Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
In the morning, a great while before day (prw ennuxa lian). Luke has only "when it was day" (genomenhv hmerav). The word prw in Mark means the last watch of the night from three to six A.M. Ennuxa lian means in the early part of the watch while it was still a bit dark (cf. Mark 16:2 lian prw).
Rose up and went out (anastav echlqen). Out of the house and out of the city, off (aphlqen, even if not genuine, possibly a conflate reading from Mark 6:32, Mark 6:46). "Flight from the unexpected reality into which His ideal conception of His calling had brought Him" (H.J. Holtzmann). Gould notes that Jesus seems to retreat before his sudden popularity, to prayer with the Father "that he might not be ensnared by this popularity, or in any way induced to accept the ways of ease instead of duty." But Jesus also had a plan for a preaching tour of Galilee and "He felt He could not begin too soon. He left in the night, fearing opposition from the people" (Bruce). Surely many a popular preacher can understand this mood of Jesus when in the night he slips away to a solitary place for prayer. Jesus knew what it was to spend a whole night in prayer. He knew the blessing of prayer and the power of prayer.
And there prayed (kakei proshuxeto). Imperfect tense picturing Jesus as praying through the early morning hours.
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 4:42
John 17:1
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