Mark 15:23 Kommentar

What we read of the sufferings of Christ, in the foregoing chapter, was but the prologue or introduction; here we have the completing of them. We left him condemned by the chief priests; but they could only show their teeth, they could not bite. Here we have him, I. Arraigned and accused before Pilate the Roman governor (Mar 15:1-5). II. Cried out against by the common people, at the instigation of the priests (Mar 15:6-14). III. Condemned to be crucified immediately (Mar 15:15). IV. Bantered and abused, as a mock-king, by the Roman soldiers (Mar 15:16-19). V. Led out to the place of execution with all possible ignominy and disgrace (Mar 15:20-24). VI. Nailed to the cross between two thieves (Mar 15:25-28). VII. Reviled and abused by all that passed by (Mar 15:29-32). VIII. Forsaken for a time by his father (Mar 15:33-36). IX. Dying, and rending the veil (Mar 15:37, Mar 15:38). X. Attested and witnessed to by the centurion and others (Mar 15:39-41). XI. Buried in the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea (Mar 15:42-47).

And straightway in the morning,.... As soon as it was break of day, or daylight appeared: the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and Scribes; who were the principal men in the sanhedrim: and the whole council; which, on this extraordinary occasion, was convened; the result of which was, to bind Jesus, and deliver him up to the Roman governor, to be put to death by him, as a seditious person, and an enemy to Caesar, and accordingly they did so: and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. The Syriac and Persic versions add, "the governor"; See Gill on Mat 27:1, Mat 27:2.

And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. The time of the daily sacrifice of the morning, at which the priests ought to have been; and the time when the sanhedrim usually began to sit (x); for "the grand sanhedrim sat from the daily sacrifice of the morning, to the daily sacrifice of the evening:'' but this being an extraordinary case, and they in a hurry to put Jesus to death, had been sitting up all night; and early in the morning had procured the sentence of death on him, which they were going to execute by the time they used to sit: this was about nine o'clock in the morning, and takes in the time between that and twelve at noon. The Ethiopic version reads, "and it was the sixth hour", to make it agree with Joh 19:14; and for the reconciling of these two places; see Gill on Joh 19:14. (x) Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 3, sect. 1.

He is given vinegar to drink and gall to eat—and who is he? Why, One who turned water into wine, who took away the taste of bitterness, who is all sweetness and desire. Oration , On the Son

Be cautious and receive the words of our adversaries in order to spit them out, not to gulp them down and ingest them. Do in this instance what the Lord did when they offered him a bitter drink; he tasted it, and spat it out. So also should you, taste and spit.

(de Con. Evan. iii. 11) This we must understand to be what Matthew expresses by, mixed with gall; for he put gall for any thing bitter, and wine mingled with myrrh is most bitter; although there may have been both gall and myrrh to make the wine most bitter. (ubi sup.) That which follows, But he received it not, must' mean, He received it not to drink, but only tasted it, as Matthew witnesses. And what the same Matthew relates, he would not drink, Mark expresses by, he received it not, but was silent as to His tasting it.

What sort of gall did they put in my mouth? “They gave him,” it says, “wine mixed with myrrh.” Myrrh is like gall in taste, and very bitter. “Is the Lord to be thus repaid by you?” Are these the offerings you make to your master, O vine? Catechetical Lectures

And they gave Him wine mixed with myrrh to drink, and He did not accept it. God speaks to Jerusalem: I planted you, my true vineyard; how have you turned into a bitter wild vine (Jeremiah II)? The bitter vine produced bitter wine: which is offered to the Lord Jesus, so that what is written may be fulfilled: They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink (Psalm LXVIII). But when it is said: And He did not accept it, or according to Matthew: When He had tasted it, He did not want to drink (Matthew XXVII), this indicates that He indeed tasted the bitterness of death for us, but on the third day He rose again.

For what Mark says: he did not take, it is understood: he did not take to drink. However, he tasted, as Matthew is a witness, so that what the same Matthew says, He did not want to drink, Mark says He did not take, but he is silent on the tasting. And what Mark says, Wine mixed with myrrh, it is to be understood Matthew said with gall mixed (Matthew 27). For Matthew indeed uses gall to signify bitterness. And wine mixed with myrrh is very bitter, although it might be that both with gall and myrrh the wine is made very bitter.

(ubi sup.) Bitter the vine which bore the bitter wine, set before the Lord Jesus, that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, They gave me gall to eat, and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink. (Ps. 69:22)

"They gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink"; but myrrh is the most bitter liquid; this means they gave it to the Lord in mockery of Him. Another evangelist says that the Lord was offered vinegar with gall (Matt. 27:34), and a third, that something else was brought to Him as well. But there is no contradiction in this; amid the lawlessness of that time, some brought one thing, others brought another: one brought vinegar with gall, another brought wine with myrrh. It could also be that the wine was sour and the myrrh was rancid, and consequently the evangelists are in agreement with one another when one of them speaks of wine with myrrh and another of vinegar with gall. For the wine could have been called vinegar, and the myrrh called gall, the first on account of its sourness, the second on account of its bitterness. Likewise, when one says that "they gave Him to drink, but He did not accept it," this does not contradict the other, who says, "and when He had tasted it, He would not drink" (Matt. 27:34). For when it is said "He did not accept it," this already clearly shows that He did not drink.

Or, they may have brought different things, in order, some vinegar and gall, and others wine mixed with myrrh.

And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh. Or else, wine mingled with myrrh, that is, vinegar; by it the juice of the deadly apple is wiped away. He also refused to take sin for which He suffered, wherefore it is said of Him, I then paid the things that I never took.

Jesus is brought before Pilate, examined, and accused, but makes no answer, Mar 15:1-5. The multitude clamor for the release of Barabbas, and the crucifixion of Christ, Mar 15:6-14. Pilate consents, and he is led away, mocked, insulted, and nailed to the cross, Mar 15:15-26. Two thieves are crucified with him, Mar 15:27, Mar 15:28. While hanging on the cross, he is mocked and insulted, Mar 15:29-32. The miraculous darkness and our Lord's death, Mar 15:33-37. The rending of the veil, and the confession of the centurion, Mar 15:38, Mar 15:39. Several women attend and behold his death, Mar 15:40, Mar 15:41. Joseph of Arimathea begs the body from Pilate, and buries it, Mar 15:42-46. Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Joses, note the place of his burial, Mar 15:47.