Mark 14:26
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Original Language Analysis
Καὶ
And
G2532
Καὶ
And
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
1 of 8
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὑμνήσαντες
when they had sung an hymn
G5214
ὑμνήσαντες
when they had sung an hymn
Strong's:
G5214
Word #:
2 of 8
to hymn, i.e., sing a religious ode; by implication, to celebrate (god) in song
εἰς
into
G1519
εἰς
into
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
4 of 8
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὸ
G3588
τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 8
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Historical Context
The Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley, was a place of Jewish eschatological expectation. First-century pilgrims camped there during Passover when Jerusalem's population swelled from 50,000 to over 200,000. Jesus' regular use of this location made Judas's betrayal logistically simple.
Questions for Reflection
- What does Jesus singing hymns before His crucifixion teach about worship in suffering?
- How does Jesus' habitual prayer pattern (Luke 22:39) challenge your consistency in spiritual disciplines?
- Why might Mark emphasize the fulfillment of Old Testament geography and prophecy at this crucial moment?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. The hymn (ὑμνέω, hymneō) was likely the second half of the Hallel (Psalms 115-118), traditionally sung at Passover's conclusion. Jesus and the disciples sang praise knowing what lay ahead—His betrayal, their desertion, His death. The verb ὑμνέω carries the sense of worship through song, making this one of Scripture's rare glimpses of Jesus singing.
Their destination, the mount of Olives (τὸ ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν, to oros tōn Elaiōn), fulfilled Zechariah 14:4's prophecy about Messiah standing there. This garden became the arena where the second Adam faced temptation—not in Eden's pleasure but Gethsemane's agony. Luke 22:39 notes this was Jesus' custom (κατὰ τὸ ἔθος, kata to ethos), showing deliberate habit even unto death.