Matthew 27:31-33
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The soldiers take off the robe they used to mock Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This seemingly simple act is significant because it restores his familiar garments before leading him to his crucifixion, symbolically returning him to himself, so to speak, before he is stripped of everything for our sake.
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the soldiers finished their cruel mockery, they removed the scarlet robe they had forced on Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This marked the end of the humiliation and the beginning of the final journey, as they led him out of the city to be crucified. This event directly precedes the soldiers finding Simon of Cyrene, whom they compelled to carry Jesus' cross for him.
The soldiers dressed Jesus in a mock robe, a symbol of His kingship. But the stripping of this robe and the return to His own clothes reveal a deeper truth about His identity and mission.
The soldiers' actions with the robe were a twisted parody of royal investiture. They placed a scarlet robe on Jesus, a color associated with royalty, and bowed before Him, calling Him 'King of the Jews.' It was a moment of profound insult, designed to ridicule any claim He might have to kingship.
However, the text in Matthew 27:31 is crucial: 'they stripped him of the robe and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucify him.' This act of stripping away the false royal garment and returning His own clothes is significant. It signifies the end of the mockery and the beginning of the actual execution. More importantly, it points to Jesus' true identity – not a king in earthly splendor, but one who came in humility, clothed in His own humanity, ready to fulfill His mission through suffering. His own garments represent His authentic self, the one who would lay down His life as a sacrifice.
Leading Jesus away to be crucified wasn't just a short walk. It was a public spectacle, a 'Via Dolorosa,' laden with deeper spiritual meaning for those who followed.
The phrase 'led him away to crucify him' marks the transition from the humiliation within the Praetorium to the public execution. This procession, often called the 'Way of Sorrows,' was not merely a physical journey but a deliberate act of public shame and suffering.
The commentary notes that executions typically happened outside the city walls, separating the condemned from the community. This placement itself was a form of insult, signifying that the condemned were considered outcasts and unworthy of being buried with their people.
Ask a follow-up
Furthermore, the cross itself was a burden. While Jesus initially bore it, His weakened state necessitated Simon of Cyrene's help. This detail underscores the brutal reality of Roman punishment and Jesus' own suffering even before reaching the execution site. The act of leading Him away was a public declaration that He was being treated as a criminal, a stark contrast to His divine identity.
Understand the original words
empaizō · Greek Verb
To treat with contempt, ridicule, or deride, often involving humiliating or insulting gestures or speech; in the context of Christ, it highlights the intense suffering and public shame He endured.
stauroō · Greek Verb
A form of execution used by the Romans consisting of nailing or binding a victim to a cross; it was considered the most shameful and painful method of capital punishment, designed to ensure a slow, agonizing death.
stauros · Greek Noun
A wooden beam or structure used as an instrument of execution; metaphorically, it represents the burden of suffering, death, and the sacrifice required for redemption.
Golgotha · Aramaic/Greek Proper Noun
The Aramaic name for the site of Jesus' execution, meaning 'skull,' likely referring to the shape of the landscape where public executions took place.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Mocking and Condemnation
After being scourged and condemned by Pilate, Roman soldiers mock Jesus, dressing him as a king with a crown of thorns and a purple robe before leading him to his crucifixion.
c. AD 30
Simon of Cyrene Compelled to Carry the Cross
As Jesus falters under the weight of the cross, soldiers force Simon of Cyrene to carry it, fulfilling a common practice for condemned criminals.
c. AD 30
Procession to Golgotha
Jesus, accompanied by the cross (or its beam), soldiers, and a crowd including mourning women, is led outside the city walls to the place of execution.
c. AD 30
Crucifixion Outside the City
Executions, including crucifixion, were typically carried out outside city gates, following ancient customs and fulfilling prophecies about Jesus suffering outside Jerusalem.
This passage describes the suffering servant being led like a lamb to slaughter, echoing the passive, yet purposeful, journey of Jesus to the cross in Matthew 27:31.
John 19:16John's account describes Jesus carrying His own cross, which is then passed to Simon of Cyrene, providing a fuller picture of the procession mentioned in Matthew 27:31-32.
Philippians 2:7-8These verses highlight Jesus' humility in emptying Himself and taking on the form of a servant, which is powerfully illustrated by the soldiers stripping Him and then clothing Him again before leading Him to crucifixion.
Hebrews 13:11-12The author of Hebrews connects Jesus suffering 'without the gate' to the Old Testament practice of burning sin offerings outside the camp, underscoring the sacrificial meaning of Jesus' journey to crucifixion outside Jerusalem.
barnesMatthew 27:31: "And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
As they came out - That is, either out of the governor's palace where he had been treated with such cruelty and contempt, or out of the gates of the city, to crucify him. A man of Cyrene - Cyrene was a city of Libya, in Africa, lying west of Egypt. There were many Jews there, and they were in the habit, like others, of going frequently to Jerusal…
bensonMatthew 27:31: "And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him."
Matthew 27:31-32 . After they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him — But it is not said they took the crown of thorns off his head, which served to gratify both their malice and contempt; probably he died wearing it, that the title, which was written over him, might be the better understood. And led him away to crucify him — It was a J…
The soldiers take off the robe they used to mock Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This seemingly simple act is significant because it restores his familiar garments before leading him to his crucifixion, symbolically returning him to himself, so to speak, before he is stripped of everything for our sake.
After the soldiers finished their cruel mockery, they removed the scarlet robe they had forced on Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This marked the end of the humiliation and the beginning of the final journey, as they led him out of the city to be crucified. This event directly precedes the soldiers finding Simon of Cyrene, whom they compelled to carry Jesus' cross for him.
After the soldiers finished their cruel mockery, they removed the scarlet robe they had forced on Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This marked the end of the humiliation and the beginning of the final journey, as they led him out of the city to be crucified. This event directly precedes the soldiers finding Simon of Cyrene, whom they compelled to carry Jesus' cross for him.
"And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when t…" — The soldiers take off the robe they used to mock Jesus and put his own clothes back on him. This seemingly simple act is significant because it restores his familiar garments before leading him to hi…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
