Praise
“When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:20)
According to the Bible Project’s “Exodus Way” podcast, a truer translation of Matthew’s words would be that Jesus and His disciples were hymning. They were singing the traditional songs of Passover (Psalm 113-118). Without knowledge of the Hebrew traditions, it’s easy for us to miss the significance of this moment. What we might be apt to read as little more than a transition between the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane, is actually an important detail. Facing imminent death, Jesus leads His disciples in praising God for His acts of deliverance.
By contrast, I imagine many of the Pharisees and teachers of the law rushed or abbreviated their hymning that night. Maybe they skipped it altogether. With their many accusations to rehearse, they had little time for praise. And they were far more interested in shouting than singing that night anyway.
