22:42a

In Greek this verse begins with another verb of speech that versions such as the New American Standard Bible translate as “saying.” It introduces the words of Jesus’ prayer. In some languages a verb of speech is not necessary here. Introduce the prayer in a natural way in your language.

Father: Jesus addressed God as his father at the beginning of his prayer. In some languages there may be a special form of address that is used to introduce a prayer. For example:

O Father

In some languages a word like “father” must specify whose father is referred to. For example:

My Father

Jesus also addressed God as Father in the prayer in 10:21. Refer to how you translated that prayer.

if You are willing: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as if You are willing is a limit or condition for Jesus’ prayer. It implies that Jesus will accept whatever God decides. It also implies that God decides what should happen. Other Scriptures indicate that God had already decided that Jesus must suffer and die to save the world from sin. Jesus was about to pray that he would escape that suffering and death.

Some other ways to translate if You are willing are:

if you agree/approve
-or-
if it is your will (God’s Word)
-or-
if it agrees with your purpose/decision
-or-
if you decide ⌊that it is good/right⌋

22:42b

take this cup from Me: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as cup is a figure of speech. It refers to the suffering that Jesus was about to endure, especially as he died on the cross. Jesus was asking God to rescue him from that suffering. If your readers would not understand this, some other ways to translate it are:

• Translate the figure of speech and indicate that it refers to suffering. For example:

please take this cup of suffering away from me (New Living Translation (2004))

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

save/spare me from the suffering that otherwise I will suffer
-or-
allow me to escape/avoid the torment that I must soon endure

• Use a different figure of speech that has the same meaning in your language. For example:

please remove from my path this suffering that is almost striking me

Translate this prayer in a meaningful way in your language. Since it is a humble prayer, express it in a respectful way in your language.

22:42c

Yet: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Yet introduces a limit or condition that Jesus added to his request. It is very similar to the limiting condition in 22:42a. Jesus asked in 22:42b to be saved from suffering, but he did not want God to save him from it if that was not God’s will.

Some other ways to introduce this limit to his prayer are:

but if what I ask is not what you want/plan
-or-
even though I have prayed this
-or-
However (God’s Word)
-or-
But if You want Me to go through it (Translator’s Reference Translation)

not My will, but Yours be done: This clause means “⌊It is⌋ not My will ⌊that should happen⌋, but Your ⌊will⌋ should happen.” It indicates that Jesus accepted whatever his Father wanted to happen to him. Another way to translate the clause is:

what I want should not be followed but what You want

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of phrases in this clause so that God’s will is mentioned first. For example:

…your will must be done, not mine. (God’s Word)
-or-
I want your will, not mine.

In some languages it may be more natural to translate the clause without using a passive verb. For example:

do what you want, and not what I want (Contemporary English Version)

My will: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will here refers to what someone wants to happen. It is based on a different verb from the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “willing” in 22:42a. The phrase My will refers to what Jesus wanted to happen in the situation that he prayed about.

but Yours: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but indicates a contrast between two choices. In this context Jesus had to choose either what he wanted to happen or what God wanted to happen. The word Yours refers to what God wanted to happen, and that is what Jesus chose.

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