Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Watch	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
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
ye enter	εἰσέλθητε eiselthēte	G1525	to enter (literally or figuratively) · verb — second aorist active subjunctive, 2nd person plural
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
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
indeed	μὲν men	G3303	properly · particle
willing	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

Luke 22:46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Galatians 5:16-17 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
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…
1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

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

Commentary

John Gill on Matthew 26:41

Watch and pray,.... These two are very justly put together. There is, and ought to be, a watching before prayer, and "unto" it; a watching all opportunities, the most suitable and convenient to perform it; and there is a watching in it, both over our hearts, thoughts, words, and gestures, and after it, for a return of it, and answer to it: the reason of this exhortation follows, that ye enter not into temptation; not that they might not be tempted at all; for none of the saints have been, or are without temptations; and they are needful for them; and it is the will of God they should be attended with them; and he has made gracious provisions for their help and relief under them; but that th…

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John Calvin on Matthew 26:36-44

Matthew 26:36-44 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…

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Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 26:39

If it is possible: Jesus’ heart’s desire was for uninterrupted communion with the Father instead of coming under God’s wrath. • Yet I want your will to be done: His resolution to do the Father’s will was firm (4:1-11; 16:23; John 6:38).

Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Clarke, Gill, Calvin and Keil & Delitzsch are in the public domain; Tyndale Open Study Notes © Tyndale House Publishers, CC BY-SA 4.0 — all from the Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org). Rashi: the Rosenbaum & Silbermann Pentateuch (public domain) and the Judaica Press and Metsudah Tanakh (CC BY), via Sefaria. Spurgeon's Treasury of David: public domain (lyteword's markdown edition, CC0).

The Church Fathers

But we read "that the flesh is weak; " and hence we soothe ourselves in some cases.
— Tertullian, To His Wife Book I

From the saying of our Lord we know that the flesh is weak, the spirit willing. Let us not, withal, take delusive comfort from the Lord's acknowledgment of the weakness of the flesh.
— Tertullian, Ad Martyras

This passage He confirms by subsequent ones, saying, "Pray that ye be not tempted; " yet they were tempted, (as they showed) by de-setting their Lord, because they had given way rather to sleep than prayer.
— Tertullian, On Prayer

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
Lukewarmness · FIGURATIVE — FIGURATIVE
Man · SPIRIT — SPIRIT
Peter · .In the gar — .In the gar
Resignation · Christ set and example of — Christ set and example of
Sorrow · Of Jesus — Of Jesus
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Watchfulness · 36:18-21; — 36:18-21;

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).