Bible Strands
Luke 22:44
And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus prays in the garden immediately after an angel strengthens Him and before He rises to find His disciples asleep from sorrow.
The words — ἀγωνίᾳ (agōnia) denotes "agony" or "struggle," while ἐκτενέστερον (ektenesteron) literally means "more earnestly."
The thread — The imagery of profound distress and earnest prayer parallels the sorrow described in Lamentations 1:12 and the loud cries and tears recorded in Hebrews 5:7.
Why it lands — The text states that Jesus experienced intense physical and spiritual strain while praying, which requires readers to acknowledge the reality of His human suffering before drawing any theological conclusions about His sacrifice.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Lamentations 1:12 Is this nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look around and see! Is there any sorrow like mine, which was inflicted on me, which the LORD made me suffer on the day of His fierce anger?
- Hebrews 5:7 During 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.
- Psalms 22:12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
- Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Psalms 130:1 A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
- Isaiah 53:10 Yet 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.
- John 12:27 Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.
- Genesis 32:24 So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
- Psalms 143:6 I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah
- Lamentations 3:53 They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.