He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.
Parallel translations
- WEB He took with him Peter, James, and John, and began to be greatly troubled and distressed.
- KJV And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;
- NKJV And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.
- NASB And He *took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.
- NLT He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed.
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
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John and begins to feel deep distress. He experiences real human anguish as the cross draws near.
Overview
The inner circle who witnessed his glory at the Transfiguration now see his sorrow. Mark's strong language shows Jesus genuinely troubled and overwhelmed. This reveals the reality of his humanity and the weight of the suffering he willingly took up for sinners.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Luke 22:44And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
- Heb 5:7During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
- Mark 5:37And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
- Mark 1:16–19As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Ps 69:1–3For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of David. Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck.
- Ps 38:11My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance.
- Ps 88:14–16Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
- Matt 26:37–38He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
- Mark 9:2After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.
- Isa 53:10Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
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
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 14:33 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.