SEV Biblia, Chapter 27:29
y pusieron sobre su cabeza una corona tejida de espinas, y una caa en su mano derecha; e hincando la rodilla delante de l, le burlaban, diciendo: ¡Hallas gozo, rey de los Judíos!
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 27:29
Verse 29. A crown of thorns] stefanon ex akanqwn. It does not appear that this crown was intended to be an instrument of punishment or torture to his head, but rather to render him ridiculous; for which cause also they put a reed in his hand, by way of scepter, and bowed their knees, pretending to do him homage. The crown was not probably of thorns, in our sense of the word: there are eminently learned men who think that the crown was formed of the herb acanthus; and Bishop Pearce and Michaelis are of this opinion. Mark, Mark xv. 17, and John, John xix. 5, term it, stefanon akanqinon, which may very well be translated an acanthine crown or wreath, formed out of the branches of the herb acanthus, or bear's foot. This, however, is a prickly plant, though nothing like thorns, in the common meaning of that word. Many Christians have gone astray in magnifying the sufferings of Christ from this circumstance; and painters, the worst of all commentators, frequently represent Christ with a crown of long thorns, which one standing by is striking into his head with a stick. These representations engender ideas both false and absurd.
There is a passage produced from Philo by Dr. Lardner, which casts much light on these indignities offered to our blessed Lord.
"Caligula, the successor of Tiberius, gave Agrippa the tetrarchy of his uncle Philip, with the right of wearing a diadem or crown. When he came to Alexandria, on his way to his tetrarchate, the inhabitants of that place, filled with envy at the thoughts of a Jew having the title of king, showed their indignation in the following way. They brought one Carabus (a sort of an idiot) into the theater; and, having placed him on a lofty seat, that he might be seen by all, they put a diadem upon his head, made of the herb byblos, (the ancient papyrus, or paper flag;) his body they covered with a mat or carpet, instead of a royal cloak. One seeing a piece of reed, papurou (the stem, probably, of the aforesaid herb) lying on the ground, picked it up, and put it in his hand in place of a scepter. Having thus given him a mock royal dress, several young fellows, with poles on their shoulders, came and stood on each side of him as his guards. Then there came people, some to pay their homage to him, some to ask justice, and some to consult him on affairs of state and the crowd that stood round about made a confused noise, crying, Mario, that being, as they say, the Syriac word for LORD; thereby showing that they intended to ridicule Agrippa, who was a Syrian." See PHILO, Flace. p. 970, and Dr. Lardner, Works, vol. i. p. 159.
There is the most remarkable coincidence between this account and that given by the evangelists; and the conjecture concerning the acanthus will probably find no inconsiderable support from the bylos and papyrus of Philo. This plant, Pliny says, grows to ten cubits long in the stem and the flowers were used ad deos coronandos, for CROWNING THE GODS. See Hist. Nat. lib. xiii. c. 11.
The reflections of pious Quesnel on these insults offered to our blessed Lord merit serious attention.
Let the crown of thorns make those Christians blush who throw away so much time, pains, and money, in beautifying and adorning a sinful head.
Let the world do what it will to render the royalty and mysteries of Christ contemptible, it is my glory to serve a King thus debased; my salvation, to adore that which the world despises; and my redemption, to go unto God through the merits of him who was crowned with thorns."
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 29. And when they had platted a crown of thorns , etc.] What sort of thorn this crown was made of, whether of the bramble, or of the white thorn, is not very material f1667 : the word used in the Syriac version, is rendered by interpreters, white thorns, and which were common in Judea: these, be they what they will, they made into the form of a crown, and they put it upon his head ; both to reproach him as a king, and to torture him as a man: however, it had its significance, and was an emblem of men, comparable to thorns; either of wicked men, and of his being encompassed with them at this time; or of good men, chosen out from among them, redeemed by him, and accounted as a royal diadem with him f1668 : or it might represent the sins of his people, which, like thorns, pierced him, and like a crown of them surrounded him every side; or else the many troubles he was exercised with, and through which he did, as his members do, enter the kingdom: and especially, his being made a curse for us, thorns and briers being the curse which was inflicted on the earth, for the sin of man: in this Christ was the antitype of the ram, caught by his horns among the thickets, which Abraham sacrificed in the room of his son. This may teach us many useful lessons: we may see what a curse sin brought upon man, and upon the earth for mans sake; and even upon the Messiah, in the stead of men: we may observe the difference between us and Christ: we are a crown of glory, and a royal diadem in his hand; we are crowned with loving kindness and tender mercies, and have a crown of righteousness, life, and glory, laid up for us, and he was crowned with thorns; as also the difference between Christ in his state of humiliation wearing such a crown, and his state of exaltation, in which he is crowned with glory and honour.
