SEV Biblia, Chapter 19:29
Y estaba allí un vaso lleno de vinagre; entonces ellos mojaron una esponja de vinagre, y rodeada a un hisopo, se la llegaron a la boca.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 19:29
Verse 29. A vessel full of vinegar] This was probably that tart small wine which we are assured was the common drink of the Roman soldiers. Our word vinegar comes from the French vin aigre, sour or tart wine; and, although it is probable that it was brought at this time for the use of the four Roman soldiers who were employed in the crucifixion of our Lord, yet it is as probable that it might have been furnished for the use of the persons crucified; who, in that lingering kind of death, must necessarily be grievously tormented with thirst. This vinegar must not be confounded with the vinegar and gall mentioned Matt. xxvii. 34, and Mark xv. 23.
That, being a stupifying potion, intended to alleviate his pain, he refused to drink; but of this he took a little, and then expired, chap. xix. 30.
And put it upon hyssop] Or, according to others, putting hyssop about it. A great variety of conjectures have been produced to solve the difficulty in this text, which is occasioned by supposing that the sponge was put on a stalk of hyssop, and that this is the reed mentioned by Matthew and Mark. It is possible that the hyssop might grow to such a size in Judea as that a stalk of it might answer the end of a reed or cane in the case mentioned here; but still it appears to me more natural to suppose that the reed was a distinct thing and that the hyssop was used only to bind the sponge fast to the reed; unless we may suppose it was added for some mystical purpose, as we find it frequently used in the Old Testament in rites of purification. The various conjectures on this point may be seen in Bowyer's Conject. and in Calmet.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 29. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar , etc.] In a place near at hand, as Nonnus observes; not on purpose, for the sake of them that were crucified, either to refresh their spirits, or stop a too great effusion of blood, that they might continue the longer in their misery; but for the use of the soldiers who crucified Christ, vinegar being part of the allowance of Roman soldiers f740 , and what they used to drink: sometimes it was mixed with water; which mixed liquor they called Posca f741 , and was what even their generals sometimes used; as Scipio, Metellus, Trajan, Adrian, and others: vinegar was also used by the Jews for drink, as appears from ( Ruth 2:14) and dip thy morsel in the vinegar, which Boazs reapers had with them in the field; because of heat, as the commentators say f742 ; that being good to cool, and to extinguish thirst; for which reason the soldiers here offer it to Christ; though the Chaldee paraphrase of the above place makes it to be a kind of sauce or pap boiled in vinegar; and such an Embamma made of vinegar the Romans had, in which they dipped their food f743 ; but this here seems to be pure vinegar, and to be different from that which the other evangelists speak of, which was mingled with gall, or was sour wine with myrrh, ( Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23). Vinegar indeed is good to revive the spirits, and hyssop, which is after mentioned, is an herb of a sweet smell; and if the reed, which the other evangelists make mention of, was the sweet calamus, as some have thought, they were all of them things of a refreshing nature: vinegar was also used for stopping blood f744 , when it flowed from wounds in a large quantity; and of the same use were sponges; hence Tertullian mentions spongias retiariorum, the sponges of the fencers, which they had with them to stop any effusion of blood that should be made in their exercises; but then it can hardly be thought that these things should be in common prepared at crucifixions for such ends, on purpose to linger out a miserable life a little longer, which would be shocking barbarity; and especially such a provision would never be, made at this time, on such an account, since the Jews sabbath drew nigh, and they were in haste to have the executions over before that came on, that the bodies might not remain on the cross on that day; for which reason they would do nothing, at this time, however, to prolong the lives of the malefactors; wherefore it is most reasonable, that this vessel of vinegar was not set for any such purpose, but was for the use of the soldiers; and therefore this being at hand when Christ signified his thirst, they offered some of it in the following manner: and they filled a sponge with vinegar ; it being the nature of a sponge (which Nonnus here calls blasthma ylasshv , a branch of the sea, because it grows there) to swallow up anything that is liquid, and which may be again squeezed and sucked out of it; hence the Jews say of it, yqm [lb gwps , the sponge which swallows up liquids; and used it for such a purpose; and put it upon hyssop; meaning not the juice of hyssop, into which some have thought the sponge with vinegar was put, but the herb, and a stalk of it: the other evangelists say, it was put upon a reed; meaning either that the sponge with the hyssop were put about a reed, and so given him; or rather it was a stalk of hyssop, which was like a reed or cane; and in this country of Judea grew very large, sufficient for such a purpose. The hyssop with