And they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they struck him with their hands.For an entire article on the mockery, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:28.There is a spiritual mockery of Jesus more damnable even than this which appears in the text. We dare not judge our fellow mortals; but, time and again, we have discovered upon our own lips words of loyalty and devotion not fully consonant with our deeds. read more
John 19:2. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns,— See the note on Matthew 27:29. To what has been said there concerning the crown of thorns, the following observations may be added. The form of the sentence for execution passed upon criminals, as recited by Cicero, was this: I, lictor, colliga manus, caput obnubito, arbori infelici suspendito: "Go, lictor, bind his hands, cover or veil his head, suspend him on the unhappy tree:" where the words colliga manus may signify no more than tie... read more
1-3. Pilate took Jesus and scourged him—in hope of appeasing them. (See :-). "And the soldiers led Him away into the palace, and they call the whole band" ( :-) —the body of the military cohort stationed there—to take part in the mock coronation now to be enacted. read more
2. the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head—in mockery of a regal crown. and they put on him a purple robe—in mockery of the imperial purple; first "stripping him" (Matthew 27:28) of His own outer garment. The robe may have been the "gorgeous" one in which Herod arrayed and sent Him back to Pilate (Matthew 27:28- :). "And they put a reed into His right hand" (Matthew 27:28- :) —in mockery of the regal scepter. "And they bowed the knee before Him" (Matthew 27:28- :). read more
3. And said, Hail, King of the Jews!—doing Him derisive homage, in the form used on approaching the emperors. "And they spit upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head" ( :-). The best comment on these affecting details is to cover the face. read more
Pilate incorrectly hoped that if He flogged (Gr. emastigosen) Jesus this would satisfy the Jews (cf. John 19:4-6; Luke 23:16). Perhaps he thought that this action would increase popular support for Jesus against the chief priests, and then Pilate could release Him."From him [John] we learn that Jesus was not scourged in order to be crucified but in order to escape crucifixion." [Note: Lenski, p. 1243.] There were three forms of flogging that the Romans administered. The lightest of these, the... read more
4. The sentencing of Jesus 19:1-16 (cf. Matthew 27:22-26; Mark 15:12-15; Luke 23:20-25)There is quite a bit of unique material in this pericope. This includes the details of the Roman soldiers’ abuse of Jesus (John 19:1-5) and the situation that Pilate’s learning that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God instigated (John 19:7-14). John omitted Pilate’s washing of his hands (Matthew 27:24) and the Jews’ taking the responsibility for Jesus’ death (Matthew 27:25). He also did not mention the release... read more
The crown of thorns that the Roman soldiers wove and placed on Jesus’ head probably came from a local date palm tree. [Note: H. St. J. Hart, "The Crown of Thorns in John 19, 2-5," Journal of Theological Studies 3 (1952):71-74; Beasley-Murray, p. 336.] Some Roman coins pictured various emperors wearing such crowns that appeared to radiate glory from their heads. [Note: The article by Hart, cited above, contains photographs of such radiate crowns and palm thorns (plate 2).] However the palm... read more
The Crucifixion. The Burial1-3. Inside the Prætorium. Scourging and mockery by the soldiers (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15). It might be supposed from Mt and Mk that the scourging was only the ordinary preliminary to a Roman execution, but Luke 23:16 suggests that it was an act of mercy to Jesus intended to save His life. This the Fourth Gospel fully confirms, showing how Pilate tried to work upon the compassion of the multitude. The present narrative elucidates, without in any way contradicting,... read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - John 19:2
And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple garment.This conduct on the part of the Roman military, brutalized from experience on many a bloody field, nevertheless seems atypical, even in such men as themselves. It seems out of character that they could have been sufficiently motivated to perform the repulsive actions of this mockery. The crooked hand of Satan appears in these events, as in the equally repugnant mockery in the very palace of... read more