Matthew 26:44

44 And having left them, having gone away again, he prayed a third time, saying the same word;

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 Again, a second time, having gone away, he prayed, saying, `My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from me except I drink it, Thy will be done;'

43 and having come, he findeth them again sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

44 And having left them, having gone away again, he prayed a third time, saying the same word;

45 then cometh he unto his disciples, and saith to them, `Sleep on henceforth, and rest! lo, the hour hath come nigh, and the Son of Man is delivered up to the hands of sinners.

46 Rise, let us go; lo, he hath come nigh who is delivering me up.'