The Jews acknowledge this circumstance of the sufferings of Jesus, though they ascribe it to the elders of Jerusalem; who, they say f1669 , took thorns and made a crown of them, and put it upon his head.
Which are the very words of the evangelist: and a reed in his right hand , or cane; and Munsters Hebrew Gospel uses the word, hnq , a cane, such as men walk with; and this may be confirmed from the barbarous use they afterwards made of it, by smiting him on the head with it: a reed indeed may fitly express the weakness of his kingdom in the eye of the world: but any cane or common staff, or stick, put into his hands in the room of a sceptre, would also signify the meanness of his kingdom, which was not of this world, and came not with observation: they meant to reproach him with it, but they will find one time or another, that he, has another sceptre, even a sceptre of righteousness, a staff of strength, a rod of iron, with which he will rule and break in pieces, all the wicked of the earth. However, we may learn from hence, Christ does not disdain to hold a reed in his hand: nor will he break the bruised reed, or discourage, or crush the weakest believer. And they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the Jews : being thus clad in a scarlet, or purple robe, or both; and having a crown of thorns on his head, and a reed instead of a sceptre in his hand, they carry on the mockery still further, and bend the knee to him, as to a prince just come to his throne, and salute as such; and in a mock way, wish him long life and prosperity: thus deriding him in his kingly office, as all such do, who call him Lord, Lord, but disregard his commands.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 26-30 - Crucifixion was a death used only among the Romans; it was very terrible and miserable. A cross was laid on the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, it was then lifted up and fixed upright, s that the weight of the body hung on the nails, till the sufferer die in agony. Christ thus answered the type of the brazen serpent raised of a pole. Christ underwent all the misery and shame here related, that he might purchase for us everlasting life, and joy, and glory.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ πλεξαντες 4120 5660 V-AAP-NPM στεφανον 4735 N-ASM εξ 1537 PREP ακανθων 173 N-GPF επεθηκαν 2007 5656 V-AAI-3P επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF κεφαλην 2776 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ καλαμον 2563 N-ASM επι 1909 PREP την 3588 T-ASF δεξιαν 1188 A-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM και 2532 CONJ γονυπετησαντες 1120 5660 V-AAP-NPM εμπροσθεν 1715 PREP αυτου 846 P-GSM ενεπαιζον 1702 5707 V-IAI-3P αυτω 846 P-DSM λεγοντες 3004 5723 V-PAP-NPM χαιρε 5463 5720 V-PAM-2S ο 3588 T-NSM βασιλευς 935 N-NSM των 3588 T-GPM ιουδαιων 2453 A-GPM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
27:29 {A crown of thorns} (stefanon ex akanqwn). They wove a crown out of thorns which would grow even in the palace grounds. It is immaterial whether they were young and tender thorn bushes, as probable in the spring, or hard bushes with sharp prongs. The soldiers would not care, for they were after ridicule and mockery even if it caused pain. It was more like a victor's garland (stephanon) than a royal diadem (diadema), but it served the purpose. So with the reed (kalamon), a stalk of common cane grass which served as sceptre. The soldiers were familiar with the _Ave Caesar_ and copy it in their mockery of Jesus: {Hail, King of the Jews} (chaire, Basileu t"n ioudaiwn). The soldiers added the insults used by the Sanhedrin (#Mt 26:67), spitting on him and smiting him with the reed. Probably Jesus had been unbound already. At any rate the garments of mockery were removed before the _via dolorosa_ to the cross (verse #31).
