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Luke 22:44

Linus

Well-Known Member
Luke 22:44 - And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

What do you think this means? Some say it means that Jesus was actually sweating blood. Some say it simply means he was sweating profusely. What do you think? Is this an actual medical problem, or was it something miraculous? Are there many other documented cases of a person sweating blood? Any information and/or opinions welcome.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Linus said:
Luke 22:44 - And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

What do you think this means? Some say it means that Jesus was actually sweating blood. Some say it simply means he was sweating profusely. What do you think? Is this an actual medical problem, or was it something miraculous? Are there many other documented cases of a person sweating blood? Any information and/or opinions welcome.
I don't know but would not this mean that he was suffering so much, and praying with such fervour that his sweat - the visible evidence of the effort he was making was so strong that his sweat could be imagined as being blood ? - I am only guessing.:)
 

Linus

Well-Known Member
michel said:
I don't know but would not this mean that he was suffering so much, and praying with such fervour that his sweat - the visible evidence of the effort he was making was so strong that his sweat could be imagined as being blood ? - I am only guessing.:)
That is one of the interpretations. It's exactly what I think happened since the text uses a comparison. It says His sweat became like drops of blood, not His blood became drops of blood. Others seem to hold a diferent view though. I was just wondering what their thoughts were.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Linus said:
That is one of the interpretations. It's exactly what I think happened since the text uses a comparison. It says His sweat became like drops of blood, not His blood became drops of blood. Others seem to hold a diferent view though. I was just wondering what their thoughts were.
That is why I said what I did; the like drops of blood - like being a word that would have been redundant had it not been a description rather than a straight forward definition.:)
 

Linus

Well-Known Member
michel said:
That is why I said what I did; the like drops of blood - like being a word that would have been redundant had it not been a description rather than a straight forward definition.:)
Exactly.

Yet there are still some who claim that it means he sweat actual drops of blood. I am just wondering why.
 

Green Gaia

Veteran Member
Linus said:
Yet there are still some who claim that it means he sweat actual drops of blood. I am just wondering why.

Because they are literalists and have to remain consistent?
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Maize said:

Because they are literalists and have to remain consistent?
But the wording, even if one is a 'literalist' makes it clear that it is a comparisson.......:(
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Linus said:
Luke 22:44 - And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

What do you think this means? Some say it means that Jesus was actually sweating blood. Some say it simply means he was sweating profusely. What do you think? Is this an actual medical problem, or was it something miraculous? Are there many other documented cases of a person sweating blood? Any information and/or opinions welcome.
I have heard of a very rare phenomenon called hematidrosis, in which a person can actually sweat blood. It is associated with a high degree of psychological stress. Apparently with anxiety of this magnitude, a chemical is released that breaks down the capillaries in the sweat glands. As a result, blood is released into the sweat blands and the sweat comes out tinged with blood.

Considering the fact that Luke 22:43 says, "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strenghening him," it would appear that His ordeal in Gethsemane was at least as intense as the one He would suffer on calgary. Many men were put to death by crucifixion, which was undoubtedly one of the more horrible means of torture ever devised. But no one except for Christ has ever endured the psycologically and emotionaly exhausting experience of taking upon Himself the sins of all mankind. This is what He what He went through in Gethsemane, which is why the angel was sent to strengthen Him at that time.
 

Green Gaia

Veteran Member
DeepShadow said:
Or, taking the other side of this, they think that the translation is flawed.


