Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 26:37

"And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and sore troubled." — Matthew 26:37 (ASV)

He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee—These favored three, just as at the Transfiguration and in the room where Jairus's daughter lay dead (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37), were chosen from among the chosen. Their professions of devotion seemed to justify the belief that they, at least, could "watch and pray" with Him. The closeness and sympathy of friends were precious, even when He felt that personal solitude was a necessity.

And began to be sorrowful and very heavy—The Greek word for "very heavy" appears only here, in the parallel passage of Mark 14:33, and in Philippians 2:26, where it is translated as "full of heaviness." Some linguists believe its primary meaning was that of "satiety," which led to the sense of "loathing" or being "ill at ease." Others, however, find its core idea in the feeling of being "far from home," and therefore weary and perplexed.

There is an obvious and mysterious contrast between the calm, triumphant serenity that had shone in the Son of Man's look and tone until this point—a serenity that reached its peak in the prayer of John 17—and the anguish and distress that were now apparent. This change, however, has many parallels in the experiences of those who are nearest to their Master in suffering and character; they, too, know how suddenly they can pass from confidence and joy into a horror of great darkness.

Yet in His sufferings, we must remember there was an element that was absolutely unique. It was His alone to tread the winepress (Isaiah 63:3). His suffering was not simply the natural shrinking from pain and death that other martyrs might experience, nor was it merely the pain of finding treachery and a lack of devotion where faithfulness had been promised. Rather, the intensity of His sympathy at that moment made the sufferings and sins of humanity His own, and the burden of those sins weighed on His soul as if it were greater than He could bear (Isaiah 53:4–6).