Matthew 26:44

Mat 26:44. Ἐκ τρίτου, the third time) The third and last time.—τὸν αὐτὸν, the same) as suitable to sorrow. The repetition of the same words is frequently congenial to the soul.

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

Mat 26:44 . esus leaves them sleeping and goes away again for the final struggle, praying as before.

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

Verse 44. Prayed the third time] So St. Paul - I besought the Lord THRICE that it might depart from me, 2Co 12:8. This thrice repeating the same petition argues deep earnestness of soul.

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

(44) Saying the same words.—The fact is suggestive, as indicating that there is a repetition in prayer which indicates not formalism, but intensity of feeling. Lower forms of sorrow may, as it were, play with grief and vary the forms of its expression, but the deepest and sharpest agony is content to fall back upon the iteration of the self-same words.

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

44. saying the same words] This repetition of earnestness must be distinguished from the vain repetitions of ch. Mat_6:7.

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 cometh he to his disciples,.... The three that were nearest to him, "the third time", as Mark says, Mar 14:41, and as it was,

and saith unto them, sleep on now, and take your rest. The Evangelist Mark adds, "it is enough", Mar 14:41; which has induced some interpreters to think, that these words were spoken seriously by Christ: though the sense cannot be that they had watched sufficiently, and now might sleep, and take their rest, for they had not watched at all; but rather, that he had now no need of them, or their watching with him; the conflict was over for the present; or, as the Syriac version renders it, "the end is come"; and so the Arabic; and to the same purpose the Persic, "the matter is come to an end", or to an extremity; the sense being the same with what is expressed in the following clause, "the hour is at hand"; and shows, that the words are to be understood in an ironical sense, sleep on and take your rest, if you can: I have been exhorting you to watchfulness, but to no purpose, you will be alarmed from another quarter; a band of soldiers is just at hand to seize and carry me away, and now sleep if you can: that this is the sense appears from the reason given, and from the exhortation in the following verse, and the reason annexed to that:

behold the hour is at hand, and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners: by the son of man Christ means himself, and under this diminutive title expresses his Messiahship, this being a character of the Messiah in the Old Testament; and the truth of his human nature, and the weakness and infirmities of it: by the "betraying", or delivery of him, is intended either the betraying of him by Judas into the hands of the high priest, Scribes, and Pharisees; or the delivery of him, by them, into the hands of Pilate, and by him to the Roman soldiers; all which were by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. The high priest, elders, Scribes, and Pharisees, notwithstanding all their pretensions to religion, righteousness, and holiness, were very wicked persons; though the Gentiles, the band of Roman soldiers, Judas brought with him to take Christ, are here rather meant, it being usual to call the Gentiles sinners. This betraying and delivery of Christ into the hands of these, was determined by God; the time, the very hour was fixed, and was now approaching; the last sand in the glass was dropping; for as soon as Christ had said these words, Judas, with his band of soldiers, appeared.

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

44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Ver. 44. And he left them, and went away again] A most memorable and imitable pattern of patience toward those that condole not, or that keep not touch with us, we must neither startle nor storm, but pass it by as a frailty.

And prayed the third time] A number of perfection. And, Si ter pulsanti, &c. Paul prayed thrice, and gave over, 2Co 12:8-10, because he saw it was God’s will it should be otherwise: pardoning grace he had, but not prevailing, 2Co 12:9. So our Saviour here had an angel sent from heaven to strengthen him, that he might the better drink that cup which he had so heartily deprecated, Luk 22:43. Hence the apostle doubts not to say that he "was heard in that he feared," Heb 5:7: he was, and he was not; there is no praying against that which God’s providence hath disposed of by an infallible order. And when we see how God will have it, we must sit down and be satisfied. That which he will have done, we may be sure is best to be done.

Saying the same words] And they were no whit the worse for being the same. Let this comfort those that complain they cannot vary in prayer; though that be a desirable ability. The Corinthians were enriched by God in all utterance and knowledge, 1Co 1:5. But the business of prayer is more despatched by inward groanings than outward garnishes.

