34 They gave him vinegar to drink, mingled a with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments,

с

casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down, they watched him there;

a Ps. 69: 21.... b Ps. 22: 16; Mark 15: 24, etc.; Luke 23: 34, etc.; John 19: 24, etc.... c Ps. 22: 18.

which surrounded Jerusalem (John 19: 41), and is, as indicated by Luke's language, "the place called the skull," a well-known spot.

34. They gave to him vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Mark says, wine mingled with myrrh," but the difference is purely verbal. "As the wine used by the soldiers was a cheap, sour wine, little, if at all, superior to vinegar, and as myrrh, gall, and other bitter substances are put for the whole class, there is really no difference in these passages."-(Alexander.) It was customary to give a stupefying drink to criminals on their way to execution. This was probably the draught offered to our Lord, perhaps by the women referred to in Luke 23:27; see note there. Christ, when he knew from the taste its object, refused to partake, an indication that he deliberately chose to have all his powers alert at this last hour. There is no reason for the belief that it was offered to him twice, or in a spirit of rancor and scoffing.

35, 36. And they (the soldiers) crucified him. According to Mark (15: 25), it was the third hour; that is, 9 A. M., but this may mean that the third hour had already passed. See John 19: 14, note.-And parted his garments casting lots. Of this, John gives a fuller account. See notes on John 19 : 23, 24.—That it might be fulfilled. This clause is omitted by all the best manuscripts and the best scholars. It was probably added in the margin by some ancient harmonist, from John 19: 24. The reference is to Psalm 22: 18.-They watched him there. This was customary, to prevent the crucified person from being taken down by friends. There were four soldiers (John 19: 23).

TTX

THE THREE CROSSES.

or, later, St. Anthony's cross; and third, the
Latin cross, or crux immissa, like the preceding
one, except that the upright beam projected
There is also the
above the horizontal one.
Greek cross, consisting of two pieces of wood of
equal length crossing each other at right angles
in the centre. That the Latin cross was the one
on which Jesus was crucified is indicated by uni-
form tradition, and by the fact that the inscrip-
tion was placed upon it over his head. The con-
vict was fastened to the cross, sometimes as it
lay upon the ground, sometimes after its erec-
tion. In the former case the body was terribly
wrenched when the cross was raised and dropped
into its place; the concussion often dislocated
the limbs. To fasten the sufferer to the cross
his hands were nailed to the crosspiece; the feet
were sometimes bound, sometimes nailed. That
the latter course was adopted in the case of Christ
is indicated, though not demonstrated, by Luke
24: 39, 40. The feet were probably nailed sepa-
rately, not, as represented in most art, and purely
for artistic reasons, with one foot lying over the
other and both transfixed with one nail. Lest
the hands and feet should not bear the strain, a
little wooden pin projected just below the thigh,
which afforded the body a partial though painful
support. There was no support to the feet,
though this is sometimes represented in art. The
crucified person was not raised high in air; his
feet were but a little above the ground. In this
respect the common art representations are not
true to the facts.

THE NATURE OF CRUCIFIXION. - Crucifixion was used as a punishment by Grecians, Romans, Egyptians, and other nations, but not by the Jews. Its infliction by the Romans was a badge of Israel's servitude. To hang even a corpse upon a tree was accounted among them the greatest indignity (Deut. 21:22, 23). The lingering death of the cross rendered crucifixion eminent in cruelty even in that cruel age. Cicero called it a punishment most inhuman and shocking, and wrote of it that it should be removed from the eyes and ears and every thought of man. It was reserved by the Romans for slaves and foreign-movement to secure relief, the burning fever, the ers. There were three forms of crosses, the first in the shape of the letter X, called the crux decussato, or, later, St. Andrew's Cross; one in the form of the letter T, called the crux commissa,

Thus, with no vital organ directly touched, the victim was left to die. The heat of the Oriental sun, the festering of the undressed wounds, the increased torment produced by every attempted

throbbing head, the intense thirst-all combined to make death by crucifixion as horrible as it was protracted. See an elaborate description of it in Farrar's Life of Christ, and one more scientifically

full in Stroud's Physical Cause of Christ's Death. So great were the tortures of this lingering death that there are many ancient instances of men who bought with large bribes the privilege of being executed in some other manner, and the death was ordinarily hastened by the wearied executioners, by a thrust with the spear or a blow with the club.

