The Son of the Widow of Nain (Lk. only). This incident is conditioned by the reply to the Baptist's inquiry in Luke 7:22, the dead are raised up. It is more difficult than the story of Jairus-' daughter, and represents the intermediate step between that incident and the raising of Lazarus (John 11). There is no mention of faith on anyone's part. Loisy rather fancifully sees in it a symbol of Jesus-' work in saving Israel. The widow represents the daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) losing her only son (Israel) and miraculously regaining him through Jesus. May we trace the influence of 1 Kings 17:17 and 2 Kings 4:33? Shunem was within half an hour of Nain, a little town, eight miles S.W. from Nazareth, on a hill overlooking the valley of Esdraelon. Lk. may have known a tradition that Jesus had wrought a great wonder there. It is only here that he attributes the motive of compassion to Jesus.

17. the whole of Judæ a: Luke 4:44 *.

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