Matthew 26:37

26:37 He took Peter . . . James and John: These three, apparently the leaders of the apostles, received special revelation (17:1-13) and accompanied Jesus in this difficult hour. • Jesus became anguished and distressed from contemplating the Father’s plan for him, to absorb God’s wrath toward humans for their sin (see 27:45-46).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 26:37. Παραλαβὼν, taking with Him) As witnesses the three whom He had employed in the same capacity in ch. Mat 17:1.—τοὺς δὺο, the two) who had offered themselves, ch. Mat 20:20-21.—ἤρξατο, He began) immediately.—λυπεῖσθαι καὶ ἀδημονεῖν, to be sorrowful and very heavy) St Mark says, ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι καὶ ἀδημονεῖν, “to be sore amazed and to be very heavy.” Both λυπεῖσθαι and ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι denote the presence and effect of an object of horror,—ἀδημονεῖν, the loss of all power of deriving enjoyment from other sources. The same word occurs in Php 2:26, where see Gnomon. Hesychius explains ἀδημεῖν by θαυμάζειν (to be astonied) ἀπορεῖν (to be at a loss, to be in trouble, to be at one’s wit’s end) and ἀδημονεῖν, the word which occurs in the text, Eustathius says, ἀδήμων signifies one who is overwhelmed with ἄδος, irksomeness, that is to say, by satiety or grief.—ἀδημονεῖν signifies, ἀλύειν καὶ ἀμηχανεῖν, i.e. to be in great distress, and to be almost beside one’s self for trouble.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_26:37 f. Anticipating the inward struggle that awaited Him, He retired farther into the garden, taking with Him none (Mat_17:1) but the three most intimate disciples.

ἤρξατο] indicating the first symptoms of the condition in question.

λυπεῖσθαι κ. ἀδημονεῖν] Climax. Suidas explains ἀδημον. as meaning: λίαν λυπεῖσθαι. See Buttmann, Lexilog. II. p. 135 f.; Ael. V. H. xiii. 3; Php_2:26.

περίλυπος] very sorrowful, Psa_63:5; Psalms 3 Esdr. 8:71 f.; Isocr. p. 11 B; Aristot. Eth. iv. 3; Diog. L. vii. 97. The opposite of this is περιχαρής.

ἡ ψυχή μου] Comp. Joh_12:27; Xen. Hell. iv. 4. 3 : ἀδημονῆσαι τὰς ψυχάς. The soul, the intermediate element through which the spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα, Mat_26:41) is connected with the body in the unity of the individual (see Beck, Bibl. Seelenl. p. 11), is the seat of pleasure and pain. Comp. Stirm in the Tüb. Zeitschr. 1834, 3, p. 25 ff.

ἕως θανάτου] defining the extent of the περίλυπος: unto death, so as almost to cause death, so that I am nearly dead from very grief; Jon_4:9; Isa_38:1; and see on Php_2:27. The idea of the mors infernalis (Calovius), as though Christ had been experiencing the pains of hell, is here exegetically unwarrantable. Euthymius Zigabenus correctly observes: φανερώτερον ἐξαγορεύει τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς φύσεως ὡς ἄνθρωπος.

μείνατε … ἐμοῦ] In magnis tentationibus juvat solitudo, sed tamen, ut in propinquo sint amici, Bengel.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 26:37 . παραλαβὼν : He takes the same three as at the transfiguration along with Him that they may be near enough to prevent a feeling of utter isolation. ἤρξατο , He began. This beginning refers to the appearance of distress; the inward beginning came earlier. He did His feeling till He had reduced His following to three; then allowed them to appear to those who, He hoped, could bear the revelation and give Him a little sympathy. ἀδημονεῖν , of unvertain derivation. Euthy. gives as its equivalent βαρυθυμεῖν , to be dejected or heavy hearted.

