Matthew 27:48 kjv
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
Matthew 27:48 nkjv
Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
Matthew 27:48 niv
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
Matthew 27:48 esv
And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.
Matthew 27:48 nlt
One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink.
Matthew 27 48 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 22:15 | My strength is dried up like a potsherd...and my tongue cleaves to my jaws. | Prophetic description of Messiah's thirst. |
| Psa 69:21 | They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine. | Direct prophecy fulfilled by this act. |
| Matt 27:34 | they offered Him wine mixed with gall... He tasted it and would not drink. | Earlier offer of drugged wine for pain relief. |
| Mark 15:23 | They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. | Parallel account of the earlier refusal. |
| Mark 15:36 | And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed... | Mark's parallel account of the same event. |
| Luke 23:36 | The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine, | Luke adds the element of mockery. |
| John 19:28 | After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished... said, “I thirst.” | John clarifies Jesus' spoken thirst. |
| John 19:29 | A jar full of sour wine stood there... they put a sponge full of the sour | John's parallel, mentioning hyssop. |
| John 19:30 | When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” | Jesus' words after receiving the drink. |
| Psa 119:28 | My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! | Emotional suffering mirroring physical. |
| Isa 53:3-5 | He was despised and rejected by men... with His stripes we are healed. | General prophecy of Messiah's suffering. |
| Lam 3:19 | Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! | Language of bitterness and suffering. |
| Ex 12:22 | You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood... | Hyssop's ceremonial significance (in John). |
| Num 19:6 | And the priest shall take cedarwood and hyssop and scarlet yarn... | Hyssop's connection to purification. |
| Heb 9:19 | For when every commandment had been declared by Moses... he took the blood | Hyssop used in old covenant purification. |
| Rom 8:3-4 | For God has done what the law... He condemned sin in the flesh. | Christ's taking on human suffering. |
| Phil 2:8 | He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death | Humiliation and obedience of Christ. |
| Heb 2:14 | that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death. | Jesus fully experienced human weakness. |
| Rev 21:6 | “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty | Divine promise of spiritual drink for thirsty. |
| 1 Cor 10:4 | and all drank the same spiritual drink... Christ. | Christ as the spiritual drink. |
| John 4:13-14 | Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again... but whoever | Contrast to physical thirst; spiritual living water. |
Matthew 27 verses
Matthew 27 48 Meaning
Immediately following Jesus' cry of anguish on the cross, an individual, described as "one of them," quickly took a sponge, filled it with oxos (sour wine), placed it on a long reed, and extended it upwards to give Jesus a drink. This action occurs moments before Jesus yields His spirit, signifying the depths of His physical suffering and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah's thirst and His final moments on the cross.
Matthew 27 48 Context
Matthew 27:48 is situated within the immediate narrative of Jesus' crucifixion, following His profound cry from the cross in verse 46, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). This intense spiritual and emotional utterance draws attention from bystanders, some interpreting it as a call for Elijah. In response to this, or perhaps an implicit sign of distress, this verse describes the offering of sour wine. The broader context of Matthew 27 depicts the Roman practice of crucifixion, a brutal form of execution designed for maximum suffering and humiliation, leading to immense physical exhaustion and dehydration. Sour wine, or posca, was a common, cheap beverage for Roman soldiers and laborers, providing hydration and a mild pick-me-up. This act is the second mention of a drink offered to Jesus on the cross, the first being the refusal of wine mixed with gall/myrrh (Matt 27:34, Mark 15:23), intended to dull the pain. This distinction highlights Jesus' clear-minded suffering until the end.
Matthew 27 48 Word analysis
- Immediately (εὐθύς - euthys): This adverb emphasizes the swiftness and directness of the action. It suggests a prompt reaction from the individual after Jesus' loud cry, indicating a perceived urgency or a sudden decision to act. It underscores the ongoing unfolding of events at the crucifixion.
- one of them (εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν - heis ex autōn): Refers to one of the people present at the crucifixion. Matthew does not specify if it was a Roman soldier (as implied by Luke's context of mocking soldiers, Lk 23:36) or a bystander. This individual acts distinctively from the rest of the crowd who were largely mocking.
- ran (δραμὼν - dramōn): Conveys urgency and haste. The person moves quickly to perform the action, perhaps out of a mix of pity, an attempt to hasten Jesus' death, or even curiosity, following Jesus' profound cry.
- took a sponge (λαβὼν σπόγγον - labōn spoggon): Sponges were common in ancient times for cleaning or drinking. Here, it is the means to absorb and deliver the liquid. This highlights the practical and mundane items present even at such a sacred and momentous event.
- filled it with sour wine (πλήσας ὄξους - plēsas oxous): Oxos (ὄξος) is "sour wine" or "vinegar." This was a common, cheap drink (often posca, diluted wine gone sour) used by soldiers and the poor. It was distinctly different from the pain-dulling wine mixed with gall offered earlier (Matt 27:34). It quenched thirst, providing a temporary stimulant.
- put it on a reed (περιθεὶς περὶ καλάμῳ - peritheid perì kalamō): A kalamos (καλάμῳ) is a reed or stalk. This implies the reed was long enough to reach Jesus on the high cross. John's Gospel specifies "hyssop," which can refer to a hyssop plant with a long, sturdy stem. This detail ensures the physical possibility of giving Jesus a drink.
- and gave him a drink (ἐπότιζεν αὐτόν - epotizen auton): The act of offering refreshment. While seemingly an act of kindness in fulfilling Jesus' implied thirst (John 19:28 specifies Jesus' verbalized "I thirst"), in other Gospel accounts (Luke 23:36), similar offerings by soldiers are described in the context of mockery, highlighting the complex motivations of the individuals present at the cross. Matthew presents the act plainly without interpreting intent.
Matthew 27 48 Bonus section
The distinction between the "wine mixed with gall" (Matt 27:34) and "sour wine" (Matt 27:48) is significant. The former was a pain-dulling mixture typically offered to those crucified, which Jesus refused because He intended to endure the full pain and retain His faculties. The latter, oxos or posca, was a common, non-narcotic thirst quencher. Jesus accepted this, particularly as John 19:28 reveals He expressed, "I thirst," completing a prophetic requirement. The instrument for offering the drink, a "reed" in Matthew and Mark, and "hyssop" in John, might refer to a long stalk of hyssop, a plant with symbolic significance for purification and Passover rituals (Ex 12:22). This connection would subtly link Jesus' final act of thirst-quenching with His ultimate role as the Passover Lamb and source of cleansing. This event is not just a historical detail but a profound theological marker of prophecy's fulfillment and Christ's complete experience of humanity in His atoning death.
Matthew 27 48 Commentary
Matthew 27:48 is a critical moment demonstrating the final throes of Jesus' earthly life and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. After His harrowing cry of abandonment, an unnamed individual provides Jesus with sour wine. This contrasts sharply with the earlier refusal of drugged wine (Matt 27:34), showing Jesus chose to fully experience the suffering of the cross, but willingly accepted a simple drink to quench physical thirst in His final moments. This act precisely fulfills Psalm 69:21, which prophesied giving the Messiah sour wine for His thirst. Though seemingly a simple human action of giving drink, its divine significance lies in completing the prophetic narrative, ensuring that every detail concerning the Suffering Servant was brought to pass. This allows Jesus, shortly thereafter, to declare "It is finished" (Jn 19:30) with clear mind and complete consciousness before yielding His spirit. It underscores both Jesus' full humanity in experiencing agonizing thirst and the intricate divine orchestration of His redemptive sacrifice.