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John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 27:33

And when they were come to a place called Golgotha ,.... The true pronunciation is "Golgoltha", and so it is read in Munster's Hebrew Gospel. It is a Syriac word, in which language letters are often left out: in the Syriac version of this place, the first "l" is left out, and the latter retained, and it is read "Gogoltha": and so, in the Persic, "Gagulta"; and in the Arabic, "Gagalut". The Ethiopic version reads it, "Golgotha"; and so, Dr. Lightfoot observes, it is read by the Samaritan... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 27:34

They gave him vinegar to drink ,.... It was a custom with the Jews F15 T. Bab. Avoda Zara, fol. 12. 2. when "a man went out to be executed, to give him to drink a grain of frankincense in a cup of wine, that his understanding might be disturbed, as it is said, Proverbs 31:6 . "Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts"; and the tradition is, that the honourable women in Jerusalem gave this freely; but if they did not, it was... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Matthew 27:35

And they crucified him ,.... That is, the soldiers: they laid the cross upon the ground, and stretched Christ upon it; they extended his two arms as far as they could, to the transverse part of it, and nailed his hands unto it: his two feet they fixed by each other on a basis, in the body of the cross, through which they also drove nails; and then raising it up, fixed it in the earth, and left him hanging on it till he expired. This death was not only painful and cruel, but exceedingly... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:27

The common hall - Or, praetorium . Called so from the praetor , a principal magistrate among the Romans, whose business it was to administer justice in the absence of the consul. This place night be termed in English the court house, or common hall. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:28

Stripped him - Took off his mantle, or upper garment. A scarlet robe - Or, according to Mark and John, a purple robe, such as emperors and kings wore. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:29

A crown of thorns - Στεφανον εξ ακανθων . It does not appear that this crown was intended to be an instrument of punishment or torture to his head, but rather to render him ridiculous; for which cause also they put a reed in his hand, by way of scepter, and bowed their knees, pretending to do him homage. The crown was not probably of thorns, in our sense of the word: there are eminently learned men who think that the crown was formed of the herb acanthus; and Bishop Pearce and Michaelis... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:30

And they spit upon him - " Let us pay our adoration," says the same pious writer, "and humble ourselves in silence at the sight of a spectacle which faith alone renders credible, and which our senses would hardly endure. Jesus Christ, in this condition, preaches to the kings of the earth this truth - that their scepters are but reeds, with which themselves shall be smitten, bruised, and crushed at his tribunal, if they do not use them here to the advancement of his kingdom." read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:32

A man of Cyrene - him they compelled to bear his cross - In John, John 19:16 , John 19:17 , we are told Christ himself bore the cross, and this, it is likely, he did for a part of the way; but, being exhausted with the scourging and other cruel usage which he had received, he was found incapable of bearing it alone; therefore they obliged Simon, not, I think, to bear it entirely, but to assist Christ, by bearing a part of it. It was a constant practice among the Romans, to oblige... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:33

A place called Golgotha - From the Hebrew גלגתה or גלגלת , golgoleth , a skull, probably so called from the many skulls of these who had suffered crucifixion and other capital punishments scattered up and down in the place. It is the same as Calvary, Calvaria, i.e. calvi capitis area , the place of bare skulls. Some think the place was thus called, because it was in the form of a human skull. It is likely that it was the place of public execution, similar to the Gemoniae Scalae at... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 27:34

They gave him vinegar - mingled with gall - Perhaps χολη , commonly translated gall, signifies no more than bitters of any kind. It was a common custom to administer a stupefying potion compounded of sour wine, which is the same as vinegar, from the French vinaigre , frankincense, and myrrh, to condemned persons, to help to alleviate their sufferings, or so disturb their intellect that they might not be sensible of them. The rabbins say that they put a grain of frankincense into a cup of... read more

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