37, 38. Set up over his head his accusation. It was customary to bear before the condemned an inscription which designated his crime, and which was subsequently attached to the cross. Such was this inscription. On the variations in the Evangelists' report of it, see John 19: 19, 20, notes.-Two thieves. Rather, brigands, for this is the significance of the original (ληστής). It is not improbable that they belonged to the band of which Barabbas was the leader (Mark 15 : 7). Christ's crucifixion between them was a literal fulfillment of prophecy (Mark 15:28; Isaiah 53: 12).

If he

42 He saved others, himself he cannot save. be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said,h I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darknessi over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Isa. 28: 22; Luke 18: 32. .g Ps. 3:2; 22:8; 42: 10; 71: 11... : 9..........j Ps. 22: 1; Isa. 53: 10; Lam. 1 : 12.

If he had done so it would have made no differ-
ence in their belief, for they resisted the greater
miracle of his resurrection (ch. 28: 14, 15).—Let
him deliver him now if he will have him.
A striking illustration of the false idea of special
Providence. Many still think that he who seems
to be deserted by God cannot be a son in whom
he is well pleased, and that God may always be
expected to interfere immediately to save his
children from unjust suffering. Observe, by
comparison with Psalm 22, written by David at
least a thousand years before this time, a singular
testimony to the inspiration of prophecy.
44. The brigands also *
braided him. Luke 23: 39 gives the lan-
guage which seems to have been employed only
by one. Of the penitence of the other, Matthew
and Mark make no mention. The hypothesis
that both at first reviled and one afterwards
repented, a supposition entertained by some of
the older commentators, is much less proba-
ble than that Matthew and Mark omit, perhaps
are not acquainted with, the incident of the peni-
tent thief, and simply speak of the derision in
general terms.

*

up

39-43. The three Synoptists mention this mockery; John does not. Three classes are described as participating in it. The passers-by (ver. 39), that is, those casually going to and from the city; the chief priests (ver. 41); and the sol- 45. From the sixth hour. Twelve o'clock. diers (Luke 23: 36).—Wagging their heads. A On the discrepancy between this verse and John symbol of derision (Job 16:4; Psalm 22:7)-Thou | 19:14, see note there.-There was darkness that destroyest the temple * * * save thyself. The reference is to John 2:19, and the language here and in verses 62, 63, indicates that their misrepresentation of his language upon his trial (ch. 26: 61) was wilful. He saved others. Not a real acknowledgment of his saving power; the language is that of bitter irony.-Himself he cannot save An unconscious utterance of the truth, like the accusation preferred against him as "a friend of publicans and sinners.” If he had saved himself he could not have saved others (ch. 26 : 53, 54). He is the | King of Israel! Not, according to the best Not, according to the best manuscripts, If he be the King of Israel, as in our English version. The language is that of taunt, and refers to the inscription upon the cross; and its object was, perhaps, in part to turn the edge of its sarcasm against the nation. "Ho! Ho! he is the king of Israel! let him descend from the cross now, and we will believe in him."

over all the land until the ninth hour.
That is, 3 P. M.
It is neither necessary nor
reasonable to suppose that this darkness envel-
oped the whole earth. The original (y), here
rendered land, is often used in the N. T. for a
limited territory (Matt. 2 : 6, 20, 21; 4: 15; 11: 24; 14 : 34).
The darkness could not have been produced by
an eclipse, for the Passover was celebrated at the
full moon, when the moon is opposite the sun.
It may have been a natural phenomenon, premon-
itory of the earthquake which followed. Stroud
(Physical Cause of Christ's Death) gives a number
of illustrations of similar phenomena of darkness
connected with earthquakes or volcanoes. The
fact is mentioned by the three Evangelists, but
not by John; and the early fathers appealed to
profane testimony in attestation of it. Words-
worth notes the contrast between this darkness
and that in Egypt: "Then the Hebrews had
light in their dwellings while the rest of Egypt

47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a

sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.'

k Ps. 69: 21.

