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And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Luke 22:44 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
  • KJV And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
  • BSB And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
  • NASB And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground].
  • NLT He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

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

In agony Jesus prays more earnestly, His sweat becoming like great drops of blood falling to the ground. It shows the overwhelming intensity of His suffering.

Overview

Luke depicts the depth of Jesus' anguish as He wrestles in prayer before the cross. The sweat like blood conveys the extreme strain of bearing the coming judgment for sin. This verse, absent from some manuscripts, powerfully reveals that our salvation cost Christ unimaginable agony freely endured for us.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • Lam 1:12“Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
  • Heb 5:7He, in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,
  • Ps 22:12–21Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
  • Rom 8:32He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?
  • Isa 53:10Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days, and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.
  • John 12:27“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this time.
  • Ps 130:1–2A Song of Ascents. Out of the depths I have cried to you, Yahweh.
  • Jonah 2:2–3He said, “I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
  • Gen 32:24–28Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.
  • Ps 143:6–7I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.
  • Lam 3:53–56They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
  • Ps 69:14–18Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
  • Ps 22:1–2For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
  • Ps 88:1–18A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite. Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.
  • Ps 40:1–3For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and heard my cry.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 22:44YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 22:44 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.