Matthew 26 30

Matthew 26:30 kjv

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30 nkjv

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30 niv

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30 esv

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26:30 nlt

Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26 verses

Matthew 26 30 Meaning

Matthew 26:30 marks a poignant transition following the Last Supper, wherein Jesus instituted the new covenant in His blood. It describes Jesus and His disciples concluding their meal by singing a hymn, a traditional part of the Passover Seder, and then departing to the Mount of Olives. This verse signifies the deliberate and sacred step Jesus took from the communal fellowship and new covenant celebration towards the agony in Gethsemane, His impending betrayal, arrest, and ultimate sacrifice on the cross. It portrays Christ as intentionally fulfilling both the ritual and prophetic aspects of His divine mission, embracing His suffering with worship.

Matthew 26 30 Context

Matthew 26:30 is embedded within the detailed account of Jesus' final hours before His crucifixion. It follows the pivotal institution of the Lord's Supper (vv. 26-29), where Jesus redefines the Passover meal to symbolize His body broken and blood shed for the new covenant. Prior to this, Jesus prophesied His betrayal by Judas and Peter's denial (vv. 21-25, 31-35). This verse acts as a bridge, moving the narrative from the intimate setting of the Upper Room, a place of profound theological revelation, to the somber environment of the Mount of Olives. The departure marks the beginning of the Passion, directly preceding Jesus' agony in Gethsemane and His subsequent arrest. Historically, the Passover feast was deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, commemorating the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus' actions, including the singing of the traditional Hallel psalms, fulfilled and transcended this ancient ritual, imbuing it with His messianic sacrifice and demonstrating His deliberate path towards Calvary. The Mount of Olives was a well-known location for Jesus, often a place of teaching, prayer, and rest outside the city.

Matthew 26 30 Word analysis

• And (καί - `kai`): A simple conjunction, yet it powerfully links the institution of the Last Supper to the events leading directly to Jesus' passion. It implies a direct consequence or continuation of the divine plan.
• when they had sung (ὑμνήσαντες - `hymnesantes`): This is an aorist participle from `hymneō` (to sing praise, hymn). The aorist indicates a completed action preceding the main verb ("they went out"). This "singing" was not merely casual, but refers to the concluding section of the Hallel psalms (Pss 115-118), sung after the Passover meal. This act underscores their faithful participation in the Passover ritual, which Jesus simultaneously transformed with new meaning. It highlights Jesus' full engagement with the sacred traditions He was also fulfilling.
• a hymn (implied, `hymnesantes` captures the act of singing a hymn/praises): Specifically refers to the Hallel (Pss 113-118). These psalms praise God for His mighty acts of deliverance, particularly the Exodus from Egypt, and express trust in His saving power. The significance here is profound: Jesus, the ultimate deliverer and Passover Lamb, sings praises for deliverance while about to offer Himself for humanity's greater redemption. Psalm 118, in particular, speaks of the "stone which the builders rejected," a verse Jesus often applied to Himself.
• they went out (ἐξῆλθον - `exēlthon`): A specific verb of movement, indicating departure from the upper room. This exit is laden with theological weight; it's a movement from fellowship to suffering, from intimate communion to confrontation with evil, from teaching to decisive action for salvation. It signifies a public exposure following a private ordinance.
• to the Mount (εἰς τὸ Ὄρος - `eis to Oros`): Denotes direction and destination. The specific location is crucial. The Mount of Olives is approximately a mile east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley.
• of Olives (τῶν Ἐλαιῶν - `tōn Elaiōn`): The place name adds significant depth. It was Jesus' frequent refuge for prayer (Lk 21:37), the site of the Gethsemane garden where He would agonize, the location of David's sorrowful flight (2 Sam 15), the scene of Jesus' triumphal entry (Lk 19:29), and prophetically associated with the Lord's return (Zech 14:4) and His ascension (Acts 1:9-12). Its name implies "oil press" (Gethsemane, at its base), further foreshadowing the crushing agony to come. This destination embodies both a customary retreat and a profoundly prophetic landscape for divine drama.

• "And when they had sung a hymn": This phrase captures the liturgical conclusion of the Passover meal. It signifies a moment of shared worship and continuity with ancient Israelite tradition, even as Jesus introduces revolutionary new meaning through the Lord's Supper. Their singing praises God for His salvation at the very moment the ultimate act of salvation is commencing. It portrays Jesus, not as a victim, but as a deliberate participant in His own destiny, going forth in praise.
• "they went out to the Mount of Olives": This transition signifies a movement from a sacred, intimate interior space to a historically and prophetically significant exterior one. The Upper Room was where the new covenant was established; the Mount of Olives is where the direct steps towards its fulfillment would begin, through prayer, betrayal, and arrest, paving the way for the cross. It represents Jesus’ deliberate, prayer-filled journey into the Father’s will for redemption, a journey into suffering and obedience.

Matthew 26 30 Bonus section

The singing of the Hallel psalms at the conclusion of the Last Supper highlights Jesus' profound identification with the Jewish faith traditions He came to fulfill. It underscores that His redemptive work was not in opposition to God's past covenant but was its very culmination and perfection. The particular psalms in the Hallel express themes of national deliverance and God's power over human weakness and idolatry, which gain incredible poignancy as Jesus prepares to become the ultimate Passover sacrifice. This scene presents Jesus not as one who rejects His heritage, but one who deeply embeds His messianic mission within its very fabric, providing a bridge between the Old and New Covenants.

Matthew 26 30 Commentary

Matthew 26:30 is a concise yet profound hinge point in the narrative of Jesus' Passion. Following the sacred institution of the Lord's Supper, an act that transformed the ancient Passover into the central Christian ordinance, Jesus and His disciples conclude their time together with a customary hymn. This was almost certainly the Hallel psalms (Pss 115-118), hymns of praise for God's deliverance and unfailing love, ironically sung by Jesus who was about to undertake the ultimate act of deliverance through His suffering and death. This act of singing praises immediately before His deepest agony underscores Jesus' voluntary and worshipful submission to the Father's will. Their subsequent departure "to the Mount of Olives" is more than a mere change of location; it is a movement towards destiny. The Mount of Olives, rich in Old Testament history and prophetic significance—a place of King David's sorrowful exile, of Jesus' frequent prayer, and foretold as the place of His return—becomes the immediate setting for Gethsemane, where Christ's spirit would be crushed, yet where His resolve to redeem humanity would be sealed through obedient prayer. This verse therefore epitomizes Christ's obedient transition from communal worship to solitary suffering, from institution to immeasurable cost, willingly moving towards His cross, hymn on His lips, heart resolute in divine purpose.