This nuanced exchange indicates that while their human sympathy was noted, true lament ought to be directed towards spiritual brokenness and a call for repentance, echoing themes found in Old Testament prophets who called Israel to lament over their sin before divine judgment (e.g., Joel 2:12-17).
Luke 23 27 Commentary
Luke 23:27 paints a poignant picture of human compassion amidst a scene of judicial murder. While Jesus was on His way to execution, condemned by both religious and political authorities, and jeered by some of the crowd, there was a significant segment, particularly women, whose hearts were broken. Their actions—public mourning and lamentation, physically beating their breasts and crying out—were a genuine, profound expression of empathy for an innocent man unjustly suffering. This passage subtly emphasizes the universal appeal of Christ's innocence even to those who may not have fully grasped His divine identity or the salvific purpose of His death. It sets the stage for Jesus's next words, where He will redirect their sorrow from Himself to the impending judgment upon Jerusalem, thereby shifting the focus from sympathetic grief to a call for repentance. This human response serves as a stark reminder of the emotional weight and public tragedy of the crucifixion.