Luke 23 36

Luke 23:36 kjv

And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

Luke 23:36 nkjv

The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine,

Luke 23:36 niv

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar

Luke 23:36 esv

The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine

Luke 23:36 nlt

The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine.

Luke 23 verses

Luke 23 36 Meaning

Luke 23:36 describes the Roman soldiers intensifying Jesus' torment during His crucifixion. Following the mockery by the Jewish leaders, the soldiers too joined in, approaching Him directly not with compassion but with a contemptuous offer of sour wine, intended to further humiliate and deride Him, rather than to alleviate His suffering. This act underscored the complete scorn Jesus endured from both religious and governmental authorities.

Luke 23 36 Context

Luke 23:36 is part of the Passion Narrative, specifically depicting Jesus' crucifixion. It follows immediately after Jesus has been crucified between two criminals (Lk 23:33) and after the Jewish leaders (rulers) have mocked Him, challenging Him to save Himself (Lk 23:35). The context highlights the relentless and multi-faceted mockery Jesus endured. First, by Herod and his soldiers (Lk 23:11), then the religious leaders, and now by the Roman soldiers. This continuity emphasizes the widespread contempt Jesus faced from all strata of society and authority during His deepest humiliation. The setting is Golgotha, a public place of execution, where Jesus' suffering was a spectacle for onlookers. Historically, Roman crucifixion was designed not only to inflict extreme physical pain but also immense public shame, making the mocking an integral part of the punishment.

Luke 23 36 Word analysis

• The soldiers (οἱ στρατιῶται, hoi stratiōtai): These were Roman military personnel, the direct executors of the crucifixion. Their involvement highlights the Roman Empire's official role in Jesus' condemnation and suffering. Their action symbolizes the Gentile world's rejection, just as the rulers represented Jewish rejection.
• also mocked him (ἐνέπαιξαν αὐτῷ, enepaixan autō): The word "also" signifies a continuation and expansion of the mockery already seen from the rulers in Lk 23:35. The Greek verb empaizo means to mock, ridicule, or treat with contempt. The imperfect tense indicates a continuous or repeated action, emphasizing the prolonged and relentless nature of the torment. This mockery was not light-hearted but deeply scornful, part of the intended humiliation.
• coming up (προσερχόμενοι, proserchomenoi): This participial form suggests an active, deliberate approach. The soldiers did not mock Him from afar but came close to Him, engaging directly in the act of derision, making their contempt more personal and cutting.
• and offering him (καὶ προσφέροντες αὐτῷ, kai prospherontes autō): The offering of the drink was an action. Coupled with "mocked him," it shows this offering was not a kind gesture, but an extension of the derision, perhaps masquerading as compassion while designed to compound the insult.
• sour wine (ὄξος, oxos): This refers to a common, cheap drink (often 'posca' in Latin) made of fermented wine or vinegar diluted with water. It was widely consumed by Roman soldiers and the working class, serving as a thirst-quencher. In this context, its offering is steeped in irony and scorn. It's not the drugged wine offered earlier (which Jesus refused), nor is it clearly the 'merciful' offering (though in John's account, Jesus does receive it when He says "I thirst"). In Luke's specific portrayal, combined with "mocked," it is clearly presented as part of the soldiers' taunt, a base offer to a supposed king. It also recalls the prophetic words of Psa 69:21.

Luke 23 36 Bonus section

The repeated use of the Greek word empaizo (mocked/derided) across various groups—Herod's soldiers (Lk 23:11), the Jewish leaders (Lk 23:35), and the Roman soldiers (Lk 23:36)—creates a stark literary and theological theme: Jesus' universal rejection. He was mocked by religious authority, political authority, and military authority, both Jewish and Gentile. This comprehensive scorn underscores the magnitude of human sin and opposition to God's Anointed, highlighting Jesus' utter isolation and profound suffering, while paradoxically demonstrating His enduring love and willingness to bear humanity's contempt for its salvation. This scene fulfills the prophetic suffering servant motif of the Old Testament, where the Messiah is depicted as despised and rejected by men.

Luke 23 36 Commentary

Luke 23:36 powerfully illustrates the intense and widespread contempt Jesus endured on the cross. The soldiers' mockery, like that of the Jewish leaders, was not merely verbal but active, directly involved in His humiliation. By offering sour wine, they mimicked an act of hospitality, yet it was devoid of true compassion, meant instead to highlight Jesus' perceived powerlessness and royal claims with a debased, common drink. This act served multiple purposes: to further ridicule Him, to intensify His suffering through psychological abuse, and to show how universal was humanity's rejection of their true King. Yet, within this profound humiliation, Jesus continued to fulfill prophecies, exhibiting a profound silence and patience, transforming ultimate weakness into ultimate victory. It is a stark reminder of the depth of suffering endured by Christ for humanity's redemption, revealing God's incredible love manifested through complete self-abasement.