Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him.
Parallel Translations
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Again he returned, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they didn’t know what to answer him.
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And he returned and founde them a slepe agayne for their eyes were hevy: nether wist they what to answere him.
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And he returned, and founde them a sleepe againe: for their eyes were heauie: neither knewe they what they should answere him.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to Mark 14:40 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Genesis 44:16 Judah said, “What will we tell my lord? What will we speak? How will we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants. Behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and he also in whose hand the cup is found.”
- Mark 9:33-34 He came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing among yourselves on the way?” But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.
- Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever things the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (6 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into…
38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
39 And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words.
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40 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.
Ver. 40. Neither wist they what to answer] They were ashamed to excuse it, yet fell again into it.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And he cometh the third time,.... After he had…
And he cometh the third time,.... After he had prayed a third time, to the same purport as before:
and saith unto them, sleep on now, and take your rest; which words are spoken ironically:
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it is enough; or "the end is come"; as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, of watching and praying:
the hour is come, behold the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners; both Jews and Gentiles, by one of his own disciples; See Gill on Mat 26:45.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 40. their eyes were heavy] “sopli her yzen were…
40. their eyes were heavy] “sopli her yzen were greuyd,” Wyclif. Even as had been the case on the Mount of Transfiguration. The original word supported by the best MSS. only occurs here, and denotes that the Apostles were utterly tired, and their eyes “weighed down.”
neither wist they what to answer him] A graphic touch peculiar to the second Evangelist, just as the imperfect tense equally graphically implies that the eyes of the Apostles were constantly becoming weighed down in spite of any efforts they might make to keep awake. Comp. the scene at the Transfiguration, Mar_9:6.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And again he came, and found them sleeping, for…
And again he came, and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy (katabarunomenoi): literally, weighed down. They had not deliberately yielded themselves to sleep; but an oppressive languor, the effect of great sorrow, had come over them, so that they could not watch as they desired to do; but by an involuntary action they ever and anon slumbered. They wist not what to answer him. They had no excuse, save that which he himself had found for them.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain He found them asleep.
Mar_14:40
He found them asleep.
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Power of sleep
The most violent passion and excitement cannot keep even powerful minds from sleep; Alexander the Great slept on the field of Arbela, and Napoleon upon that of Austerlitz. Even stripes and torture cannot keep off sleep, as criminals have been known to give way to it on the rack. Noises, which at first serve to drive it away, soon become indispensable to its existence; thus a stagecoach, stopping to change horses, wakes all the passengers. The proprietor of an iron forge, who slept close to the din of hammers, forges, and blast furnaces, would wake if there was any interruption to them during the night, and a sick miller, who had his mill stopped on that account, passed sleepless nights until the mill resumed its usual noise. Homer, in his Iliad, elegantly represents sleep as overcoming all men, and even the gods, except Jupiter alone. (Christian Journal.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 found them sleeping
found them sleeping
The word "them" refers to Peter, James, and John.
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for their eyes were heavy
Here the author speaks of a sleepy person having a hard time keeping his eyes open as having "heavy eyes." AT: "for they were so sleepy they were having a hard time keeping their eyes open" (See: Metaphor)
He came the third time
Jesus had gone and prayed again. Then he returned to them a third time. This can be made clear. AT: "Then he went and prayed again. He returned the third time" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?
Jesus rebukes his disciples for not staying awake and praying. You can translate this rhetorical question as a statement if needed. AT: "You are still sleeping and resting!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
The hour has come
The time of Jesus' suffering and betrayal is about to begin.
Look!
"Listen!"
The Son of Man is being betrayed
Jesus warns his disciples that his betrayer is approaching them. This can be stated in active form. AT: "I, the Son of Man, am being betrayed" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
hour, hours
Son of Man
sin
betray
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.