What Does Luke 22:44 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Prayer intensifies inside the agony while the body makes the struggle visible.
THE MEANING
When anguish is present, prayer can deepen without making bodily distress vanish. The image leaves the body visible: sweat falls like drops of blood while the prayer continues.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that earnest prayer must make a person immediately calm, or that visible distress means prayer has failed.
THE ROOT
ἀγωνίᾳ
agōnía
GROWS FROM
ἀγων-
agōn-
contest, struggle
The Greek word family adds the sense of struggle or contest to the English word “agony.” The verse places prayer within that struggle, not after it.
ALSO GROWS
agōn: contest, struggle
ἀγών
This is the noun at the center of the family, making the struggle within “agony” visible.
agōnízomai: contend, strive
ἀγωνίζομαι
This verb carries the same struggle into action, showing the active force behind the word family.
ἐκτενέστερον
ektenésteron
GROWS FROM
τείνω
teínō
stretch, extend
The Greek form adds an image of extension or exertion to “more earnestly.” Prayer reaches further under pressure as the struggle deepens.
ALSO GROWS
ektenḗs: intent, earnest
ἐκτενής
This related form carries the focused intensity expressed by “earnestly.”
ekteínō: stretch out, extend
ἐκτείνω
This verb makes the family’s image of stretching or extension concrete.
THE PATTERN
Prayer can hold distress in view while it remains embodied.
I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.THE THREAD
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, where unto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.Luke’s ἀγωνίᾳ (agōnía, struggle or anguish) and 1 Timothy’s ἀγωνίζου (agōnízou, contend or strive) and ἀγῶνα (agōna, contest or struggle) share the agon- word family. The connection opens Luke’s agony as active struggle while leaving its bodily anguish fully in view.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us