32aNow as they came out, bthey found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.
33aAnd when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place of a Skull,
34athey gave Him1 sour wine mingled with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, He would not drink.
35aThen they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots,1 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: b“They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”
Wine mingled with gall (oinon meta xolhv memigmenon). Late MSS. read
vinegar (ocov) instead of wine and Mark (Mark 15:23) has myrrh instead of gall. The myrrh gave the sour wine a better flavour and like the bitter gall had a narcotic and stupefying effect. Both elements may have been in the drink which Jesus tasted and refused to drink. Women provided the drink to deaden the sense of pain and the soldiers may have added the gall to make it disagreeable. Jesus desired to drink to the full the cup from his Father's hand (John 18:11).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Matthew 27:34:
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