was dark; but now, when the true Passover is killed by them, they are in darkness, and the light of the Gospel is about to be poured on the Gentile world." It is not possible to misapprehend the solemn significance of this act, representing the sympathy oi nature with its crucified Lord; nor necessary to attempt any detailed interpretation, such as that it represented his conflict with the powers of darkness and his present want of heavenly comfort (Matthew meaning.-(Bloomfield.) The words are written Henry), or God's detestation of the crime, and his future blinding of the Jewish nation (Calvin), or that the death of Christ was the going out of the light of the world (Adam Clarke).

truth, but have been uttered for dramatic effect; nor (c) that it is simply "an expression of agony couched in the devout language of Scripture.' (Furness.) | Doubtless it is Doubtless it is this; but Christ would not have taken the language of Scripture if it did not exactly express his experience. These are all evasions, not interpretations of the passage. (d.) Nor are we to hold ourselves debarred from all endeavor to understand their

for our profit, though to be studied in humility, and with a consciousness that the experience which they indicate defies our analysis and transcends our perfect conception. The student may obtain some light in such a study from a consideration of the following facts: (1.) Jesus is represented in the N. T. as subject to the whole experience of spiritual conflict which belongs to No philosophy which ignores or eliminates this truth can interpret the temptation, or the agony in Gethsemane, or the cry upon the cross (comp. Matt. 4: 1-11; Prel. Note, § 6, p. 39; ch. 26: 36– 46, note; Lessons of Gethsemane, p. 293). (2.) He is represented in the Prophets (Isaiah 53: 5, 6) and the Epis

man.

46. Jesus when he had cried with a loud voice. Literally a great voice, i. e., with the voice still strong, unweakened by approaching death. On the significance of this fact see John 19:34, note.--Eli, Eli,lama sabacthani. Quoted from Psalm 22: 1. The first two words are Hebrew, the latter two Chaldaic. Mark's language, Eloi, is a Syro-Chaldaic form, having the same meaning.-My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Dr. Adam Clarke, following Lightfoot, proposes to translate thistles (2 Cor. 5: 21; Gal. 3; 13; 1 Pet. 2 : 24) as taking upon To what (sort of persons, understood) hast thou forsaken me? thus rendering it simply as an expression of astonishment at the wickedness of his crucifiers; but this appears to me untenable, because, though the language of Mark (els zi uɛ kynutéhɩnes) is capable of this translation, the language of Matthew (ivutí μɛ, etc.) is not; and it weakens the force of the cry, and reduces it to a mere yielding at last to the taunts which up to this point Christ has borne in a sublime silence. Accepting our English translation as correct, how shall we understand it? Certainly not (a) as the outcry "of the humanity of our Saviour and not of his divinity" (James Morison); for there is no Scriptural authority whatever for thus discriminating a part of Christ's life and experience as divine and a part as human, a refinement of scholastic theology which deprives both his example and his manifestation of the divine nature of their true meaning and power; nor (b) as spoken in our name, and as a lesson for us that we should never despair, even though God hides his face from us (Wordsworth). This lesson is sublimely taught by the cry of Christ in this hour. But to suppose that he uttered it for the purpose, is to deprive it of all moral power, and to throw over his utterances, even the most solemn and sacred, the suspicion that they are not simple

himself the penalty of our sins; and the penalty of sin is represented throughout the Bible as spiritual separation from God (Deut. 32 : 20; Prov. 1: 24-29; Isaiah 64:7; Micah 3:4; 2 Thess. 1:9). (3.) Some help toward an understanding of this cry may be derived from that phase of Christian experience in which, while the intellect still holds fast to its belief in God, the heart feels his presence no more, and the soul is in darkness, in spite of its faith in God (comp. Matt. 11: 1-6, note; Exod. 17:4; 1 Kings 19:10; Psalm 10: 1: Jer. 12: 1, 2). (4.) That there was an inward conflict in Christ's soul is indicated by the twofold nature of the cry; "My God" indicates an unrelaxed hold on him; "forsaken me" indicates a sense of bereavement of the divine presence. If these are inconsistent, the inconsistency repeats itself frequently in Christian experience. (5.) It expresses surprise, as though some new and unexpected anguish had been added to that already borne, and the indication certainly is that a cry which neither the physical anguish nor the taunts of his foes could wring from his lips was wrung by this mysterious agony of separation from his God. (6.) It is the cry of innocence; the lost know that they are forsaken, but know why, and do not call on God as their God. It was, therefore, no literal transfer of the experience of remorse and spir

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil1 of the temple was rent m in twain, from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept, arose,

53 And came out of the graves P after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unta many.

1 Exod. 26: 31; Lev. 16: 2, 15; 21:23; 2 Chron. 3: 14....m Isa. 25 : 7. .n Isa. 25:8; 26: 19; Hosea 13 : 14; John 5: 25, 28... o Dan. 12:2; 1 Thess. 4: 14....p 1 Cor. 15: 20.

itual death which Christ experienced. Compare the evidence of the triumph of his faith in his last utterance, just before death (Luke 23: 46.)

