And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Parallel translations
- WEB He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour?
- BSB Then Jesus returned to the disciples and found them sleeping. “Were you not able to keep watch with Me for one hour?” He asked Peter.
- NKJV Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?
- NASB And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?
- NLT Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?
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 finds the disciples sleeping and asks Peter if he could not watch one hour. Their weakness contrasts with His earnest prayer.
Overview
Despite their earlier vows, the disciples fail even to stay awake during Jesus's agony. His gentle rebuke to Peter, who had boasted so confidently, highlights human frailty. The scene calls believers to spiritual vigilance and reminds us that Christ remained faithful in the very hour His friends could not.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 22:45And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
- Mark 14:37And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?
- Matt 26:43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
- Luke 9:32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
- Matt 25:5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
- Matt 26:38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
- Matt 26:35Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
- 1 Kgs 20:11And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.
- Judg 9:33And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
- Song 5:2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
- 1 Sam 26:15–16And David said to Abner, Art not thou a valiant man? and who is like to thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 26:40 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
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