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

The word which he useth, signifieth great sorrow, and marvelous and deadly grief: which thing, as it betokeneth the truth of man’s nature, which shunneth death as a thing that entered in against nature, so it showeth that though Christ were void of sin, yet he sustained this horrible punishment, because he felt the wrath of God kindled against us for sins, which he revenged and punished in his person.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee] That is, James and John; the same persons who had beheld his transfiguration on the mount - that they might contemplate this agony in the light of that glory which they had there seen; and so be kept from being stumbled by a view of his present humiliation.

Began to be sorrowful] λυπεισθαι, from λυω, to dissolve - exquisite sorrow, such as dissolves the natural vigour, and threatens to separate soul and body.

And very heavy.] Overwhelmed with anguish - αδημονειν. This word is used by the Greeks to denote the most extreme anguish which the soul can feel-excruciating anxiety and torture of spirit.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(37) He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee.—The favoured three, as before at the Transfiguration, and in the death-chamber in the house of Jairus (Mat_17:1; Mar_5:37), were chosen out of the chosen. Their professions of devotion justified, as it were, the belief that they, at least, could “watch and pray” with Him. The nearness and sympathy of friends were precious even when personal solitude was felt to be a necessity.

And began to be sorrowful and very heavy.—The Greek word for the latter verb occurs only here, in the parallel passage of Mar_14:33, and Php_2:26, where it is translated “full of heaviness.” Its primary meaning is thought by some philologists to have been that of “satiety,” hence, “loathing” and “ill at ease.” Others, however, find its root-thought in being “far from home,” and so weary and perplexed. There is, it is obvious, a mysterious contrast between the calm, triumphant serenity which had shone in the look and tone of the Son of Man up to this point, and had reached its highest point in the prayer of John 17, and the anguish and distress that were now apparent. The change has, however, its manifold analogies in the experience of those who are nearest to their Master in sufferings and character. They, too, know how suddenly they may pass from confidence and joy as to a horror of great darkness. And in His sufferings we must remember there was an element absolutely unique. It was His to “tread the wine-press” alone (Isa_63:3). It was not only, as it might be with other martyrs, the natural shrinking of man’s nature from pain and death, nor yet the pain of finding treachery and want of true devotion where there had been the promise of faithfulness. The intensity of His sympathy at that moment made the sufferings and sins of mankind His own, and the burden of those sins weighed upon His soul as greater than He could bear (Isa_53:4-6).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

37. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee] See ch. Mat_17:1 and Mar_5:37. The Evangelist, St John, was thus a witness of this scene; hence, as we should expect, his narrative of the arrest of Jesus is very full of particulars.

very heavy] The Greek word conveys the impression of the deepest sorrow; it is used of “maddening grief.”

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.

Then saith he unto them,.... The three disciples, Peter, James, and John, who, by his looks and gestures, might know somewhat of the inward distress of his mind; yet he choose to express it to them in words, saying,

my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. That Christ had an human soul, as well as an human body, is clear from hence; and which was possessed of the same passions as ours are, but without sin, such as joy, love, grief, sorrow, &c. and at this time its sorrows were exceeding great: his soul was beset all around with the sins of his people; these took hold on him, and encompassed him, which must, in the most sensible manner, affect his pure and spotless mind; the sorrows of death and hell surrounded him on every side, insomuch that the least degree of comfort was not let in to him; nor was there any way open for it, so that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow; his heart was ready to break; he was brought even, as it were, to the dust of death; nor would his sorrows leave him, he was persuaded, until soul and body were separated from each other; see a like phrase in Jdg 16:16,

tarry ye here. The Ethiopic adds, "till I shall return", for he was going a little further from them, to vent his grief, and pour out his soul unto God. Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads it, "expect me", or "wait for me here", signifying, that he should return to them shortly,

and watch with me. It was night, and they might be heavy and inclined to sleep: he knew it would be an hour of temptation both to him and them, and therefore advises them to watch against it; and to observe how it would go with him, and what should befall him, that they might be witnesses of it, and be able to testify what agonies he endured, what grace he exercised, and how submissive he was to his Father's will.

