Luke 22:46 kjv
And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.
Luke 22:46 nkjv
Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."
Luke 22:46 niv
"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."
Luke 22:46 esv
and he said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Luke 22:46 nlt
"Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation."
Luke 22 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 26:40 | And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you couldn’t watch with Me one hour? | Disciples' failure to watch/pray with Jesus |
| Matt 26:41 | "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." | Parallel instruction to watch and pray for strength |
| Mark 14:37 | And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Were you unable to watch for one hour?" | Parallel account of finding them asleep |
| Mark 14:38 | "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." | Parallel instruction with "flesh is weak" |
| Luke 22:45 | When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow. | Context: disciples were sleeping from sorrow |
| Eph 6:18 | With all prayer and pleading, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and pleading for all the saints. | Pray continually, be watchful and alert |
| Col 4:2 | Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. | Steadfastness and alertness in prayer |
| 1 Thess 5:17 | Pray without ceasing. | Continuous prayer as a way of life |
| Rom 12:12 | Rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer. | Prayer as a mark of endurance in tribulation |
| James 1:2-4 | Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. | Understanding the purpose and benefit of trials |
| James 1:12 | Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. | Blessing for enduring temptation/trials |
| 1 Cor 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. | God's faithfulness in providing escape from temptation |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. | Jesus' experience with temptation yet without sin |
| 2 Pet 2:9 | Then the Lord knows how to rescue the devout from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, | God's power to rescue believers from temptation |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. | Call to be watchful against the enemy |
| Luke 11:4 | And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation. | Lord's Prayer request: deliverance from temptation |
| Matt 7:7 | Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. | The effectiveness and promise of persistent prayer |
| Luke 22:31-32 | "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail." | Jesus' prayer for Peter's endurance against temptation |
| Luke 22:54 | Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. | Disciples' desertion and Peter's wavering |
| Rev 16:15 | ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments ready, so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.") | Warning to be spiritually awake and prepared |
Luke 22 verses
Luke 22 46 Meaning
Luke 22:46 presents Jesus' direct admonition to His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane to be spiritually vigilant through prayer, lest they succumb to the overwhelming trials and temptations they were about to face. Their physical sleep symbolized their spiritual unpreparedness. Jesus highlights that active communion with God is the necessary defense against falling into sin or succumbing to the pressures of severe testing, particularly when facing the imminent reality of His betrayal and passion.
Luke 22 46 Context
Luke 22:46 occurs within the somber and intensely spiritual narrative of Jesus' final hours before His crucifixion. Following the Last Supper and the institution of the new covenant, Jesus proceeds to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, notably Peter, James, and John, whom He takes deeper into the garden. There, Jesus engages in agonizing prayer, wrestling with the Father's will concerning the suffering and death He is about to endure. He specifically requests His disciples to "pray that you may not enter into temptation" (Luke 22:40). Despite His profound anguish and repeated returns to them for companionship and prayerful support, He finds them repeatedly asleep. The context explicitly states their sleep was "from sorrow" (Luke 22:45), indicating both physical exhaustion and perhaps emotional numbness from the overwhelming weight of the circumstances. This verse, therefore, represents Jesus' repeated and urgent call for spiritual alertness and reliance on prayer in the face of immense spiritual and physical trials, immediately preceding His betrayal and arrest.
Luke 22 46 Word Analysis
And said unto them, Why sleep ye?
- said (ἔλεγεν, elegen): Imperfect tense, implying Jesus spoke repeatedly or continually, aligning with His three times returning to find them asleep in the synoptic accounts.
- Why (Τί, Ti): A rhetorical question conveying surprise and a gentle, yet firm, rebuke. It challenges their passive state amidst such crucial spiritual combat.
