Matthew 26:43
ESV
And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
NIV
When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
NASB
Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
CSB
And he came again and found them sleeping, because they could not keep their eyes open.
NLT
When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open.
KJV
And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
NKJV
And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
What does Matthew 26:43 mean?
For the second time, Jesus has moved away from Peter, James, and John after asking them to watch with Him and to pray. For the second time, He has returned to find them sleeping (Matthew 26:37–42).The verse points out that these men are extremely tired. Given that it's late at night and dark and following a big supper with wine, it is not surprising their eyes are heavy. Jesus has expressed, as well, that He knows their spirits are willing, but their flesh is weak (Romans 7:22–25). Still, after waking them the first time, He wondered that they could not pull it together enough to watch with Him for an hour.
This time, we're not told that Jesus even bothers to wake them up. Instead, He returns to the same spot in the garden to pray for a third time.
