Matthew 26:37

He took with him

(παραλαβων). Taking along, by his side (παρα-), as a mark of special favour and privilege, instead of leaving this inner circle of three (Peter, James, and John) with the other eight. The eight would serve as a sort of outer guard to watch by the gate of the garden for the coming of Judas while the three would be able to share the agony of soul already upon Jesus so as at least to give him some human sympathy which he craved as he sought help from the Father in prayer. These three had been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration and now they are with him in this supreme crisis. The grief of Christ was now severe. The word forsore troubled

(αδημονειν) is of doubtful etymology. There is an adjective αδημος equal to αποδημος meaning "not at home," "away from home," like the German unheimisch, unheimlich. But whatever the etymology, the notion of intense discomfort is plain. The word αδημονειν occurs in P.Oxy. II, 298,456 of the first century A.D. where it means "excessively concerned." See Philippians 2:26 where Paul uses it of Epaphroditus. Moffatt renders it here "agitated." The word occurs sometimes with απορεω to be at a loss as to which way to go. The Braid Scots has it "sair putten-aboot." Here Matthew has also "to be sorrowful" (λυπεισθα), but Mark (Mark 14:33) has the startling phrasegreatly amazed and sore troubled

(εκθαμβεισθα κα αδημονειν), a "feeling of terrified surprise."