Evidently some women gave Jesus some wine to drink to which they had added myrrh to decrease His pain ( Mark 15:23). [1] Jesus refused it because He chose to endure the cross fully conscious. Matthew wrote "gall" because of the myrrh"s bitter taste and to make the fulfillment of Psalm 69:20-21 clearer. Another view is that the soldiers offered the drink to Jesus, but it seems uncharacteristic that they would have tried to lessen His sufferings. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Matthew 27:32-44 - "where They Crucified Him"
He will not drink what would dull His keen sense of the momentous issues of the Cross. Those taunts were true. None who save themselves can save others. The cry of forsakenness, the midday midnight, the yielded spirit, the rent veil, the opened tombs, the sympathy of nature-all these proved that this was no common death, and were in keeping with everything that Scripture had foretold, 1 Peter 1:11.
Our Lord was wrapped in midnight, that He might be our "bright and morning star." He became obedient to death, that He might give eternal life. His heel was sorely wounded, that He might break the head of him that had the power of death, and might wear forever at His girdle the keys of death and Hades. Make His soul an offering for thy sin. Hide in the cleft which the soldier's spear opened in His side. He has made peace by the blood of His Cross; we have but to accept and be at rest. [source]
Chapter Summary: Matthew 27
1Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate 3Judas hangs himself 19Pilate, admonished of his wife, 20and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas 27Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns; 33crucified; 39reviled; 50dies, and is buried; 62his tomb is sealed and watched
Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:34
Wine mingled with gall [οινον μετα χολης μεμιγμενον] Late MSS. read vinegar (οχος oxos) 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). [source]
Mark 15:23They offered him [εδιδουν αυτωι] Imperfect tense where Matthew has the aorist εδωκαν edōkan with myrrh Perfect passive participle. The verb means flavoured with myrrh, myrrhed wine. It is not inconsistent with Matthew 27:34 “mingled with gall,” which see. [source]
Luke 20:41How say they? [Πως λεγουσιν] The Pharisees had rallied in glee and one of their number, a lawyer, had made a feeble contribution to the controversy which resulted in his agreement with Jesus and in praise from Jesus (Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 27:34-40). Luke does not give this incident which makes it plain that by “they say” The construction with λεγουσιν legousin is the usual infinitive and the accusative in indirect discourse. By “the Christ” (τον Χριστον ton Christon) “the Messiah” is meant. [source]
John 19:29Hyssop [] Matthew and Mark have καλάμῳ , a reed. Luke says merely that they offered Him vinegar. The vinegar mingled with gall (Matthew 27:34), or the wine mingled with myrrh (Mark 15:23) was offered to Jesus before his crucifixion as a stupefying draught. The hyssop gives a hint of the height of the cross, as the greatest length of the hyssop reed was not more than three or four feet. The vinegar in this case was offered in order to revive Christ. John does not mention the stupefying draught. [source]
John 19:29Was set [εκειτο] Imperfect middle. John, as eyewitness, had noticed it there. Of vinegar Not vinegar drugged with myrrh (Mark 15:23) and gall (Matthew 27:34) which Jesus had refused just before the crucifixion. Sponge Old word, in N.T. only here, Mark 15:36; Matthew 27:48, our “sponge.” They put Second aorist active participle of περιτιτημι peritithēmi to place around. Upon hyssop A reed (καλαμωι kalamōi) as Mark and Matthew have it. The reed of the hyssop bush was only three or four feet long. [source]
Acts 8:23In the gall [εἰς χολὴν] Lit., into. Thou hast fallen into and continuest in. Gall, only here and Matthew 27:34. Gall of bitterness is bitter enmity against the Gospel. [source]
Acts 8:23In the gall of bitterness [εις χολην πικριας] Old word from χολας cholas either from χεω cheō to pour, or χλοη chloē yellowish green, bile or gall. In the N.T. only in Matthew 27:34 and here. In lxx in sense of wormwood as well as bile. See Deuteronomy 29:18 and Deuteronomy 32:32; Lamentations 3:15; and Job 16:14. “Gall and bitterness” in Deuteronomy 29:18. Here the gall is described by the genitive πικριας pikrias as consisting in “bitterness.” In Hebrews 12:15 “a root of bitterness,” a bitter root. This word πικρια pikria in the N.T. only here and Hebrews 12:15; Romans 3:14; Ephesians 4:31. The “bond of iniquity” Peter describes Simon‘s offer as poison and a chain. [source]
What do the individual words in Matthew 27:34 mean?
they gaveHimto drinkwinewithgallmingledandhaving tastednotHe was willingto drink [it]
Greek Commentary for Matthew 27:34
Late MSS. read vinegar (οχος oxos) 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). [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 27:34
Lit., myrrhed wine. See on Matthew 27:34. [source]
Imperfect tense where Matthew has the aorist εδωκαν edōkan with myrrh Perfect passive participle. The verb means flavoured with myrrh, myrrhed wine. It is not inconsistent with Matthew 27:34 “mingled with gall,” which see. [source]
See on Matthew 27:34. [source]
The Pharisees had rallied in glee and one of their number, a lawyer, had made a feeble contribution to the controversy which resulted in his agreement with Jesus and in praise from Jesus (Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 27:34-40). Luke does not give this incident which makes it plain that by “they say” The construction with λεγουσιν legousin is the usual infinitive and the accusative in indirect discourse. By “the Christ” (τον Χριστον ton Christon) “the Messiah” is meant. [source]
Matthew and Mark have καλάμῳ , a reed. Luke says merely that they offered Him vinegar. The vinegar mingled with gall (Matthew 27:34), or the wine mingled with myrrh (Mark 15:23) was offered to Jesus before his crucifixion as a stupefying draught. The hyssop gives a hint of the height of the cross, as the greatest length of the hyssop reed was not more than three or four feet. The vinegar in this case was offered in order to revive Christ. John does not mention the stupefying draught. [source]
Imperfect middle. John, as eyewitness, had noticed it there. Of vinegar Not vinegar drugged with myrrh (Mark 15:23) and gall (Matthew 27:34) which Jesus had refused just before the crucifixion. Sponge Old word, in N.T. only here, Mark 15:36; Matthew 27:48, our “sponge.” They put Second aorist active participle of περιτιτημι peritithēmi to place around. Upon hyssop A reed (καλαμωι kalamōi) as Mark and Matthew have it. The reed of the hyssop bush was only three or four feet long. [source]
Lit., into. Thou hast fallen into and continuest in. Gall, only here and Matthew 27:34. Gall of bitterness is bitter enmity against the Gospel. [source]
Rev., correctly, desired to eat. Γευέσθαι is rendered both to eat and to taste, more frequently the latter. See Matthew 27:34; John 2:9; 1 Peter 2:3; and compare Acts 20:11. [source]
Old word from χολας cholas either from χεω cheō to pour, or χλοη chloē yellowish green, bile or gall. In the N.T. only in Matthew 27:34 and here. In lxx in sense of wormwood as well as bile. See Deuteronomy 29:18 and Deuteronomy 32:32; Lamentations 3:15; and Job 16:14. “Gall and bitterness” in Deuteronomy 29:18. Here the gall is described by the genitive πικριας pikrias as consisting in “bitterness.” In Hebrews 12:15 “a root of bitterness,” a bitter root. This word πικρια pikria in the N.T. only here and Hebrews 12:15; Romans 3:14; Ephesians 4:31. The “bond of iniquity” Peter describes Simon‘s offer as poison and a chain. [source]