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 prayed the third time, to teach us perseverance in our prayers. Of these particulars Christ might inform him disciples afterwards; or they were revealed to them. (Witham) --- Our Lord prayed three different times, to obtain of his heavenly Father pardon for our past sins, defence against our present evils, and security against our future misfortunes; and that we might learn to address ourselves in prayer to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Rabanus)

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 saith nothing of this third praying, but saith, Mar 14:41,42, And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betray me is at hand. What the meaning of saying the same words is, we heard before; praying to the same sense, or saying the same thing, or matter, though using other words, as it is plain he hid. Luke tells us, Luk 22:43, there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. This is not the first time we read of angels appearing and ministering to Christ. They did so, Mat 4:11, after his conflict with the devil in the wilderness. Now an angel appeared to him in the hour of temptation. Then he had without, troubles; but now he hath within, fears, being in a great agony.

Thus it is said, Joh 12:27,28, that he being in a conflict, and praying, Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. A voice was heard, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. There the answer was testified by a voice from heaven; here it is by an angel. So God, Dan 9:21, let Daniel know his prayer was heard. Hannah knew another way, by the peace of her spirit after prayer—her countenance was no more sad, 1Sa 1:18. How the angel did strengthen him we are not told. Let no man think that he who was the Son of God needed an angel to strengthen him: he was not now exerting his Divine virtue, but by his suffering showing that he was truly man, and, as to that nature, made lower than the angels.

Luke addeth, Luk 22:44, 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. These words are expressive of the great conflict of our Saviour’s spirit, which was such as thrust out sweat like great drops of blood: whether they were very blood, or sweat with some mixture or tincture of blood, is very hard to determine, nor of any consequence for us to know: it is no unusual thing for bodies to breathe out sweat in ordinary conflicts of spirit; this was much more than ordinary. Luke saith, Luk 22:45,46, that when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. All three evangelists agree, that Christ coming the third time found them sleeping. Luke gives one reason of it, for sorrow. Their sorrow, added to their watching, may be some excuse for their sleeping, though otherwise it was a time which called for more waking.

The evangelists do not so well agree in what Christ said to his disciples. Luke saith, Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Matthew and Mark say he said, Sleep on now, and take your rest, &c. He might say both. Nor can we determine whether he spake those words seriously, as willing that they should take their rest, for they could be no further useful to him, whose time was now come; he was betrayed, and the traitor was at hand: or, with some reflection upon them for their drowsiness, which the words going before, What, could ye not teach with me one hour? Seem to hint us.

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

44. The third time — Thrice, as if in a perfectly restless agony that allows no repose, did our Lord leave his three disciples to go and suffer and pray alone. What a loneliness was that amid the darkness of the memorable spot, when the Divine Man bore the sufferings of a world’s sin, and wrought the reconciliation between heaven and earth! It was the central hour in human history; and he was the most wonderful spectacle, perhaps, though no human eye beheld him, that any eye, human or superhuman, ever beheld.

44. Saying the same words — Form utters the same words from a want of feeling; earnestness repeats from abundance of feeling.

Luke adds: “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. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him.” This marks the climax and the close of his present cup.

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

Saying the same words (logon , word, i.e. prayer). Three times he prayed, and his prayer was always of the same import teaching us by example to be urgent, instant, in supplication, and, though the special request be denied, to be sure that we are heard and that an answer will be given; even as Christ obtained not the withdrawal of the cup, but strength to submit, endure, and conquer. We must compare this threefold prayer and contest with the threefold temptation at the beginning of our Lord"s ministry.

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

44. He prayed the third time, saying the same words. The fact is suggestive as indicating that there is a repetition in prayer which indicates not formalism, but intensity of feeling.

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.

44. τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπών. This repetition of earnestness must be distinguished from the vain repetitions of ch. Mat 6:7.

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.

44.] τὸν αὐτόν, viz. as the last. This third prayer is merely indicated in Mark, by ἔρχεται τὸ τρίτον, on our Lord’s return.

45,

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

(M) 44. And He left them again, and went away, and prayed the third time, saying the same word again.] Mk. has no corresponding third withdrawal, but in v. 41 presupposes one in the words, “and He cometh the third time.” Mt. fills the lacuna by slightly enlarging Mk v. 39. For ἀφείς, cf 13:36.

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