Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 15:36
And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put [it] on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
36. full of vinegar ] Burning thirst is the most painful aggravation of death by crucifixion, and it was as He uttered the words, “ I thirst,” that the soldier ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, or the sour wine-and-water called posca, the ordinary drink of the Roman soldiers.
and put it on a reed ] i. e. on the short stem of a hyssop-plant (Joh 19:29).
Let alone ] According to St Mark, the man himself cries “Let be;” according to St Matthew, the others cry out thus to him as he offers the drink; according to St John, several filled the sponge with the sour wine. Combining the statements, together we have a natural and accurate picture of the excitement caused by the loud cry.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Mar 15:36
A sponge full of vinegar.
The acids of life
They go to a cup of vinegar, and soak a sponge in it, and put it on a stick of hyssop, and then press it against the hot lips of Christ. You say the wine was all anesthetic, and intended to relieve or deaden the pain. But the vinegar was an insult. I am disposed to adopt the theory of the old English commentators, who believed that instead of its being an opiate to soothe, it was vinegar to insult. Malaga and Burgundy for grand dukes and duchesses, and costly wines from royal vats for bloated imperials-but stinging acids for a dying Christ. He took the vinegar! In some lives the saccharine seems to predominate. Life is sunshine on a bank of flowers. A thousand hands to clap approval. In December or in January, looking across their table, they see all their family present. Health rubicund. Skies flamboyant. Days resilient. But in a great many cases there are not so many sugars as acids. The annoyances, and the vexations, and the disappointments of life overpower the successes. There is a gravel in almost every shoe. An Arabian legend says that there was a worm in Solomons staff, gnawing its strength away; and there is a weak spot in every earthly support that a man leans on. King George of England forgot all the grandeurs of his throne because, one day in an interview, Beau Brummell called him by his first name, and addressed him as a servant, crying: George, ring the bell! Miss Langdon, honoured all the world over for her poetic genius, is so worried with the evil reports set afloat regarding her that she is found dead with an empty bottle of prussic acid in her hand. Goldsmith said that his life was a wretched being, and that all that want and discontent could bring to it had been brought and cries out: What, then, is there formidable in a gaol? Corregios fine painting is hung up for a tavern sign. Hogarth cannot sell his best paintings, except through a raffle. Andrew Delsart makes the great fresco in the Church of the Annunciata at Florence, and gets for pay a sack of corn; and there are annoyances and vexations in high places as well as in low places, showing that in a great many lives the sours are greater than the sweets. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar. It is absurd to suppose that a man who has always been well can sympathize with those who are sick, or that one who has always been honoured can appreciate the sorrow of those who are despised, or that one who has been born to a great fortune can understand the distress and the straits of those who are destitute. The fact that Christ Himself took the vinegar makes Him able to sympathize today and forever with all those whose cup is filled with sharp acids of this life. (Dr. Talmage.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar,…. Christ at the same time saying, I thirst; see Joh 19:28;
and put it on a reed; an hyssop stalk, Joh 19:29;
and gave him to drink; and so fulfilled a prophecy in Ps 69:21;
saying, or “they said”, as the Syriac version reads it; not he that fetched the sponge, but the others that were with him, and which agrees with Mt 27:27;
let alone; as forbidding him to go near him, and offer him any thing to drink:
let us see whether Elias will come and take him down; from the cross; [See comments on Mt 27:49].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
To take him down ( ). Mt 27:49 has “to save him” (), which see for discussion.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Vinegar. See on Mt 27:48.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar,” (dramon de tis gemisas spongon oksous) “Then a certain one when he had filled a sponge with vinegar running like a dromedary,” in an uncoordinated manner, This prophetic event was also foretold by David, Psa 69:21; Mat 27:48; A similar thing had occurred about six hours earlier, when He was first crucified, Mat 27:34.
2) “And put it in a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying,” (peritheis kalamo epotizen auton legon) “Placing it (the sponge) around a reed he reached it up, to Him to drink, repeatedly saying,” to the noisy crowd, Mat 27:48.
3) “Let alone; let us see,” (aphete idomen)”Leave it off, cut it out, let us see or watch to see,” as His life will be prolonged by the drugged potion, the sedative, Mat 27:49.
