Translations are often disappointing and when they shift the context into the core it is just plain unhealthy. Matthew 26:27 is one less serious of hundreds of sentences that even modern translations tend to turn to mush. Really!

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink all of you all of it;

Matthew 26:27

Verb treatment should have high definition, not simply storytelling. This is some lazy translation! 😌 Every action comes out as mere storytelling; he took, he thanked, he gave. Why did they not keep that “simple” approach with “he said”? I will show you. The so-called literal translation points the way.

These panels below show the KJV, Young’s Literal Translation, a Greek Manuscript, and Weymouth’s.

Λαβων and ευχαρίστας are not merely “he took” and “he thanked”. They’re in the same form (words are inflected to convey meaning as in English hear > hears >heard > hearing) as requires a contextual interpretation; “when he had…” or “as he was…” or “as they were…” (example in verse 26 below)

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.

Matthew 26:26

The reason they did they not keep that “simple” approach with “he said” for saying is that saying is also inflected for a contextual treatment. It goes to show that rightly dividing does not happen automatically in the many translations.