Font Size
Matthew 26:38-44
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Matthew 26:38-44
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
38 (A)Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death.[a] Remain here and keep watch with me.” 39 (B)He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father,[b] if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 When he returned to his disciples he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “So you could not keep watch with me for one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.[c] The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 [d](C)Withdrawing a second time, he prayed again, “My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!” 43 Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open. 44 He left them and withdrew again and prayed a third time, saying the same thing again.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 26:38 Cf. Ps 42:6, 12. In the Septuagint (Ps 41:5, 12) the same Greek word for sorrowful is used as here. To death: i.e., “enough to die”; cf. Jon 4:9.
- 26:39 My Father: see note on Mk 14:36. Matthew omits the Aramaic ’abbā’ and adds the qualifier my. This cup: see note on Mk 10:38–40.
- 26:41 Undergo the test: see note on Mt 6:13. In that verse “the final test” translates the same Greek word as is here translated the test, and these are the only instances of the use of that word in Matthew. It is possible that the passion of Jesus is seen here as an anticipation of the great tribulation that will precede the parousia (see notes on Mt 24:8; 24:21) to which Mt 6:13 refers, and that just as Jesus prays to be delivered from death (Mt 26:39), so he exhorts the disciples to pray that they will not have to undergo the great test that his passion would be for them. Some scholars, however, understand not undergo (literally, “not enter”) the test as meaning not that the disciples may be spared the test but that they may not yield to the temptation of falling away from Jesus because of his passion even though they will have to endure it.
- 26:42 Your will be done: cf. Mt 6:10.
Matthew 26:38-44
New International Version
Matthew 26:38-44
New International Version
38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow(A) to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”(B)
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup(C) be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”(D)
40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me(E) for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.(F) The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”(G)
43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Mark 14:34-40
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Mark 14:34-40
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
34 Then he said to them, “My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch.” 35 He advanced a little and fell to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass by him; 36 he said, “Abba, Father,[a] all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.” 37 When he returned he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38 [b]Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.(A) The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” 39 Withdrawing again, he prayed, saying the same thing. 40 Then he returned once more and found them asleep, for they could not keep their eyes open and did not know what to answer him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 14:36 Abba, Father: an Aramaic term, here also translated by Mark, Jesus’ special way of addressing God with filial intimacy. The word ’abbā’ seems not to have been used in earlier or contemporaneous Jewish sources to address God without some qualifier. Cf. Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6 for other occurrences of the Aramaic word in the Greek New Testament. Not what I will but what you will: note the complete obedient surrender of the human will of Jesus to the divine will of the Father; cf. Jn 4:34; 8:29; Rom 5:19; Phil 2:8; Hb 5:8.
- 14:38 The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak: the spirit is drawn to what is good yet found in conflict with the flesh, inclined to sin; cf. Ps 51:7, 12. Everyone is faced with this struggle, the full force of which Jesus accepted on our behalf and, through his bitter passion and death, achieved the victory.
Mark 14:34-40
New International Version
Mark 14:34-40
New International Version
34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,”(A) he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour(B) might pass from him. 36 “Abba,[a] Father,”(C) he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup(D) from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”(E)
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? 38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.(F) The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(G)
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
Footnotes
- Mark 14:36 Aramaic for father
Luke 22:41-46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Luke 22:41-46
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
41 After withdrawing about a stone’s throw from them and kneeling, he prayed,(A) 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done.”(B) [a] [43 And to strengthen him an angel from heaven appeared to him. 44 He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.] 45 When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. 46 He said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.”(C)
The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus.(D)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 22:43–44 These verses, though very ancient, were probably not part of the original text of Luke. They are absent from the oldest papyrus manuscripts of Luke and from manuscripts of wide geographical distribution.
Luke 22:41-46
New International Version
Luke 22:41-46
New International Version
41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down(A) and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup(B) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”(C) 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.(D) 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[a]
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”(E)
Footnotes
- Luke 22:44 Many early manuscripts do not have verses 43 and 44.
John 12:27
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
John 12:27
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
27 “I am troubled[a] now. Yet what should I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.(A)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 12:27 I am troubled: perhaps an allusion to the Gethsemane agony scene of the synoptics.
John 12:27
New International Version
John 12:27
New International Version
27 “Now my soul is troubled,(A) and what shall I say? ‘Father,(B) save me from this hour’?(C) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.