4) “Whether Elias will come to take Him down.” (ei erchetai Elias kathelein auton) “Whether or not Elias will come to loose Him or to take Him down,” to release Him from the cross, an apparent sarcasm of play on the word Eloi that sounded like Elias.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mar 15:36
. Saying, Let him alone, let us see if Elijah will come to save him. Mark relates these words as having been spoken by the soldier, while holding out the vinegar; but Matthew tells us that others used the same language. There is no inconsistency here, however; for it is probable that the jeering was begun by one person, but was eagerly seized by others, and loudly uttered by the multitude. The phrase, let him alone, appears to have implied not restraint, but ridicule; accordingly, the person who first mocked Christ, ironically addressing his companions, says, Let us see if Elijah will come. Others quickly followed, and every one sung the same song to his next neighbor, as usually happens with men who are agreed about any course. Nor is it of any importance to inquire if it was in the singular or plural number; for in either case the meaning is the same, the word being used in place of an interjection, as if they had said, Hush! Hush!
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
‘And one ran, and filling a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed and gave him it to drink, saying, “Let be. Let us see whether Elijah comes to take him down.” ’
Previously the soldiers present had offered Him sour wine in mockery (Luk 23:36). This may thus be the continuation of the mockery. But more probably it was a sympathiser who genuinely believed that Elijah might come to save Him. The sour wine was a poor man’s drink but if these had come to sympathise with One Whom they had previously admired they may well have brought wine with them, as the soldiers certainly would have (they knew that they had a long vigil, and wine dulled the sense of what they were doing. They were human too).
In view of the loud cry and the accompanying comments the soldiers may have been as interested in seeing whether something extraordinary might happen as the crowd, and thus not have interfered. The uncanny darkness had already brought home to them that this was not a run-of-the-mill execution.
‘Let be.’ This may have been said to a Roman soldier who half-heartedly sought to interfere, meaning either ‘don’t stop us’ or ‘allow us to do this’. Or it may just be a general comment.
‘Gave Him it to drink.’ It would seem He received it, which in itself suggested that His work was now complete and He could satisfy His thirst (see Joh 19:28).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mar 15:36. Saying, Let alone; The Syriac version reads here, While some said, Let alone.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
Ver. 36. See Trapp on “ Mat 27:48 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
36. ] On the difference in Matt., see notes there.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 15:36 . : if the wits were heartless mockers, then will imply that this person who offered the sufferer a sponge saturated with posca ( vide Mt.) was a friendly person touched by compassion. For the credit of human nature one is very willing to be convinced of this. might, like (Mar 15:23 ), be viewed as a conative imperfect = offered Him a drink, but John’s narrative indicates that Jesus accepted the drink (Joh 19:30 ). refers to the man who brought the drink. In Mt. it is others who speak (Mat 27:49 ), and the sense of what was said varies accordingly in Mt. naturally, though not necessarily, means: stop, don’t give Him the drink ( vide on Mt.) in Mk., spoken by the man to the bystanders, means naturally: allow me (to give Him the drink), the idea being that thereby the life of the sufferer would be prolonged, and so as it were give time for Elijah to come ( . .) to work an effectual deliverance by taking Him down from the cross ( .). .: with the present indicative instead of the more usual with subjunctive in a future supposition with probability ( vide Burton, M. and T. in N. T., 251).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
gave Him = – was giving. See note on Mat 27:34.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
36.] On the difference in Matt., see notes there.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 15:23, Psa 69:21, Luk 23:36, Joh 19:28-30
Reciprocal: Mat 27:47 – This Mar 6:15 – it is Elias Joh 19:29 – was set
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6
In Joh 19:28-29 is the record of why this vinegar (sour wine) was served to Jesus. He had expressed his condition which was one of thirst, the kind that so often comes upon one at the approach of death.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 15:36. Saying, Let be, etc. In Matthews account, these words are addressed to the man who gave the vinegar, here spoken by him to the others. A sign of accuracy; such a conversation is natural; the one addressed by the crowd flinging back their own words. Let be means let this suffice, until we see Elijah coming. The man may have had the passing earnest thought that Elijah might come. But to keep on good terms with the excited jeering rabble, he assumes the same tone with them.
To take him down. Matthew: to save Him. The two Evangelists give two distinct parts of the same conversation.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 36
A reed, perhaps the stem of the plant called hyssop. (John 19:29.)