Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.
Parallel translations
- WEB An angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.
- KJV And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
- BSB Then an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.
- NKJV Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
- NASB [Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
An angel from heaven appears to strengthen Jesus in His distress. Heaven ministers to the Son in His agony.
Overview
In His hour of anguish, God sends an angel to strengthen Jesus for what lies ahead. The scene displays both the genuine weight of His human suffering and the Father's care. Though some early manuscripts omit this verse, it richly portrays the reality of Christ's struggle as He embraces the cross.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Matt 4:11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
- Matt 26:53Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?
- Ps 91:11–12For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.
- Heb 1:14Aren’t they all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
- Heb 1:6When he again brings in the firstborn into the world he says, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”
- 1 Tim 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
- Matt 4:6and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”
- Luke 4:10–11for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’
- Job 4:3–4Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands.
- Luke 22:32but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
- Deut 3:28But commission Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you shall see.”
- Dan 10:16–19Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him who stood before me, my lord, by reason of the vision my sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength.
- Acts 18:23Having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.
- Heb 2:17Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
- Dan 11:1“As for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 22:43 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.