Mark 14:34

And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

And {G2532} saith {G3004} unto them {G846}, My {G3450} soul {G5590} is {G2076} exceeding sorrowful {G4036} unto {G2193} death {G2288}: tarry ye {G3306} here {G5602}, and {G2532} watch {G1127}.

and he said to them, "My heart is so filled with sadness that I could die! Remain here and stay awake."

Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

And he saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: abide ye here, and watch.

Commentary

Commentary on Mark 14:34

Mark 14:34 captures a moment of profound agony for Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, just hours before His crucifixion. This intimate revelation of His inner turmoil provides a crucial glimpse into His humanity and His complete submission to the Father's will.

Context

This verse is part of the Gethsemane narrative, where Jesus retreats with Peter, James, and John, His closest disciples, to pray. He has just shared the Last Supper and foretold Peter's denial. His instruction to His disciples to "tarry ye here, and watch" sets the stage for His intense personal struggle as He confronts the full weight of the Father's plan for Him, which involves bearing the sins of the world and enduring the cross.

Key Themes

  • Jesus' Profound Agony: The phrase "My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death" vividly portrays the depth of His emotional and spiritual distress. This was not mere sadness, but a soul-crushing grief that threatened His very life. It underscores His full humanity, experiencing suffering as deeply as any person, even while being divine. Similar expressions of His anguish are found in Matthew 26:38 and Luke 22:44.
  • The Call to Watchfulness: Jesus instructs His disciples to "tarry ye here, and watch." This call was both for physical wakefulness and spiritual vigilance, particularly in the face of temptation and the impending crisis. It contrasts with their later inability to stay awake, foreshadowing their failure to fully grasp or participate in His suffering, as seen in Mark 14:37.
  • Anticipation of Sacrifice: This deep sorrow is directly linked to the horror of bearing the sins of humanity and facing separation from the Father. It highlights the immense personal cost of His mission, a sacrifice He willingly, yet agonizingly, embraced for the salvation of mankind.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "exceeding sorrowful" is perilypos (περίλυπος), meaning "surrounded by sorrow," indicating a state of being completely overwhelmed by grief. The addition "unto death" (heos thanatou, ἕως θανάτου) emphasizes the life-threatening intensity of His emotional and spiritual pain, suggesting a grief so profound it could indeed lead to death.

The command to "watch" comes from gregorein (γρηγορεῖν), which implies not just staying awake physically, but also being alert and spiritually vigilant, especially against temptation. Jesus later reiterates this in Mark 14:38: "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."

Practical Application

  • Empathy for Christ's Suffering: This verse invites us to contemplate the immense personal cost of our salvation. Jesus truly suffered for us, in His body and His soul, a truth that should deepen our gratitude and devotion. It reminds us that our Savior fully understands human pain, as described in Hebrews 4:15.
  • The Importance of Prayer in Anguish: Jesus, even in His divine nature, sought solace and strength through prayer during His greatest trial. This sets a powerful example for us to turn to God in our deepest moments of sorrow and distress, trusting in His presence and guidance.
  • Spiritual Vigilance: The command to "watch" remains relevant for believers today. We are called to be spiritually alert, discerning, and prepared for spiritual battles and the Lord's return, as taught in Ephesians 6:18. We must remain vigilant against temptation and the schemes of the enemy.
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Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • John 12:27

    Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

  • Mark 13:35

    Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

  • Mark 13:37

    And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

  • 1 Peter 5:8

    ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

  • Lamentations 1:12

    ¶ [Is it] nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted [me] in the day of his fierce anger.

  • Isaiah 53:12

    Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

  • Isaiah 53:3

    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
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