Greek word · G1068

Γεθσημανῆ

gethsēmanē

Gethsemane

A place-name taken over from Aramaic. The most widely accepted origin is gat shemanê (gat, "press, vat" + shemen, "oil"), meaning "oil press" or "press of oils". Another proposal is gê shemanîm, "valley of oils" or "fertile valley"; Jerome's Latin gloss "valley of fatness" reflects that line.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated November 01, 2026

What it means

Γεθσημασεί (Rec. -νῆ, LTr. -νεῖ) indecl. (Heb. גֵּת שְׁמָנִי, oil-press),

Gethsemane: called in John 18:1 a κῆπος, but named only in Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Mark 14:32

Range of meaning: A place-name taken over from Aramaic. The most widely accepted origin is gat shemanê (gat, "press, vat" + shemen, "oil"), meaning "oil press" or "press of oils". Another proposal is gê shemanîm, "valley of oils" or "fertile valley"; Jerome's Latin gloss "valley of fatness" reflects that line. Greek spellings vary (-manei, -mani, Gessēmanei) because Greek scribes were rendering a foreign sound.
Against the English: English simply copies the name, so readers miss that it named a place by its function. The familiar "Garden of Gethsemane" joins two Gospels together: Mark and Matthew give the name and call it a plot of land, and only John (18:1) calls it a "garden" (kēpos), without giving the name.
How it drifted: The name was never translated in the Gospels, so its everyday sense was lost on later readers. The garden image comes from merging John with Mark and Matthew.
Used elsewhere in the period: Found only in Mark 14:32 and Matthew 26:36. Luke 22:39 places the event on "the Mount of Olives" and John 18:1 "across the Kidron valley", where there was a garden. Olive presses, often cut into the rock or set in caves, were common on the Mount of Olives. The olive slope was famous enough that the whole ridge took its name from it. Dalman and later archaeological surveys describe the region's oil installations.

From the study of Matthew 26:36

Range of meaning: A place name, found only here and in Mark 14:32. It is almost certainly Aramaic. The most widely accepted origin is gat shemanê (or gat shemanîn), 'press of oil(s)', meaning an olive press. A less likely suggestion is gê' shemanîm, 'valley of oils'.
Against the English: English versions simply carry the name over ('Gethsemane'). That is right for a proper name, but most readers do not know it describes something: an olive-pressing site.
Used elsewhere in the period: The name does not appear in earlier Jewish literature. The Mount of Olives was named for its olive groves (Zechariah 14:4; Josephus, Antiquities 20.169; Jewish War 5.70). Archaeologists have found oil presses on its western slope. A cave near the traditional site has long been identified as a press cave, and Joan Taylor argued that the name refers to it. Early Christian writers (Eusebius's Onomasticon) place Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

Matthew 26:36 Γεθσημανὶ Gethsemane

Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He told them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”

Here: An Aramaic place name, most likely 'oil press' (gat shemanê). It fits an olive-growing slope of the Mount of Olives. Matthew gives the name but does not translate it or build anything on its meaning.

Mark · 1

Mark 14:32 Γεθσημανί, Gethsemane,

Then they came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus told His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

Here: A Semitic place-name, most likely Aramaic gat shemanê, "oil press". Mark gives the name without translating it.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.