The story of Gethsemane

Read beyond the name

You have probably heard the name Gethsemane, but did you know that it actually means something? Gethsemane comes from the Hebrew words gat-גת (“press”) and shemanim שמנים- (“oils”). At the base of the Mount of Olives there was a garden where the farmers of Jerusalem would bring their harvested olives to be pressed into oil.

The name Gethsemane is significant because it underscores the essence of Jesus’ suffering at the time of his arrest. Like an olive in a press, Jesus’ life was squeezed out of him. The Scripture says, “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44). Through this we see that by understanding the Hebrew names of places, we gain access to the true inner meaning of the story of Jesus’ arrest. Enroll in our live online biblical Hebrew courses and gain a fresh perspective on the most familiar stories.