Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 19:32
Then came the soldiers, and broke the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
32. Then came the soldiers ] The soldiers therefore came, in consequence of the fresh order from Pilate which the Jews would bring. Two probably went to each of the robbers.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Joh 19:32-33
Then came the soldiers and broke the legs–By no mode of judicial death has mans inhumanity to man been more shown than by crucifixion.
It was a slow death by exhaustion and starvation. These processes were so slow, that when the crucified person was in ordinary health and vigour, invariably he survived the first twenty-four hours, lived generally over the second, occasionally even into the fifth or sixth day. I was told, says Captain Clapperton, speaking of the punishments in the Soudan, that wretches on the cross generally linger three days before death puts an end to their sufferings. In old times, at nightfall, when the crowd had gone home, and each head had found its soft pillow, the soldiers lighted their lanterns and waited. Through the frost of the night, through the fire of the day, then through another night and day, the man on the cross would be dying slowly, until the savage watchers, out of patience, would sometimes, not indeed for his sake, but for their own, by blow of mace or mallet, break his limbs; and the shock of this would shake out the last quivering spark of life. In this instance, besides the impatience of the soldiers, there was that of the people. Next day would be the Sabbath of the Passover, regarded as the great Sabbath of the year. According to their standard, it would have been desecration of this day if they had allowed a man to die on it by hanging on a tree. A deputation, therefore, waited on the governor, with an entreaty that the men who were on the crosses might be despatched at once, and their bodies taken away. He acceded to this; the order was forwarded to the soldiers; in carrying out this order they broke the legs, first of the malefactor on the one side, next of him on the other side of the central cross; but when they came to that they found that Jesus was dead already. (C. Stanford, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
They brake the two other malefactors legs, but not Christs, because they found him dead. It is very possible in a natural course, that of three men dying in the same manner, one may die sooner than another; but it is but rationally presumed, that the cause of our Saviours quicker death, was not the failure of his spirits sooner, but his own voluntary surrender of his soul.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Then came the soldiers,…. Pilate having granted the Jews what they desired; either the soldiers that crucified Christ, and the others with him, and watched their bodies, being ordered by Pilate, went from the place where they sat; or a fresh company, which were sent for this purpose, came from the city:
and brake the legs of the first; they came unto, which whether it was he that was crucified on his right hand, and was the penitent believer in him, as some have thought, is not certain:
and of the other which was crucified with him; who, if the former is true, must be he that reviled him; and was this their position, it was a lively emblem of the last day, when the sheep shall stand at the right, and the goats on the left hand of Christ.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Which was crucified with him ( ). First aorist passive articular participle of with associative instrumental case. Cf. Paul’s (Ga 2:19).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Brake the legs. A detail recorded only by John. This crurifragium, leg – breaking, consisted in striking the legs with a heavy mallet in order to expedite death. It was sometimes inflicted as a punishment upon slaves. Some horrible illustrations are furnished by Suetonius, in his lives of Augustus and Tiberius.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Then came the soldiers,” (elthon oun hoi stratistai) “Then the (Roman) soldiers came,” the ones in charge of the execution, the four who had divided His garments among themselves a few hours earlier, that crucifixion day, Joh 19:23-24.
2) “And brake the legs of the first,” (kai tou men prorou kateaksan ta skele) “And they broke the legs of the first,” the first of the two thieves, who had been crucified beside Him that day, Joh 19:18, who was a transgressor, with whom the Jews wanted to identify Jesus in His death, Isa 53:5; Isa 53:12.
3) “And of the other which was crucified with him.” (kai tou allou tou sustaurothentos auto) “And of the other (second) who had been crucified with him,” on the other side, Joh 19:18; who too was a transgressor, with whom Jesus was identified in His death, fulfilling the prophesy of Isa 53:12; Luk 23:34.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(32) Then came the soldiers,. . . .The words do not mean, as they have sometimes been understood, that other soldiers came, but refer to the quaternion before named (Joh. 19:23), who had naturally fallen back from the crosses, and are here represented as coming forward to complete their work. The mention of the first and the other suggests that they formed two pairs, and began on either side breaking the legs of the thieves crucified with Jesus.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
32. Came the soldiers At a little after three o’clock the soldiers, either the four who had watched the crucifixion, or a special number sent by Pilate, came to the two thieves first and to Jesus last, as being in the middle.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already they did not break his legs. However, one of the soldiers did pierce his side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.’
