Mark 14 40

Mark 14:40 kjv

And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

Mark 14:40 nkjv

And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

Mark 14:40 niv

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

Mark 14:40 esv

And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.

Mark 14:40 nlt

When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say.

Mark 14 verses

Mark 14 40 Meaning

Mark 14:40 describes Jesus returning a second time to His disciples in Gethsemane, finding them asleep once more. Their inability to stay awake was due to extreme physical exhaustion and heavy-lidded eyes, rendering them speechless and incapable of offering a response to Him. This highlights the disciples' deep human weakness and spiritual unpreparedness in Jesus' profound hour of agony.

Mark 14 40 Context

Mark 14 describes Jesus' final hours leading up to His crucifixion. After the Last Supper and the prophecy of Peter's denial, Jesus takes His closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—to the Garden of Gethsemane. There, He experiences profound spiritual agony and prays intensely, seeking the Father's will. Verse 40 occurs after Jesus has returned from His first period of solitary prayer (vv. 35-36) and found them sleeping the first time (vv. 37-38). He rebukes Peter (v. 38), emphasizes the spiritual struggle ("The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"), and then returns to pray a second time (v. 39). This verse marks Jesus' second return, establishing a pattern of the disciples' repeated failure to watch and pray with Him during His most critical moment of spiritual warfare before His arrest.

Mark 14 40 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ - Kai): A common conjunction, linking this event directly to Jesus' previous prayer and His finding the disciples sleeping before.
• He came (ἐλθὼν - elthōn): A participle meaning "having come," indicating Jesus' action of returning from prayer.
• again (πάλιν - palin): Crucial word, signifying the repetition of Jesus' return and, more significantly, the disciples' continued state of sleep. It underscores the recurring nature of their failure to remain watchful.
• found (εὗρεν - heuren): Implies a discovery, emphasizing that Jesus personally observed their state.
• them (αὐτοὺς - autous): Refers specifically to Peter, James, and John, whom Jesus had asked to "remain here and keep watch" (Mk 14:34).
• sleeping (κοιμωμένους - koimōmenous): Present participle, denoting a continuous action. Their state was not merely temporary dozing but a profound sleep. The term can be used for normal sleep, or euphemistically for death, but here denotes a deep slumber from exhaustion.
• for (γὰρ - gar): Introduces the explanation or reason for their sleeping.
• their (αὐτῶν - autōn): Possessive, specifying whose eyes.
• eyes (οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ - hoi ophthalmoi): The organ of sight, symbolizing watchfulness and awareness.
• were very heavy (βεβαρημένοι - bebarēmenoi): A perfect passive participle from barunō, meaning "to weigh down," "to burden," "to make heavy." This suggests an overwhelming physical and mental exhaustion, making it impossible to keep their eyes open. In Lk 22:45, it is explicitly linked to "sorrow."
• and (καὶ - kai): Another conjunction, linking the sleep and its cause to the resulting inability to speak.
• they did not know (οὐκ ᾔδεισαν - ouk ēideisan): Imperfect tense of eidō, meaning "to know," "to perceive," or "to understand." It implies an ongoing state of not knowing, a mental incapacity to respond or grasp the gravity of the moment. They were not merely at a loss for words but had no understanding or suitable response available.
• what (τί - ti): Interrogative pronoun, referring to the content of their potential answer.
• to answer (ἀποκριθῶσιν - apokrithōsin): Aorist subjunctive, meaning "what they should answer" or "what to reply." It signifies their utter failure to verbally or intellectually engage with Jesus after His discovery.
• Him (αὐτῷ - autō): Refers to Jesus, highlighting the direct interaction and the disciples' failure in His presence.

• "He came again and found them sleeping": This phrase emphasizes the repetitive nature of the disciples' failure and Jesus' continued patience. The repetition ("again") builds dramatic tension and highlights the severity of their lack of vigilance.
• "for their eyes were very heavy": This explains the physical state causing their sleep, but in light of Lk 22:45 ("sleeping for sorrow"), it suggests that their deep grief and emotional burden over Jesus' suffering also contributed to this profound physical weariness. It's more than just being tired; it's a profound exhaustion from both physical strain and emotional distress.
• "and they did not know what to answer Him": This points to the immediate consequence of their heavy sleep and lack of watchfulness. Their physical and spiritual incapacitation meant they had no excuse, no defense, no understanding to offer. It signifies a complete spiritual numbness or detachment from the gravity of Jesus' struggle.

Mark 14 40 Bonus section

The disciples' sleep in Gethsemane serves as a foreshadowing of their abandonment of Jesus during His arrest and trial. Their physical sleep becomes a metaphor for their spiritual unawareness and failure to grasp the profound redemptive work Jesus was undertaking. Furthermore, the Gethsemane narrative parallels prophetic imagery of spiritual blindness (Isa 6:9-10; Rom 11:8), where eyes that should see become heavy, and hearts that should understand become dull. The repeated discovery of the disciples' sleep by Jesus highlights His patient persistence and compassionate understanding of human limitation, even as He confronts their shortcomings, ultimately providing grace for their later restoration and empowerment at Pentecost. This moment contrasts human failure with divine steadfastness, revealing Jesus' resolve to face His passion alone.

Mark 14 40 Commentary

Mark 14:40 reveals the stark contrast between the intense, agonizing prayer of Jesus and the human weakness of His closest disciples. Despite being explicitly asked to "keep watch," they succumbed to deep sleep twice. The phrase "their eyes were very heavy" points to overwhelming exhaustion, perhaps compounded by the immense sorrow they felt, yet it simultaneously serves as a symbolic depiction of spiritual lethargy and insensitivity. Their inability to "know what to answer Him" demonstrates their complete lack of understanding and their incapacity to spiritually or practically engage with Jesus in His deepest hour of need. This moment underscores the profound burden Jesus bore alone, highlighting His ultimate obedience even as those closest to Him failed, a testament to humanity's inherent weakness and the solitary nature of Christ's sacrifice.

• Practical Usage: This passage calls believers to spiritual vigilance (1 Pet 5:8) and reminds us that spiritual battles can manifest physically through weariness. It teaches humility about our own frailties, while encouraging dependence on the Holy Spirit to overcome the weakness of the flesh (Gal 5:16). It also warns against complacency in spiritual disciplines, especially prayer, reminding us of the danger of succumbing to spiritual sleep in times of testing.