Matthew 27:34
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
Original Language Analysis
ἔδωκαν
They gave
G1325
ἔδωκαν
They gave
Strong's:
G1325
Word #:
1 of 12
to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection)
αὐτῷ
him
G846
αὐτῷ
him
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
2 of 12
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
μετὰ
with
G3326
μετὰ
with
Strong's:
G3326
Word #:
5 of 12
properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession)
χολῆς
gall
G5521
χολῆς
gall
Strong's:
G5521
Word #:
6 of 12
"gall" or bile, i.e., (by analogy) poison or an anodyne (wormwood, poppy, etc.)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
8 of 12
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
γευσάμενος
when he had tasted
G1089
γευσάμενος
when he had tasted
Strong's:
G1089
Word #:
9 of 12
to taste; by implication, to eat; figuratively, to experience (good or ill)
Cross References
Psalms 69:21They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Mark 15:23And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.Matthew 27:48And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
Historical Context
Roman crucifixion was designed to maximize suffering through asphyxiation, exposure, and pain. Charitable Jews sometimes offered drugged wine to condemned criminals as a mercy. Jesus's refusal shows his determination to bear sin's full penalty consciously.
Questions for Reflection
- Why was it necessary for Jesus to refuse pain relief and experience suffering fully?
- How does this refusal relate to the cup Jesus prayed about in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39, 42)?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Vinegar to drink mingled with gall (ὄξος μετὰ χολῆς, oxos meta cholēs)—Mark 15:23 specifies wine mingled with myrrh, a narcotic painkiller offered by charitable Jewish women to condemned men. Gall (χολή) may translate the myrrh, or Matthew may allude to Psalm 69:21: They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
He would not drink—Jesus refuses to dull his senses. He will taste death fully, experiencing unmediated wrath for sin. The cup he prayed might pass (Matthew 26:39) he now drinks to the dregs, refusing even lawful relief.