Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Rejoice.
Isaiah 66:10-14 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: …
Luke 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
Luke 15:5-10 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing…
weep.
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
Psalm 35:13,14 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom…
weep with those who weep.
This phrase highlights the call to compassion and solidarity in times of sorrow. In the historical context of the Roman Empire, where persecution and suffering were common for Christians, the ability to empathize with others' pain was crucial for maintaining strong community bonds. This mirrors the example of Jesus, who wept at the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), showing His deep compassion and humanity. The call to weep with others is also a reflection of the prophetic vision of a Messiah who bears our griefs and carries our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). By sharing in the sorrows of others, believers fulfill the law of Christ, as described in Galatians 6:2, by bearing one another's burdens. This practice strengthens the church and provides comfort and support to those in need.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15a) calls us to step into another person’s joy and make it our own.
• It reflects genuine love rather than envy—“Love does not envy” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
• It recognizes every good gift as coming from God (James 1:17), so another believer’s blessing becomes a reason to praise the Giver together.
• It deepens unity in the body—“If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
Practical ways:
- Offer heartfelt congratulations without downplaying the blessing.
- Celebrate milestones (births, marriages, answered prayers) as communal victories (Philippians 4:4).
- Speak words that point attention back to God’s faithfulness (Psalm 118:24).
“...weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15b) urges us to share another’s sorrow just as intimately.
• Jesus modeled this at Lazarus’s tomb—“Jesus wept” (John 11:35).
• Bearing burdens fulfills Christ’s law (Galatians 6:2) and mirrors the Father, “the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).
• Tears knit hearts together, reminding sufferers they are not alone (Job 2:13; Psalm 34:18).
Practical ways:
- Listen more than you speak; permit silence when words fail (Romans 12:15 ties directly to v. 12’s call to patience in tribulation).
- Pray with and for the hurting, asking God to work His comfort through your presence (2 Corinthians 1:4).
- Provide tangible help—meals, childcare, financial aid—embodying “sincere love” (Romans 12:9).
Romans 12:15 invites believers into the highs and lows of one another’s lives, displaying Christlike empathy that binds the church together. Rejoicing counters jealousy by celebrating God’s goodness; weeping counters isolation by sharing God’s comfort. Both actions spring from the same Spirit-empowered love that makes the body of Christ a living testimony to the world.
(15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice.--The feeling of sympathy is perhaps more under the control of the will than might be supposed. It becomes so, however, not so much by isolated efforts as by a conscious direction given to the whole life. The injunction in this verse is one of those that have been perhaps most fully carried out in modern times. It has entered into the social code, and belongs as much to the gentleman as the Christian. The danger, therefore, is that the expression of sympathy should be unreal and insincere. This will be prevented by the presence of the Christian motive.Verses 15-17. - Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another (denoting mutual good feeling and unanimity of sentiment; not, of course, agreement in opinion on all subjects). Mind not high things, but condescend to (literally, being led away with) men of low estate. It is a question whether τοῖς ταπεινοῖς should not be understood as neuter, so as to correspond with τὰ ὐψηλὰ; the meaning thus being that, instead of being ambitious, we should let ourselves be drawn willingly to the lowlier spheres of usefulness to which we may be called. The main objection to this view is that the adjective ταπεινὸς is not elsewhere applied to things, but to persons. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide (in the sense of take forethought for) things honest (or fair, or honourable) in the sight of all men. This is a citation from Proverbs 3:4, where the LXX. has, Προνοοῦ καλὰ ἀνώπιον Κυριόυ καὶ ἀνθρώπων. We are not only to do what we know to be right in the sight of God, but also to have regard to the view that will be taken of our conduct by other men; we must not give any just cause for our good being evil spoken of (cf. ver. 16 and 1 Peter 2:12).