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

37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Ver. 37. And he took with him Peter, &c.] He took the same that had seen his glory in the mount, to see his agony in the garden, that they might the better stick to him. Let no man envy others their better parts or places; since they have them on no other condition but to be put upon greater temptations, hotter services. If we could wish another man’s honour, when we feel the weight of his cares, as David once did of Saul’s armour, we should be glad to be in our own coat.

And very heavy] To faint, or fall away in his soul, to be out of the world, as we say; "He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him," Lam 3:28. Αδημονειν, -hominum vestigia vitat.

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.

He began to grow sorrowful.[8] The Greek signifies to be dispirited. St. Mark, to be in a consternation with fear: to wit, when all he was to undergo was represented to him, as well as the ingratitude of sinners. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Greek: Lupeisthai kai ademonein. In St. Mark, Greek: ekthambeisthai.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Mark names the three disciples, Mar 14:33,34; And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. The three witnesses of his transfiguration, Mat 17:1, he takes also to be witnesses of his agony. He began to be sorrowful, and very heavy. The words in the Greek are expressive of the greatest sorrow imaginable, which he further expresses Mat 26:38, saying,

My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. This was not wholly upon the sense of his approaching death, for he laid down his life, no man took it from him; nor yet to consider how his disciples would be left; but in the sense he had of the wrath of God due to man for sin, which he now felt, bearing our sins. So as this was a part, and a great part, of his suffering as appears by his following earnest prayers for the passing away of that cup, his sweating as it were drops of blood, Luk 22:44, the angels coming and ministering unto him, Luk 22:43. Luke saith, he was in an agony, which signifieth a great inward conflict.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

37. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee — The whole body of the eleven disciples went with our Lord to Gethsemane; but from the entire number he now selects Peter, James, and John, “the elect among the elect,” to attend him at a little distance from the rest in the moments of his agonizing prayer. These had been selected to witness his glorification upon the mount of transfiguration, and they were now selected to be witnesses of the deep humiliation of the garden.

Began to be sorrowful — The first moment of the terrible hour had now arrived, and our Lord receives the first stroke of atoning sorrow from an invisible source. At the instant of his leaving the eight disciples the trial of sorrow began. For this whole scene of Gethsemane is to be looked upon, not as an hour of fear over his approaching trial, but as the first and, perhaps, far most terrible part of the atoning agony. The sufferings of the cross were, we conceive, from the visible powers of earth; the sufferings of the bitter cup and the bloody sweat were from the invisible powers of hell. The garden was the place of assault from the interior powers of darkness, as the cross was the place of the exterior assaults or men. Both were correspondent parts of the same great work. (For a view of this entire subject, I refer to my Sermon on Substitutional Atonement.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. These three had been privileged to behold his transfiguration, and that glimpse of his glory strengthened them to bear the partial sight of their dear Lord"s sufferings. Did his human heart crave for sympathy, and did he desire not to be utterly alone at this awful crisis? We may well suppose so, as he was true Man, with all man"s feelings and sensibilities. Began to be sorrowful and very heavy (adhmonein , to be sore dismayed). This word seems to be used of the dismay that comes with an unexpected calamity. St. Mark tells us that Christ was "sore amazed" (ekyambeisyai). It is as though the prospect of what was coming suddenly opened to his vision and overwhelmed him. He now set before himself, i.e. his human consciousness, the sufferings which he had to undergo, with all that led to them, and all that would follow, and the burden was crushing.

