Mark 14:36

And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(36) And he said, Abba, Father.—The record of the word “Abba” as actually uttered, is peculiar to St. Mark. We, perhaps, find traces of the impression it made on the minds of men in the “Abba, Father” of Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:32-42 Christ's sufferings began with the sorest of all, those in his soul. He began to be sorely amazed; words not used in St. Matthew, but very full of meaning. The terrors of God set themselves in array against him, and he allowed him to contemplate them. Never was sorrow like unto his at this time. Now he was made a curse for us; the curses of the law were laid upon him as our Surety. He now tasted death, in all the bitterness of it. This was that fear of which the apostle speaks, the natural fear of pain and death, at which human nature startles. Can we ever entertain favourable, or even slight thoughts of sin, when we see the painful sufferings which sin, though but reckoned to him, brought on the Lord Jesus? Shall that sit light upon our souls, which sat so heavy upon his? Was Christ in such agony for our sins, and shall we never be in agony about them? How should we look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn! It becomes us to be exceedingly sorrowful for sin, because He was so, and never to mock at it. Christ, as Man, pleaded, that, if it were possible, his sufferings might pass from him. As Mediator, he submitted to the will of God, saying, Nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt; I bid it welcome. See how the sinful weakness of Christ's disciples returns, and overpowers them. What heavy clogs these bodies of ours are to our souls! But when we see trouble at the door, we should get ready for it. Alas, even believers often look at the Redeemer's sufferings in a drowsy manner, and instead of being ready to die with Christ, they are not even prepared to watch with him one hour.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Ἀββα Abba This word denotes "father." It is a Syriac word, and is used by the Saviour as a word denoting filial affection and tenderness. Compare Romans 8:15.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 14:32-42. The Agony in the Garden. ( = Mt 26:36-46; Lu 22:39-46).

See on [1507]Lu 22:39-46.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:32"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he said, Abba, Father,.... In the original text, the former of these is a Syriac word, and the latter a Greek one, explanative of the former, as in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6 or the repetition is made, to express the vehemency of his affection, and his strong confidence in God, as his Father, amidst his distress, as the Syriac version renders it, , "Abba, my Father": or "my Father, my Father"; and so the Ethiopic version:

all things are possible unto thee; so Philo the Jew (b), taking notice of Isaac's question about the burnt offering, and Abraham's answer to it, represents the latter as adding, in confirmation of it,

"all things are possible to God, and which are both difficult and impossible to be done by men;''

suggesting, that God could easily provide a lamb for a sacrifice; and Christ here intimates, that every thing consistent with his perfections, counsels, and covenant, were possible to be done by him; and how far what he prays for, was agreeable to these, he submits to him, and to his sovereign will:

take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt: See Gill on Matthew 26:39.

(b) De Abrahamo, p. 374.

Geneva Study Bible

And he said, {h} Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

(h) This doubling of the word was used in those days when their languages were mixed together: for the word Abba is a Syrian word.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:36. Ἀββᾶ ὁ πατήρ: in the parallels simply πάτερ. In the Apostolic Church the use of the double appellation among Gentile Christians was common (vide Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6), Ἀββά having become a proper name and πατὴρ being added as its interpretation = God our Father. Mk. imparts into the prayer of our Lord this apostolic usage. Jesus doubtless would use only one of the names, probably the Aramaic.—παρένεγκε τ. π. τ., remove this cup; equivalent to παρέλθῃ in Mark 14:35 (Luke 22:42).—ἀλλʼ οὐ, etc.; “but not what (τί for ὃ) I will, but what Thou”; elliptical but clear and expressive: γενήσεται or γενέσθαι δεῖ (not γενέσθω which would demand μὴ before θέλω) is understood (vide Holtzmann, H. C., and Weiss in Meyer).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

36. Abba] St Mark alone has preserved for us this word. St Peter could not fail to have treasured up the words of murmured anguish, which, “about a stone’s throw” apart, he may have caught before he was overpowered with slumber. It is used only twice more in the New Testament, and both times by St Paul, Romans 8:15, “we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father” and Galatians 4:6, “God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” In Syriac it is said to have been pronounced with a double b when applied to a spiritual father, with a single b when used in its natural sense. With the double letter at all events it has passed into the European languages, as an ecclesiastical term, ‘abbas,’ ‘abbot.’ See Canon Lightfoot on Galatians 4:6.

Father] St Mark adds this probably to explain the Aramaic word, after his wont.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 14:36. Ἀββᾶ ὁ πατὴρ, Abba Father) Mark seems to have added Father, by way of interpretation: For Matthew, ch. Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42, says that what was said by Jesus was simply, “My Father:” Luke, ‘Father,’ Matthew 22:42. on the cross, He said Eli, Eli.—τὶ, what) The question in the case, saith He, is not what I will, but what Thou wilt.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 36. - And he said, Abba, Father. Some commentators suppose that our Lord only used the Hebrew or Aramaic word "Abba," and that St. Mark adds the Greek and Latin synonym (πατὴρ) for the benefit of those to whom he was writing. But it is far more natural to conclude that St. Mark is here taking his narrative from an eye and ear witness, St. Peter; and that both the words were uttered by him; so that he thus, in his agony, cried to God in the name of the whole human family, the Jew first, and also the Gentile. We can quite understand why St. Matthew, writing to Jews, gives only the Hebrew word. All things are possible unto thee. Speaking absolutely, with God nothing is impossible. But the Deity is himself bound by his own laws; and hence this was impossible, consistently with his purposes of mercy for the redemption of the world. The Lord himself knew this. Therefore he does not ask for anything contrary to the will of his Father. But it was the natural craving of his humanity, which, subject to the supreme will of God, desired to be delivered from this terrible load. Remove this cup from me. The "cup," both in Holy Scripture and in profane writers, is taken to signify that lot or portion, whether good or evil, which is appointed for us by God. Hence St. John is frequently represented as holding a cup. Howbeit, not what I will, but what thou wilt. Our Lord has no sooner offered his conditional prayer than he subordinates it to the will of God. St. Luke (Luke 22:42) here says, "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." Hence it appears that there was not, as the Monothelites taught, one will, partly human and partly Divine, in Christ; but there were two distinct wills, one human and the other Divine, both residing in the one Christ; and it was by the subjecting of his human will to the Divine that he wrought out our redemption. Mark 14:36