39And having gone forth, He went according to His custom to the Mount of Olives; the disciples also followed Him. [22:40] Having come to the place, He said to them: "Pray that you do not enter into trial." [22:41] And He himself withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and having fallen on His knees He was praying, [22:42] saying: "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me — yet not My will, but Yours be done." [22:43] Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. [22:44] And having been in agony, He was praying more earnestly; and His sweat became like clots of blood falling down upon the ground. [22:45] And having risen from prayer, having come to the disciples, He found them sleeping from grief. [22:46] And He said to them: "Why are you sleeping? Having risen, pray that you do not enter into trial."
LUK 22:39-46
Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Jewish practice, prayer was often a communal act, but private prayer in secluded places was also valued, particularly in moments of distress. The Mount of Olives, a site associated with David’s lament and eschatological hope, would have carried deep symbolic weight for Jesus’ disciples. The term (temptation/trial) evoked the idea of a spiritual or moral test, often linked to endurance in the face of suffering. Jesus’ instruction to pray not to enter into would have resonated with Jewish listeners familiar with the Psalms’ pleas for deliverance from trials. His (agony) reflects the intensity of a life-or-death struggle, akin to an athlete’s contest or a soldier’s battle. The mention of (clots) of blood underscores the physical toll of His distress, aligning with ancient medical views linking extreme emotion to bodily effects. The appearance of an angel, a common motif in Jewish narratives, signifies divine intervention in moments of crisis, reinforcing the gravity of Jesus’ prayer.
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How other translations render this
LUK 22:39
- KJV
- And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
- BSB
- Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed Him.
- Koinōnos
- And having gone forth, He went according to His custom to the Mount of Olives; the disciples also followed Him.
LUK 22:40
- KJV
- And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
- BSB
- When He came to the place, He told them, “Pray that you will not enter into temptation.”
- Koinōnos
- Having come to the place, He said to them: "Pray that you do not enter into trial.
LUK 22:41
- KJV
- And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
- BSB
- And He withdrew about a stoneʼs throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed,
- Koinōnos
- And He himself withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and having fallen on His knees He was praying,
LUK 22:42
- KJV
- Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
- BSB
- “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
- Koinōnos
- saying: "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me — yet not My will, but Yours be done.
LUK 22:43
- KJV
- And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
- BSB
- Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.
- Koinōnos
- Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
LUK 22:44
- KJV
- And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
- BSB
- And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
- Koinōnos
- And having been in agony, He was praying more earnestly; and His sweat became like clots of blood falling down upon the ground.
LUK 22:45
- KJV
- And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
- BSB
- When Jesus rose from prayer and returned to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
- Koinōnos
- And having risen from prayer, having come to the disciples, He found them sleeping from grief.
LUK 22:46
- KJV
- And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
- BSB
- “Why are you sleeping?” He asked. “Get up and pray so that you will not enter into temptation.”
- Koinōnos
- And He said to them: "Why are you sleeping? Having risen, pray that you do not enter into trial.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
LUK 22:40
- temptation.:The word translated 'temptation' here refers to a trial or test, which could lead to either failure or strengthening of faith, rather than solely an enticement to sin.
LUK 22:44
- agony:The term used here for 'agony' originally described the intense struggle and effort of an athlete in a contest or a fighter in a battle, emphasizing extreme exertion and strain.
- like:The word translated 'like' when describing drops of blood refers to a thick, clotted mass, not just individual liquid drops, suggesting a more substantial flow.
LUK 22:45
- grief:The word translated 'grief' encompasses both physical pain and deep emotional sorrow or distress, indicating a comprehensive suffering of body and mind.