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

And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee - To be witnesses of all; he began to be sorrowful and in deep anguish - Probably from feeling the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in his soul, while God laid on him the iniquities of us all. Who can tell what painful and dreadful sensations were then impressed on him by the immediate hand of God? The former word in the original properly signifies, to be penetrated with the most exquisite sorrow; the latter to be quite depressed, and almost overwhelmed with the load.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. The eight were left at the entrance of the garden, while the three, who had always been a kind of inner circle, who had been witnesses of his transfiguration, and of one of his greatest miracles (Mark 5:37), were taken within. Began to be sorrowful and very heavy. The shadow of the cross had fallen upon him. It was not fear of the agony, or fear of death, for he bore all, when the moment came, so sublimely that a heathen officer exclaimed, “Surely he must be the son of a god.” I doubt whether it is possible for a mortal to comprehend the mystery of his suffering, but I think the key is found in the declaration, “He was made sin for us.”

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

37. τὸν Πέτρον κ.τ.λ. See ch. Mat 17:1 and Mar 5:37. The Evangelist, St John, was thus a witness of this scene; hence, as we should expect, his narrative of the arrest of Jesus is very full of particulars.

ἀδημονεῖν. This word is found in the parallel passage, Mar 14:33 and in Php 2:26, not elsewhere in N.T. Buttmann, Lex. p. 29 foll. connects it with ἄδημος, as if the train of thought were,—absence from home—perplexity—distress. It is better however to recur to the older derivation connecting it with ἄδην, ἀδῆσαι (see Bp. Lightfoot, on Php 2:26), where the idea of the word would be either (1) ‘satiety,’ so painful weariness of life and life’s work; cp. the use of the rare word ἄδος of the weary woodcutter: ἐπεί τʼ ἐκορέσσατο χεῖρας | τάμνων δένδρεα μακρὰ ἄδος τέ μιν ἵκετο θυμόν (Il. XI. 88), loathing of his work, dislike to go on with it. Or (2) from the sense of physical derangement transferred to mental pain, ‘distress,’ ‘agony of mind,’ which agrees very well with the instance quoted by Buttmann of a woman threatened with violence: ἀδημονούσης τῆς ἀνθρώπου, Dem. de F. L. p. 402. The old lexicons give as synonyms, ἀγωνιᾶν, ἀλύειν, ἀπορεῖν, ἀμηχανεῖν.

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.

37.] These three—Peter, the foremost in attachment, and profession of it—the two sons of Zebedee, who were to drink of the cup that He drank of—He takes with Him, not only nor principally as witnesses of his trial—this indeed, in the full sense, they were not—but as a consolation to Him in that dreadful hour—to ‘watch with Him.’ In this too they failed—yet from his returning to them between his times of prayer, it is manifest that, in the abasement of his humanity, He regarded them as some comfort to Him. ‘In magnis tentationibus juvat solitudo, sed tamen ut in propinquo sint amici.’ Bengel.

ἤρξατο—not merely idiomatic here—He began, as He had never done before.

λυπεῖσθαι = ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι Mark. ‘Dicit incursum objecti horribilis.’ Bengel (see below on ver. 38).

ἀδημονεῖν = λίαν λυπεῖσθαι, ἀπορεῖν, Suidas; τὸ βαρυθυμεῖν νοεῖται, ; ἀγωνιᾷν, Hesychius; ἀδήμων, ὁ ἐξ ἄδου, ὅ ἐστι κόρου τινὸς ἢ λύπης, ἀναπεπτωκώς. ἀδημονεῖν, τὸ ἀλύειν καὶ ἀμηχανεῖν, Eustathius.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(M) 37. And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distracted.] Mk. has: “And He taketh Peter and James and John with Him, and began to be amazed and distracted.”—παραλαβών] Mt. avoids, as usual, the historic present.—λυπεῖσθαι] a softer word than Mk.’s strong ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι; cf. Introduction, p. xxxi. Mt., however, retains the striking ἀδημονεῖν, on which see Lightfoot, Php 2:26, Gould and Swete on Mk. Lk. omits the whole clause.—ἀδημονεῖν] occurs in Ox. Pap. ii. 298, 45, first century a.d. λίαν ἀδημονοῦμεν.

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