the Jews was not reckoned among herbs, but trees; (see 1 Kings 4:33) and they speak of hyssop which they gather yx[l , for wood; the stalks of which therefore must be of some size; yea, they call a stalk which has a top to it, hnq , a reed, or cane; which observation seems to reconcile the other evangelists with this: and they distinguish their hyssop which was right for use from that which had an epithet joined to it; as, Roman hyssop, Grecian hyssop, wild and bastard hyssop f749 : and some writers observe even of our common hyssop, that it has sometimes stalks of nine inches long, or longer, and hard and woody, nay, even a foot and a half; with one of which a man with his arms stretched out might possibly reach the mouth of a person on a cross: how high crosses usually were is not certain, nor was there any fixed measure for them; sometimes they were higher, and sometimes lower; the cross or gallows made by Haman for Mordecai was very high indeed, and the mouth of a person could not have been reached with an hyssop stalk; but such an one might, as was erected for Sauls sons, whose bodies on it could be reached by the beasts of the field, ( 2 Samuel 21:10) and so low was the cross on which Blandina the martyr suffered, as the church at Lyons relates f751 , when on the cross she was exposed to beasts of prey, and became food for them: so that there is no need to suppose any fault in the text, and that instead of hyssop it should be read hyssos; which was a kind of javelin the Romans call Pilum, about five or six foot long, which, it is supposed, one of the soldiers might have, and on it put the hyssop with the sponge and vinegar; but this conjecture is not supported by any copy, or ancient version; the Syriac version, which is a very ancient one, reads hyssop. The Arabic and Persic versions render it, a reed, as in the other evangelists; and the Ethiopic version has both, they filled a sponge with vinegar, and it was set round with hyssop, and they bound it upon a reed; and so some have thought that a bunch of hyssop was stuck round about the sponge of vinegar, which was fastened to the top of a reed; and the words will bear to be rendered; setting it about with hyssop: this they might have out of the gardens, which were near this place, or it might grow upon the mountain itself; for we are told f752 , it grew in great plenty upon the mountains about Jerusalem, and that its branches were almost a cubit long. Josephus makes mention of a village beyond Jordan called Bethezob, which, as he says, signifies the house of hyssop; perhaps so called from the large quantity of hyssop that grew near it: and put it to his mouth ; whether Christ drank of it or no is not certain; it seems by what follows as if he did; at least he took it, being offered to him: the Jews themselves say f754 , that Jesus said, give me a little water to drink, and they gave him qzj Umwj , sharp vinegar; which so far confirms the evangelic history.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-30 - Here are some remarkable circumstances of Jesus' death, more full related than before. Pilate would not gratify the chief priests by allowing the writing to be altered; which was doubtless owing to secret power of God upon his heart, that this statement of our Lord' character and authority might continue. Many things done by the Roma soldiers were fulfilments of the prophecies of the Old Testament. All things therein written shall be fulfilled. Christ tenderly provided for his mother at his death. Sometimes, when God removes one comfort from us, he raises up another for us, where we looked not for it. Christ' example teaches all men to honour their parents in life and death; to provide for their wants, and to promote their comfort by every means in their power. Especially observe the dying word wherewith Jesus breathe out his soul. It is finished; that is, the counsels of the Fathe concerning his sufferings were now fulfilled. It is finished; all the types and prophecies of the Old Testament, which pointed at the sufferings of the Messiah, were accomplished. It is finished; the ceremonial law is abolished; the substance is now come, and all the shadows are done away. It is finished; an end is made of transgressio by bringing in an everlasting righteousness. His sufferings were no finished, both those of his soul, and those of his body. It is finished; the work of man's redemption and salvation is now completed His life was not taken from him by force, but freely given up.
Greek Textus Receptus
σκευος 4632 N-NSN ουν 3767 CONJ εκειτο 2749 5711 V-INI-3S οξους 3690 N-GSN μεστον 3324 A-NSN οι 3588 T-NPM δε 1161 CONJ πλησαντες 4130 5660 V-AAP-NPM σπογγον 4699 N-ASM οξους 3690 N-GSN και 2532 CONJ υσσωπω 5301 N-DSM περιθεντες 4060 5631 V-2AAP-NPM προσηνεγκαν 4374 5656 V-AAI-3P αυτου 846 P-GSM τω 3588 T-DSN στοματι 4750 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
29. Vinegar. See on Matt. xxvii. 48.Hyssop. Matthew and Mark have kalamw, a reed. Luke says merely that they offered Him vinegar. The vinegar mingled with gall (Matt. xxvii. 34), or the wine mingled with myrrh (Mark xv. 23) was offered to Jesus before his crucifixion as a stupefying draught. The hyssop gives a hint of the height of the cross, as the greatest length of the hyssop reed was not more than three or four feet. The vinegar in this case was offered in order to revive Christ. John does not mention the stupefying draught.