- sleep ye? (καθεύδετε, katheudete): From katheudō, meaning "to be asleep" literally, but also spiritually "to be inactive, neglectful, indifferent, or spiritually unaware." In the immediate context of Luke 22:45, their sleep is attributed to "sorrow," suggesting extreme fatigue brought on by grief and anxiety. Yet, it also signifies their spiritual dullness or inability to grasp the profound spiritual warfare unfolding.
rise (ἀναστάντες, anastantes): A participial form of anistēmi, "to rise, stand up, get up." This is not just a command to physically awaken but to spiritually awaken, to rise to a state of alertness, readiness, and proactive spiritual engagement. It implies shedding lethargy and taking decisive action.
and pray (προσεύχεσθε, proseuchesthe): From proseuchomai, "to pray, supplicate, worship." This is an imperative command, indicating that prayer is the direct and primary antidote to their spiritual weakness. It emphasizes sustained, purposeful communication with God as the source of strength against impending trials.
lest ye enter into temptation (ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν, hina mē eiselthēte eis peirasmon):
- lest... enter into (ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθητε, hina mē eiselthēte): Expresses the purpose or intended negative result of their failure to rise and pray. It is about avoiding succumbing to the trial, not necessarily avoiding the trial itself, for trials are inevitable.
- temptation (πειρασμόν, peirasmon): From peirasmos, which signifies a "test," "trial," or "temptation." In this context, it refers to the severe testing of their faith and loyalty, such as the imminent events of Jesus' arrest, Peter's denial, and the disciples' desertion. This was not merely about avoiding sin, but about standing firm in faith through an extremely trying period where their convictions would be challenged to the core. This kind of "entering into temptation" would mean falling victim to the forces of spiritual opposition and failing the test of discipleship.
Luke 22 46 Bonus Section
- The contrast with Jesus: The verse draws a sharp contrast between Jesus' intense prayer in agony, through which He gained strength and resolved to fulfill God's will (Luke 22:42-44), and the disciples' inability to remain watchful and pray. This highlights Jesus as the ultimate example of spiritual perseverance through prayer in the face of temptation, even unto death.
- A continuing need for believers: The command to "rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation" remains timeless for all believers. It is a constant reminder that spiritual readiness against trials, doubts, and various forms of evil requires persistent prayer and vigilance, otherwise one becomes susceptible to yielding. The peirasmos (temptation/trial) could be anything that seeks to divert one from God's will or causes one to stumble in faith.
- Spiritual preparedness: The disciples' physical sleep led to their unpreparedness for spiritual warfare. This warns against spiritual apathy or complacency in the life of a follower of Christ. Active, continuous spiritual exercise, particularly through prayer, is essential to be ready for the inevitable tests that will challenge one's walk of faith.
Luke 22 46 Commentary
In Luke 22:46, Jesus’ gentle yet urgent command in Gethsemane underscores the indispensable link between spiritual vigilance, fervent prayer, and perseverance against severe trials. His disciples, weighed down by sorrow and exhaustion, were repeatedly found asleep, contrasting sharply with Jesus' own agony and active prayer (Luke 22:44). This "sleeping" represents not just physical fatigue, but a profound spiritual unreadiness for the profound "temptation"—the overwhelming crisis and test of faith that was about to unfold with His betrayal and arrest.
Jesus knew that for them to withstand the coming shock, denial, and persecution, they needed strength beyond their natural capabilities. Prayer, therefore, was presented as the means to access divine power and wisdom necessary to navigate such testing without collapsing spiritually. His instruction to "rise and pray" was a call to awaken from spiritual slumber, to actively engage in communion with God, and to steel themselves against falling away. This highlights a fundamental Christian principle: our human spirit, even when willing, is weak ("the flesh is weak" in parallel accounts Matt 26:41; Mark 14:38), making consistent prayer an absolute necessity to stand firm amidst temptations and tribulations, whether they be inducements to sin or intense pressures threatening one's faith. The disciples’ failure to heed this warning in Gethsemane sadly foreshadowed their actual failure in the face of Jesus' arrest, abandonment, and Peter's denial.