Mark 14:40

Mar_14:40

He found them asleep.

Power of sleep

The most violent passion and excitement cannot keep even powerful minds from sleep; Alexander the Great slept on the field of Arbela, and Napoleon upon that of Austerlitz. Even stripes and torture cannot keep off sleep, as criminals have been known to give way to it on the rack. Noises, which at first serve to drive it away, soon become indispensable to its existence; thus a stagecoach, stopping to change horses, wakes all the passengers. The proprietor of an iron forge, who slept close to the din of hammers, forges, and blast furnaces, would wake if there was any interruption to them during the night, and a sick miller, who had his mill stopped on that account, passed sleepless nights until the mill resumed its usual noise. Homer, in his Iliad, elegantly represents sleep as overcoming all men, and even the gods, except Jupiter alone. (Christian Journal.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 14:40 . καταβαρυνόμενοι , “their eyes were very heavy”; R. V [133] , weighed down with irresistible sleep. καταβαρύνω , here and occasionally in the Sept [134] = the more usual καταβαρέω (from the simple verb βαρέω comes βεβαρημένοι in T.R.). καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν , etc.: this remark recalls the experience of the same three on the hill of transfiguration ( cf. Mar 9:6 ). But in the earlier instance the reference is to the stupidity produced by sleep, here probably to shame on account of unseasonable sleep. They felt that they ought to have kept awake during their Master’s hour of trial, and knew not how to excuse themselves.

[133] Revised Version.

[134]Septuagint.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

40. their eyes were heavy] “sopli her yzen were greuyd,” Wyclif. Even as had been the case on the Mount of Transfiguration. The original word supported by the best MSS. only occurs here, and denotes that the Apostles were utterly tired, and their eyes “weighed down.”

neither wist they what to answer him] A graphic touch peculiar to the second Evangelist, just as the imperfect tense equally graphically implies that the eyes of the Apostles were constantly becoming weighed down in spite of any efforts they might make to keep awake. Comp. the scene at the Transfiguration, Mar_9:6.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he cometh the third time,.... After he had prayed a third time, to the same purport as before:

and saith unto them, sleep on now, and take your rest; which words are spoken ironically:

it is enough; or "the end is come"; as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, of watching and praying:

the hour is come, behold the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners; both Jews and Gentiles, by one of his own disciples; See Gill on Mat 26:45.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.

40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

Ver. 40. Neither wist they what to answer] They were ashamed to excuse it, yet fell again into it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And again he came, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy (katabarunomenoi): literally, weighed down. They had not deliberately yielded themselves to sleep; but an oppressive languor, the effect of great sorrow, had come over them, so that they could not watch as they desired to do; but by an involuntary action they ever and anon slumbered. They wist not what to answer him. They had no excuse, save that which he himself had found for them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

found them sleeping

The word "them" refers to Peter, James, and John.

for their eyes were heavy

Here the author speaks of a sleepy person having a hard time keeping his eyes open as having "heavy eyes." AT: "for they were so sleepy they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open" (See: Metaphor)

He came the third time

Jesus had gone and prayed again. Then he returned to them a third time. This can be made clear. AT: "Then he went and prayed again. He returned the third time" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

Jesus rebukes his disciples for not staying awake and praying. You can translate this rhetorical question as a statement if needed. AT: "You are still sleeping and resting!" (See: Rhetorical Question)

The hour has come

The time of Jesus' suffering and betrayal is about to begin.

Look!

"Listen!"

The Son of Man is being betrayed

Jesus warns his disciples that his betrayer is approaching them. This can be stated in active form. AT: "I, the Son of Man, am being betrayed" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

hour, hours

Son of Man

sin

betray

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

40. εὗρεν. As in Mar 5:37. This and οὐκ ᾔδεισαν are the two main verbs, ἦσαν γάρ being a parenthesis.

οὐκ ᾔδεισαν τί ἀποκριθῶσιν. Again a parallel with the Transfiguration; see on Mar 9:6. After their boasting (Mar 14:31), they had no excuse to offer for their failing to watch.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

40. καὶ πάλιν ἐλθὼν εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας· ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καταβαρυνόμενοι1—and again, having come, he found them sleeping; for their eyes were (being) weighed down. The present part. καταβαρυνόμενοι denotes the process, not the completed state. καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν—this belongs with the principal clause, not with the subordinate introduced by γάρ. He found them sleeping; for their eyes were heavy; and they knew not what to reply to him. So in the AV. and the RV., though the Greek is pointed the other way. Both their shame and their drowsiness would make them dumb.

καταβαρυνόμενοι, instead of βεβαρημένοι, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. אc ABKLNU ΔΠ 1, 11, 13, 69, 106.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heavy [καταβαρυνομενοι] . Lit., weighed down : very heavy.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.