Matthew 26:44

44 This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.

Matthew 26:44 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:44

And he left them, and went away again
At some little distance from them; they being so overpowered with sleep, that he could have no conversation with them:

and prayed the third time;
as the Apostle Paul did, when under temptation, he prayed thrice that it might depart from him, ( 2 Corinthians 12:8 ) ,

saying the same words:
the Arabic version renders it, "in the words which he before expressed"; and Munster's Hebrew Gospel reads, "he said the same prayer"; not in the selfsame words, or in the express form he had before delivered it; for it is certain, that his second prayer is not expressed in the same form of words as the first: but the sense is, that he prayed to the same purpose; the matter and substance of his prayer was the same, namely, that he might be exempted from suffering; but if that could not be admitted of, he was desirous to be resigned to the will of his heavenly Father, and was determined to submit unto it.

Matthew 26:44 In-Context

42 He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, "My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I'm ready. Do it your way."
43 When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn't keep their eyes open.
44 This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.
45 When he came back the next time, he said, "Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners.
46 Get up! Let's get going! My betrayer is here."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.