Matthew 26:38
“Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: Jesus asks the three to stay and watch with Him.
What Does Matthew 26:38 Mean?
Jesus speaks His inner state aloud in the language of the psalms: My soul is exceeding sorrowful -- grief pressing in on every side, grief to the edge of death. He asks one thing of His three closest friends: tarry here, and watch with me.
The sorrow of Jesus is real sorrow, not performance; His soul staggers under what is coming. That He asks men to watch with Him shows both how human He is and how alone He is about to be. Whoever has carried grief that felt lethal has a Lord who knows it from inside.
In the Original Language
perilypos (περίλυπος), 'exceeding sorrowful' -- surrounded by grief, sorrowful on every side.