Or that.... as with all Bible verses, I think it should be looked at with reason and sense. (1) Is it possible to actually sweat blood? Well, Katzpur has given us a medical condition where such a thing could happen, although it is very rare. (2) Does it matter? Either way, no I don't think so... I the image of intensity from Jesus is transmitted either way you read the passage, imo.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
One more thought... If Jesus' sweat was not really blood, but instead something like blood, what could that possibly mean? What could He have sweat that was like blood but was not blood?
 

true blood

Active Member
The wording I read is "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

The use of the word "as" makes it clear that a figurative usage is intended, the figure of speech being simile. The word "blood" represents the life Jesus poured into this prayer.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
true blood said:
The wording I read is "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

The use of the word "as" makes it clear that a figurative usage is intended, the figure of speech being simile. The word "blood" represents the life Jesus poured into this prayer.
Which Bible are you reading from, out of interest ?:)
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
true blood said:
"As" and "as it were" have slightly different meanings, at least to me. What do you think He sweat that looked like blood but wasn't?
 

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
The notes at bible.org make clear that the verse is missing from the ealiest manuscripts (P66 & P75) and from many of the ealiest codices, and that in others it was marked to indicate doubts as to authenticity. Similarly ...
Take Luke 22:43-44, "And being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground." This is not present in the very earliest Greek manuscripts p66 and p75 from the third century. (P66 stands for papyrus number 66, p75 for papyrus number 75). Will they be dropped from future printings of the King James Version because they are not in the earliest manuscripts we have? Somehow, I doubt it.

These verses are also omitted by Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Vaticanus (4th century), Codex Washingtonensis (5th century), etc., but are in Sinaiticus (4th century) and the great majority of later manuscripts. They are cited by the early church father Justin (c. A. D. 130). Whenever these verses were added or dropped, it must have been very early.

We know that these verses were quoted, not always exactly, in the second century by the early church fathers to counter the heretical view that Jesus was not a real human being and only quoted for that doctrinal purpose.

For example, Justin said, "(I)t is recorded that His sweat fell down like drops of blood while He was praying... in order that we may perceive that the Father wished His Son really to undergo such sufferings for our sakes, and may not say that He, being the Son of God, did not feel what was happening to Him and inflicted on Him" (Dialogue with Trypho, 103).

Irenaeus (c. A. D. 170) wrote, "(N)or would He have wept over Lazarus, nor have sweated great drops of blood; nor have declared, `My soul is exceeding sorrowful'; nor, when His side was pierced, would there have come forth blood and water. For all these are tokens of the flesh which had been derived from the earth, which He had recapitulated in Himself, bearing salvation to His own handiwork" (Against Heresy, 3, 22, 2).

Hippolytus (c. A. D 190) said, "Thus then, too, though demonstrated as God, He does not refuse the conditions proper to Him as man, since He hungers and toils and thirsts in weariness, and flees in fear, and prays in trouble. And He who as God has a sleepless nature, slumbers on a pillow. And He who for this end came into the world, begs off from the cup of suffering. And in an agony He sweats blood, and is strengthened by an angel..." (Against Noetus, 18).

These verses were cited only for doctrinal purposes and are missing from the earliest manuscripts of Luke's Gospel. What more proof is needed that Luke's Gospel was altered no more than decades after being written and that this was done for doctrinal reasons?

- see Which Bible
:biglaugh: You are searching for deep meaning in inauthentic text. :biglaugh:​
 

enton

Member
Linus said:
Luke 22:44 - And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

What do you think this means? Some say it means that Jesus was actually sweating blood. Some say it simply means he was sweating profusely. What do you think? Is this an actual medical problem, or was it something miraculous? Are there many other documented cases of a person sweating blood? Any information and/or opinions welcome.
If you are to be nailed on the cross and you knew beforehand that you will die on the cross, what sort of sweat, when you will pray, will your body gives off?
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Maize said:

Because they are literalists and have to remain consistent?
Maize,

That's a good point. I too am a literalist, and I can attest to the fact that being one is not very easy to do. It takes a lot of work and hard study. I feel that because of my choice to be a literalist, I have taken the burden upon myself to interpret the Bible as literally as possible, and, believe me, it's not a walk in the park! But it IS a challenge that I welcome. I've been a 'literalist' for 24 years now, and I still can't explain everything literally.

Again, a very good point.
 
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