So He left them and went away once more and prayed a third time, saying the same thing.
Parallel translations
- WEB He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
- KJV And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
- NKJV So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
- NASB And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
- NLT So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again.
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 prays a third time, repeating the same words. His threefold prayer shows settled resolve to do the Father's will.
Overview
Praying once more in the same submission, Jesus brings His struggle to full resolution before the Father. The threefold prayer parallels Peter's coming threefold denial, contrasting Christ's faithfulness with His disciple's failure. Having prevailed in prayer, Jesus is ready to meet His betrayer with calm resolve.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Cor 12:8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
- Luke 18:1Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:
- Matt 6:7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.
- Dan 9:17–19So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary.
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
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 26:44 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.