The Meaning of Mark 14:26 Explained

Mark 14:26

KJV: And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

YLT: And having sung an hymn, they went forth to the mount of the Olives,

Darby: And having sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives.

ASV: And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when they had sung an hymn,  they went out  into  the mount  of Olives. 

What does Mark 14:26 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The hymn was probably the second part of the Hallel (lit. praise, Psalm 115-118) that the Jews sang antiphonally at the end of the Passover. The other evangelists recorded more that Jesus said and did in the upper room (e.g, John 13-16). By the time they left, it was probably quite late at night.
"When Jesus arose to go to Gethsemane, Psalm 118 was upon his lips. It provided an appropriate description of how God would guide his Messiah through distress and suffering to glory." [1]

Context Summary

Mark 14:17-31 - The Last Supper
The two disciples made their preparations, returned to Bethany, and later the whole company came in together. The simple meal, consisting of the Passover lamb, unleavened cakes, bitter herbs, and wine, proceeded in the usual way, interspersed with the singing of the Hallel, Psalms 113:1-9; Psalms 114:1-8; Psalms 115:1-18; Psalms 116:1-19; Psalms 117:1-2; Psalms 118:1-29. How well it is when we do not need the accusation, "Thou art the man," because we utter the inquiry, Is it I? Those whose hearts misgive them are not likely to commit the deed of treachery. At the institution of the Lord's Supper, Mark 14:22-25, Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the wine, Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24. We must understand His words in Mark 14:22 in the same sense as when He says, "I am the door of the sheep." Those who receive the outward elements worthily partake, at the same time, spiritually of the things which they signify. Let us never fail to remember at the Lord's Supper, that it is the sign and seal of the new covenant into which God has entered with Christ on our behalf. See Hebrews 8:1-13. For Mark 14:27 compare Zechariah 13:7. The energy of our own resolution is not enough to carry us through the supreme ordeals of trial. We need the Holy Spirit for that. Mark alone mentions the warning of the double cockcrow. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 14

1  A conspiracy against Jesus
3  Expensive perfume is poured on his head by a woman
10  Judas sells his Master for money
12  Jesus himself foretells how he will be betrayed by one of his disciples;
22  after the passover prepared, and eaten, institutes his last supper;
26  declares beforehand the flight of all his disciples, and Peter's denial
43  Judas betrays him with a kiss
46  Jesus is apprehended in the garden;
53  falsely accused and impiously condemned of the council;
65  shamefully abused by them;
66  and thrice denied by Peter

Greek Commentary for Mark 14:26

Sung a hymn [υμνησαντες]
See note on Matthew 26:30 for discussion. [source]
Sung an hymn []
See on Matthew 26:30. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 14:26

1 Corinthians 14:15 I will sing [ψαλῶ]
See on James 5:13. The verb, ᾄδω is also used for sing, Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3; Revelation 15:3. In the last two passages it is combined with playing on harps. In Ephesians 5:19we have both verbs. The noun ψαλμός psalm(Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 14:26), which is etymologically akin to this verb, is used in the New Testament of a religious song in general, having the character of an Old Testament psalm; though in Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26, ὑμνέω , whence our hymn, is used of singing an Old Testament psalm. Here applied to such songs improvised under the spiritual ecstasy (1 Corinthians 14:26). Some think that the verb has here its original signification of singing with an instrument. This is its dominant sense in the Septuagint, and both Basil and Gregory of Nyssa define a psalm as implying instrumental accompaniment; and Clement of Alexandria, while forbidding the use of the flute in the agapae, permitted the harp. But neither Basil nor Ambrose nor Chrysostom, in their panegyrics upon music, mention instrumental music, and Basil expressly condemns it. Bingham dismisses the matter summarily, and sites Justin Martyr as saying expressly that instrumental music was not used in the Christian Church. The verb is used here in the general sense of singing praise. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 14:26 mean?

And having sung a hymn they went out to the Mount - of Olives
Καὶ ὑμνήσαντες ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῶν Ἐλαιῶν

ὑμνήσαντες  having  sung  a  hymn 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὑμνέω  
Sense: to sing the praise of, sing hymns to.
ἐξῆλθον  they  went  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
ὄρος  Mount 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄρος  
Sense: a mountain.
τῶν  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἐλαιῶν  of  Olives 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: ἐλαία  
Sense: an olive tree.