And when he returned, he found them asleep again,(for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

MARK 14:40KJV
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Mark 14:40 (KJV)

What does Mark 14:40 mean?

Mark 14:40 describes how Jesus returned and found his disciples asleep again, because they were so tired that they could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know how to respond to him. The verse shows the disciples’ exhaustion and confusion during a critical moment in the Garden of Gethsemane.

This scene takes place just before Jesus’ arrest, as he prays and asks his closest followers to stay awake with him. The disciples’ inability to stay awake, even after Jesus’ earlier warning, highlights their human weakness and the emotional weight of the night. Their silence when confronted by Jesus suggests they were at a loss for words, perhaps feeling shame or simply overwhelmed.

The Greek behind Mark 14:40

  • The word for “heavy” is βαρέω (bareō), which means weighed down or burdened. Here, it emphasizes just how physically and emotionally drained the disciples were, not just a casual tiredness.
  • The phrase “neither wist they what to answer him” uses the Greek οὐκ ᾔδεισαν (ouk ēdeisan), meaning “they did not know.” This shows their confusion and inability to explain themselves, underlining their sense of helplessness in the moment.

Why Mark 14:40 matters

  • Mark 14:40 makes clear that the disciples’ failure was not out of defiance, but from sheer exhaustion and confusion, which helps the reader understand their humanity.
  • The verse connects to the wider passage by showing the contrast between Jesus’ alertness in prayer and the disciples’ inability to keep watch, setting the stage for the events that follow.
  • This moment highlights the loneliness Jesus experienced in his final hours, even among his closest friends, deepening the emotional impact of the narrative.

Where else these words appear

“heavy” Greek G916 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
  • Luke 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

“asleep” Greek G2518 · used in 20 verses

  • Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
  • Matthew 26:45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
  • Mark 14:41 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

“returned” Greek G5290 · used in 35 verses

  • Luke 1:56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.
  • Luke 10:17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
  • Acts 8:25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

“eyes” Greek G3788 · used in 86 verses

  • Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
  • Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
  • Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.