Mark 14:38

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Watch ye	γρηγορεῖτε grēgoreite	G1127	to keep awake · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person plural
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
pray	προσεύχεσθε proseuchesthe	G4336	to pray to God · verb — present middle or passive deponent imperative, 2nd person plural
lest	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
ye enter	εἰσέρχομαι eisérchomai	G1525	to enter (literally or figuratively)
into	εἰς eis	G1519	to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
temptation	πειρασμόν. peirasmon	G3986	a putting to proof (by experiment (of good) · noun — accusative singular masculine
The spirit	πνεῦμα pneuma	G4151	a current of air · noun — nominative singular neuter
truly	μὲν men	G3303	properly · particle
ready	πρόθυμον, prothumon	G4289	forward in spirit · adjective — nominative singular neuter
but	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
the flesh	σὰρξ sarx	G4561	flesh (as stripped of the skin) · noun — nominative singular feminine
weak	ἀσθενής. asthenēs	G772	strengthless (in various applications · adjective — nominative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before…
Luke 22:40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.
Romans 7:18-25 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good…
Revelation 3:2-3 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Luke 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot d…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 14:32-42

Christ is here entering upon his sufferings, and begins with those which were the sorest of all his sufferings, those in his soul. Here we have him in his agony; this melancholy story we had in Matthew; this agony in soul was the wormwood and the gall in the affliction and misery; and thereby it appeared that no sorrow was forced upon him, but that it was what he freely admitted. I. He retired for prayer; Sit ye here (saith he to his disciples), while I go a little further, and pray. He had lately prayed with them (Jn. 17); and now he appoints them to withdraw while he goes to his Father upon an errand peculiar to himself. Note, Our praying with our families will not excuse our neglect of se…

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Adam Clarke on Mark 14:37

Saith unto Peter - See on Mat 26:40 (note).

John Gill on Mark 14:38

Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation,.... Of denying Christ, and falling off from him, which would quickly offer to them, when they should see him apprehended, bound, and led away. The spirit truly is ready. The Persic version renders it, "my mind"; as if the Spirit or soul of Christ was meant; whereas it is either to be understood of the evil spirit, Satan, who was disposed to attack them, and especially Peter, whom he desired to have, and sift as wheat; or else the spirit of the disciples, their renewed spirit, which was ready and disposed watching and praying, and willing to abide by Christ: but the flesh is weak; they were but flesh and blood, and so not a match of themselv…

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John Calvin on Mark 14:32-40

Mark 14:32-40 Matthew 26:36-44 Mark 14:32-40 Luke 22:39-46 36. Then Jesus cometh with them to a place which is called Gethsemane, and saith to the disciples, Sit here until I go yonder and pray. 37. And, having taken with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be affected with grief and sorrow. 38. Then Jesus saith to them, My soul is sorrowful, even to death: remain here, and watch with me. 39. And proceeding a little farther, he fell on his face, praying, and saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; but yet not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40. And he came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, Couldst not thou watch with me one…

The Church Fathers

We do not pray that we will never be tempted at all. For that is impossible. We pray rather that we not be encompassed by temptation.
— Origen of Alexandria, ON PRAYER 29.11

It goes on: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, that is, the temptation of denying me. But he is said to enter into temptation, who neglects to pray. There follows: The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
— Pseudo-Jerome ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Let us, however, not take premature comfort in the Lord's acknowledgment of the weakness of the flesh. For note that he declared first of all that the spirit is willing. He wanted to show which one ought to be subject to the other: the flesh is called to be submissive to the spirit, the weaker to the stronger, so that the flesh may draw strength from the spirit. Let the spirit converse with the flesh on their common salvation. Do not despair over the hardships of prison. Rather think about the eventual outcome of the contest.
— Tertullian, TO THE MARTYRS 4.12

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Gethsemane · Jesus betrayed in — Jesus betrayed in
Man · SPIRIT — SPIRIT
Peter · .In the gar — .In the gar
Sorrow · Of Jesus — Of Jesus
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 14:32-42

Adam Clarke on Mark 14:37

John Gill on Mark 14:38

John Calvin on Mark 14:32-40

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 14:32-42

Adam Clarke on Mark 14:37

John Gill on Mark 14:38

John Calvin on Mark 14:32-40

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Mark 14:37-38