What is…
“agony” in the Bible
Greek: ἀγωνίᾳ —transliteration: agónia —meaning: (properly: the feeling of the athlete before a contest); severe struggling with fear, pain and suffering; intense pressure felt in a personal way; severe emotions and mental struggles
Anguish is the reflection on trouble or pain that is already past, while agony is a struggle with pain in the present.
This word is only used in the New Testament by Luke (Luke 22:44) to describe our Lord’s fearful struggle in Gethsemane.
The verb from which the noun “agony” is derived is used to denote an earnest endeavour or striving, as “Strive [agonize] to enter” (Luke 13:24); “Then would my servants fight” [agonize] (John 18:36).
Compare 1 Corinthians 9:25; Col. 1:29; 4:12; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7, where the words “striveth,” “labor,” “conflict,” “fight,” are the translations of the same Greek verb.
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