The shock of the painful smashing of the legs (crurifragium) by means of a heavy mallet or a bar of iron brought on premature death. The fact that Jesus legs were not broken John sees as significant (see following verses). The soldier did however pierce His side to see if He would still bleed, and thus prove to be alive.
‘There came out blood and water.’ John surely has in mind the blood which represented His death for mankind and the water which symbolised the Holy Spirit of life. Through His death would now come forgiveness and life. Thus in 1Jn 5:6 He is described as ‘He who came by water and blood, not with the water only but with the water and the blood’. The thought is that He came first in the power of the Spirit as revealed in John’s baptism which spoke of the Spirit poured forth from above, and then through death as an offering for sin. The latter, John stresses, was necessary if the experience of the Holy Spirit was to be available to all and through all.
Various expert medical opinions have verified the possibility of this phenomenon, with ideas ranging from extreme dilatation of the stomach to serious rupture of the heart. Whatever it was it showed that He had suffered deeply. But what is to be brought out is that this was clearly an eyewitness description, something now confirmed.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 19:32-33 . To assume, on account of Mar 15:39 (Comp. Mat 27:54 ), that these soldiers were others (sent out by Pilate) than those who had crucified Jesus (Storr, Kuinoel, Olshausen, Maier, Lange), is indicated by nothing in the text, where rather are those already known . The is only pictorial , and the centurion does not come into consideration with John.
Since they came to Jesus last, we must suppose that two each began on the two sides of the three crosses.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
Ver. 32. Brake the legs of the first ] The good thief also had his legs broken and his life taken away; though by his repentance he made his cross a Jacob’s ladder, whereby angels descended to fetch up his soul.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 19:32 . The two robbers were thus dispatched. , but when the soldiers who were carrying out Pilate’s orders came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they refrained from breaking His legs.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
the first, &c. See App-164.
crucified with. Greek. sustauroo. Only here, Mat 27:44. Mar 15:32. Rom 6:6. Gal 1:2, Gal 1:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 19:32. , , the first, and the other) Pains often remain even to the converted [as here in the case of the penitent robber]; and an equal amount of outward bodily suffering with the ungodly. , the other (a different one), is the expression used, not, the second; from which it may be inferred, as it seems, that by the first is meant the converted robber, who was more speedily released from his pains than the other.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 19:32
Joh 19:32
The soldiers therefore came, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with him:-This was a cruel method of hastening death. It would have been much less cruel to pierce the heart and let them bleed to death. But the purpose of crucifying was to prolong torture and cruel methods were used when from any cause it was desired to hasten the death.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
of the first: Joh 19:18, Luk 23:39-43
Reciprocal: 1Ki 12:15 – that he might 2Ch 10:15 – that the Lord Pro 12:10 – but Mar 14:8 – she is Joh 19:14 – the preparation
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
We are not told why the soldiers came to the thieves before Jesus. It was not because of their order on the crosses, for verse 18 says they were on the sides of Jesus. We might speculate and suggest that a humane feeling prompted them to put off the brutal performance as long as possible, but that would be a guess only, and I merely offer it for what it is worth. But the custom of the occasion was carried out under the authority of Pilate.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 19:32. The soldiers therefore came and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. The bodies had been suspended on the cross with Jesus in the midst. It is natural to suppose that the soldiers, approaching from two opposite sides, would proceed in the order thus mentioned: each would strike his blow on one malefactors body; then they would come to Jesus.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Vv. 32-34. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first, then of the other who was crucified with him. 33. But, when they came to Jesus, seeing that he was already dead, they did not break his legs; 34, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with his spear, and immediately there came thereout blood and water.
The word: they came, is more naturally explained if we hold with Storr, Olshausen and Weiss that they were different soldiers from those who had accomplished the work of crucifixion. They had been sent especially for this purpose with the necessary instruments.
