### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek verb κλαίω (klaíō), Strong's `{{G2799}}`, denotes the act of weeping, specifically with an audible expression of sorrow, lamentation, or wailing. Unlike `{{G1145}}` (δακρύω, dakryō), which signifies shedding silent tears, κλαίω implies a more demonstrative, often public, outpouring of emotion. Its semantic range encompasses deep grief, profound sorrow, remorse, despair, and at times, even a lamentation over impending judgment. It describes a physical manifestation of intense inner turmoil, where the emotion is not contained but expressed aloud. The term often carries a sense of distress, pain, or a profound sense of loss.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Κλαίω appears frequently in the New Testament, illustrating various facets of human and divine emotion:
* **Jesus' Lament over Jerusalem:** In [[Luke 19:41]], Jesus "wept" (ἐκλαυσεν) over Jerusalem, a poignant moment revealing His deep sorrow and prophetic lamentation for the city's rejection of God's grace and its impending destruction. This was not a silent tear but an audible expression of divine grief.
* **Peter's Repentance:** Following his denial of Christ, Peter "wept bitterly" (ἔκλαυσεν πικρῶς) in [[Matthew 26:75]], [[Mark 14:72]], and [[Luke 22:62]]. This instance powerfully conveys profound remorse and a broken heart, indicative of genuine repentance that found an outward, audible expression.
* **Grief at the Tomb:** Mary Magdalene and the disciples are described as "weeping" (κλαίουσα) at the empty tomb or in their initial grief over Jesus' death ([[John 20:11]], [[Luke 24:17]]). This highlights the natural human response to loss and confusion.
* **Women Weeping on the Via Dolorosa:** In [[Luke 23:28]], Jesus addresses the women who "were weeping" (κλαίετε) for Him, redirecting their sorrow from His suffering to their own and their children's future, implicitly linking their weeping to the coming judgment upon Jerusalem.
* **Eschatological Judgment:** Perhaps the most pervasive and chilling use of κλαίω is in the recurring phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων). This phrase, found predominantly in Matthew's Gospel ([[Matthew 8:12]], [[Matthew 13:42]], [[Matthew 13:50]], [[Matthew 22:13]], [[Matthew 24:51]], [[Matthew 25:30]]) and also in [[Luke 13:28]], describes the ultimate despair, agony, and remorse of those cast out of the Kingdom of God into outer darkness. Here, κλαίω signifies an eternal, agonizing lament.
* **Call to Empathy and Repentance:** Paul exhorts believers to "weep with those who weep" (κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων) in [[Romans 12:15]], emphasizing corporate empathy and shared sorrow within the Christian community. James 4:9 issues a call to repentance: "Lament and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into gloom." This urges a deep, visible contrition for sin.
### Related Words & Concepts
The most crucial distinction to draw is between κλαίω (to wail aloud, sob) and `{{G1145}}` (δακρύω, dakryō, to shed silent tears). The New Testament carefully differentiates these: Jesus "wept" (ἐδάκρυσεν) silently at Lazarus's tomb ([[John 11:35]]), a moment of profound, internal grief, whereas His weeping over Jerusalem was an audible lament using κλαίω.
Other related terms that describe aspects of sorrow, mourning, or grief include:
* `{{G3990}}` (πενθέω, pentheō): to mourn, lament, often with a sense of ritual or formal mourning.
* `{{G3077}}` (λυπέω, lypeō): to grieve, to be sorrowful, to cause sorrow.
* `{{G3602}}` (ὀδύνη, odynē): pain, distress, anguish.
The concept of lamentation, often found in the Old Testament (e.g., the Book of Lamentations using `{{H7015}}` נָהָה - nahah, to wail, or `{{H605}}` אָבַל - abal, to mourn), finds its New Testament counterpart in κλαίω, particularly in its prophetic and eschatological contexts.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of κλαίω is multifaceted:
* **The Humanity of Christ:** Jesus' weeping over Jerusalem ([[Luke 19:41]]) profoundly underscores His full humanity and His deep compassion for humanity's spiritual blindness and impending judgment. It reveals a God who experiences genuine sorrow.
* **Genuine Repentance:** Peter's bitter weeping ([[Matthew 26:75]]) serves as a powerful paradigm for true repentance. It signifies a brokenness before God, a visible and audible expression of contrition that leads to forgiveness and restoration. It is a sorrow "according to God" ([[2 Corinthians 7:10]]) that leads to salvation.
* **Eschatological Warning:** The repeated phrase "weeping and gnashing of teeth" is one of the New Testament's most stark and terrifying warnings regarding the consequences of rejecting Christ and the Kingdom of God. It signifies the ultimate, eternal despair, suffering, and remorse of those who are excluded from God's presence. This is not merely a temporal sorrow but an enduring state of agony.
* **Christian Empathy and Community:** The exhortation in [[Romans 12:15]] to "weep with those who weep" calls believers to active, compassionate participation in the sorrows of others. It reflects the call to bear one another's burdens and to embody the love of Christ within the community.
* **Sorrow for Sin:** James 4:9 highlights that a proper response to one's sinful state involves a deep, outwardly expressed lamentation, turning from worldly joy to a godly sorrow that leads to humility and repentance before God.
### Summary
Κλαίω (klaíō, `{{G2799}}`) describes an audible, demonstrative act of weeping or wailing, distinct from the silent shedding of tears. It is employed in the New Testament to convey profound grief, sorrow, and remorse, as seen in Jesus' lament over Jerusalem and Peter's bitter repentance. The term takes on particularly stark theological significance in the parables of judgment, where "weeping and gnashing of teeth" portrays the ultimate, eternal despair of those outside God's Kingdom. Furthermore, κλαίω underscores the Christian call to empathy and compassionate engagement with the sorrows of others, and the necessity of a deep, outward expression of repentance for sin. It serves as a powerful indicator of intense emotional states, both human and divine, with profound implications for understanding Christ's character, human sin, and eschatological realities.
TRV