The vari

vinegar (posca) was a cheap sour wine, mixed with water, which was a common drink, especially for the poorer classes and for soldiers. A 47-49. This incident is recorded by all of the vessel filled with it stood near the cross (John 19 : 29), Evangelists. A comparison of their accounts is probably belonging to the soldiers, an additional instructive, because it indicates the independ- indication that it was offered not by one of the ence and originality of the accounts. Jews, but by a soldier. The "reed" is described ations forbid the idea of collusion among the by John as the hyssop, by many scholars thought writers, or their acquaintance with each other's to be the caper-plant (Arabic hysup), which accounts, or a common origin. They are such as grows in dry and rocky places and on walls, and characterize independent and honest witnesses. is capable of producing a stick three or four feet Luke's account, which is less detailed, is simply in length. As the crucified was raised but a little that the soldiers offered Christ vinegar in above the ground, such a reed would suffice to mockery. John says that reach the sufferer's lips. Dr. Post of Syria, howChrist said, "I thirst," ever (Smith's Bib. Dict., Art. Hyssop), argues and that the vinegar was against this supposition, on account of the thorny offered in consequence; character of the plant, and proposes in lieu of it Matthew that it was of- the Organum maru, which grows on the walls of fered by one, and the rest all the terraces throughout Palestine and Syria, objected; Mark that he has a slender stem, free from thorns and spread. who offered the drinking branches, and ending in a cluster of heads, said, Let alone, that is, having a highly aromatic odor, and thus exactly Let this suffice, and see if fitted to be made into a bunch for the purposes Elias will come. From a of sprinkling, for which purpose it was used in comparison of these ac- O. T. times in purification. He thus thinks this counts it would appear plant, of which we give an illustration from his that Christ followed the drawing, best answers the Scripture reference to exclamation of the prethe hyssop of the Bible (Exod. 12: 22; Lev. 14 : 4, 51; ceding verse with an ex- Numb. 196, 18; 1 Kings 4: 33; Ps. 51:7: Heb. 9: 19). pression of thirst, that the drink was offered by one of the soldiers, in a spirit of commingled pity and contempt, and that the others objected as reported here. Alford thinks that the language here could not have been used by the soldiers, "who knew nothing about Elias." But it is not by any means certain that they did not know the current Jewish belief that the coming of the Messiah was to be preceded by a coming of Elijah (Matt. 16: 14; 17: 10). In that case the language here would be partly a misunderstanding of Christ's words and

HYSSOP

When he had cried with a loud voice. See on verse 46, and Note on Physical Cause of Christ's Death, John 19, 34. Comparing accounts in Luke and John it appears that he first cried with a loud, i. e., clear, strong voice, "It is finished," then, perhaps, in a more subdued tone, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."— Yielded up the ghost. Nothing concerning the voluntary character of his death is fairly deducible from these words, which are simply a common expression for death. See Gen. 35: 18, where in the Septuagint the language rendered "Her soul was in departing," is substantially the same employed here.

51-53. These incidents are rejected by rationalistic critics as mythical additions to the historical narratives of the crucifixion. There is, however, nothing whatever in the state of the text to throw any doubt over their genuineness. If expunged, it must be wholly, because they are regarded as inherently incredible. Those who believe, as believe, as I do, that God is the Lord of Nature, and that he sometimes teaches sublime truths by

q Mark 15: 39; Luke 23: 47, etc. r Luke 8: 2, 3.

54. The centurion. An officer of the Roman army answering to the captain in our own | organization. He commanded a century, answering to our company," originally a hundred men, subsequently from fifty to a hundred. The annexed cuts present the figures of two centurions from ancient bas-reliefs.—And they that were with him. The four soldiers (John 19 : 23) appointed to guard the cross. The feeling of