If the purpose for which the limbs of the condemned were broken was that of which we have spoken, this treatment was made useless with respect to Jesus by the fact of His death. The spear-thrust of the soldier was, therefore, as it were, only a compensation for the operation which was omitted; it signified: If thou art not dead already, here is what will finish thee. It would be absurd to demand examples for such an act, which had in it nothing judicial.
The verb indicates a more or less deep thrust, in contrast to a cut. This term is sometimes used in Homer to designate mortal wounds.
Is the fact of the outflowing of the blood and water to be regarded as a natural phenomenon? In general, undoubtedly, when a dead body is pierced, no liquid comes forth from it; nevertheless, if one of the large vessels is reached, it may happen that there will flow from the wound a blackish blood covered with a coating of serum. Can this be what John calls blood and water? This is improbable.Ebrard accordingly supposes that the lance reached the deposits of extravasated blood. Gruner (Commentatio de morte Jesu Christi vera, Halle, 1805) also has this opinion. He thinks that the lance pierced the aqueous deposits which, during this long-continued torture, had been formed around the heart, and then the heart itself. William Stroud (London, 1847) alleges phenomena observed in cases of sudden death in consequence of cramp of the heart. These explanations are all of them quite improbable. The expression: blood and water, naturally denotes two substances flowing simultaneously, but to the eyes of the spectators distinct, a thing which has no place in any of these suppositions. Baur, Strauss, etc., conclude from this that there is a necessity for a symbolic interpretation, and find here again the purely ideal character of the narrative. The author meant to express by this fact of his own invention the abundance of spiritual life which will, from this moment, flow forth from the person of Christ (Baur); the water more especially represents the Holy Spirit, the blood the Holy Supper, with an allusion to the custom of mixing the wine of this sacrament with water (Strauss, in his new Life of Jesus). But what idea must we form of the morality of a man who should solemnly affirm that he had seen (Joh 19:35) that which he had the consciousness of having beheld only in idea. In favor of this allegorical explanation an appeal has been made to the words in 1Jn 5:6 : He came not by water only, but by water and blood. But these words do not have the least connection with the fact with which we are occupied.
The water of which John speaks in his epistle denotes, as Joh 3:5, baptism: Jesus did not come, like the forerunner, only with the baptism of water, the symbol of purification, but with the blood which brings the expiation itself. In our view there remains but one explanation: it is that which admits that this mysterious fact took place outside of the laws of common physiology, and that it is connected with the exceptional nature of a body which sin had never tainted and which moved forward to the resurrection without having to pass through dissolution. At the instant of death, the process of dissolution, in general, begins. The body of Jesus must have taken at that moment a different path from that of death: it entered upon that of glorification. He who was the Holy One of God, in the absolute sense of the word, was also absolutely exempt from corruption (Psa 16:10). This is the meaning which the evangelist seems to me to have ascribed to this unprecedented phenomenon, of which he was a witness.
Thus is explained the affirmation, having somewhat the character of an oath, by which, in the following verse, he certifies its reality; not that the affirmation of Joh 19:35 refers only to this fact; for it certainly has reference to the totality of the facts mentioned Joh 19:33-34 (see below). Weiss holds that there is a natural phenomenon here which cannot be certainly explained; but he thinks that John saw in the blood the means of our redemption and in the water the symbol of its purifying force. In this case, a grossly superstitious idea must be imputed to the apostle: by what right? The text says not a word of such a symbolic sense. According to Reuss, also, the blood designates the redemptive death, and the water baptism, and we have here a mystical explanation of a fact which struck the author. All this has no better foundation than the opinion of those who think that the evangelist wished to combat the idea that Jesus was not really dead (Lucke, Neander), or the idea that He had only an apparent body (Olshausen). The first of these ideas is entirely modern; the second ascribes to the author an argument which has no force, since the Docetae did not in the least deny the sensible appearances in the earthly life of Jesus.
The absence of all corruption in the Holy One of God implied the beginning of the restoration of life from the very moment when, at death, in the case of every sinner the work of dissolution which is to destroy the body commences.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
The Roman soldiers therefore broke the legs of the two terrorists whom they had crucified with Jesus because they were still alive. They did not break Jesus’ legs since He was already dead.