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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What seems like a simple act of mocking actually reveals a moment of complex human reaction; a soldier, perhaps moved by Jesus' cry, offers a drink, but the surrounding crowd's immediate command to "stop" highlights their focus on seeing if Elijah will deliver him, utterly missing the deeper significance of Jesus' thirst. This also underscores that the sour wine, though a common soldier's drink, was not the drugged mixture intended to deaden pain.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has been hanging on the cross for hours, and a supernatural darkness has fallen over the land. He cries out, quoting Psalm 22, leading some to mock Him further, while others wonder if Elijah will come. In the midst of this, Jesus expresses His thirst, prompting one soldier to offer Him a drink of sour wine on a sponge.
Jesus cries out, 'I thirst!' but the drink offered isn't sweet relief. What's the significance of the sour wine (vinegar) given to Him?
The 'sour wine,' or vinegar, offered to Jesus on the cross was called 'posca' by the Roman soldiers. It was their common, everyday drink – essentially watered-down, fermented wine that had turned sour. It wasn't a medicinal potion intended to ease His pain or revive Him, as some might assume.
A Soldier's Rite?
While some scholars suggest a soldier might have acted out of a rough, even twisted, sense of pity, the context points elsewhere. This act, like the earlier offering of wine mixed with myrrh (mentioned in other Gospels), was rooted in the soldiers' daily routine and the harsh realities of Roman crucifixion. They likely had a vessel of this vinegar for their own sustenance during the long, grueling watch.
A Deeper Thirst
Ultimately, this detail highlights the profound suffering Jesus endured. Even this common soldier's drink, offered in a crude manner, became a focal point of His agony. It underscores that His thirst was not just physical, but a symbol of His utter desolation and His deep longing for the completion of His redemptive mission.
Why use a sponge on a reed instead of a cup? This detail speaks volumes about the practicalities of the crucifixion and the soldiers' methods.
The method of delivering the drink to Jesus—a sponge filled with sour wine, placed on a reed or hyssop stalk—was born out of necessity and the grim reality of the cross.
Extending the Reach
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Jesus was elevated on the cross, making it impossible for someone to simply hold a cup to His lips. The sponge, being absorbent, could soak up the liquid, and the long reed or hyssop stalk allowed the soldier to extend it upwards, reaching Christ's parched mouth.
Practicality or Mockery?
This wasn't necessarily a gesture of kindness. The sour wine was the soldiers' common drink, and using a sponge on a reed was likely their practical, albeit crude, way of distributing it. While John records Jesus' cry of thirst, and some commentators suggest a flicker of empathy from one soldier, the overall atmosphere was one of mockery. The extended reach of the reed was a functional necessity within a scene of immense suffering and derision.
Understand the original words
oxos · Greek Noun
A cheap, sour wine or vinegar drink (posca) consumed by Roman soldiers and the common people. Its presence at the crucifixion represents the physical suffering and the mockery or mercy offered to the condemned.
The act of offering sour wine was a common practice for Roman soldiers, but in this instance, it carried multiple layers of meaning: a gesture of rough pity responding to Jesus' thirst, a continuation of the mockery by others, and an ironic fulfillment of Scripture.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by crucifixion by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. This event is the central focus of the Gospel narratives.
c. 30 AD
Roman Soldiers' Routine
Roman soldiers on duty, especially during long hours like a crucifixion, commonly drank a cheap, sour wine mixed with water (posca). This was their standard, readily available beverage.
c. 30 AD
Crowd's Mockery
While Jesus is on the cross, some onlookers mock him, misinterpreting his cries and the events around him. This highlights the tension and misunderstanding surrounding Jesus' identity and suffering.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Expresses Thirst
Jesus articulates his physical suffering by stating he is thirsty, a common symptom of crucifixion due to blood loss and dehydration.
This Old Testament psalm foretells the very experience of being offered vinegar during a time of intense suffering, highlighting the prophetic nature of Jesus' crucifixion.
John 19:28-29John's Gospel provides further detail, explaining that Jesus' thirst prompted this act and specifying that a vessel of vinegar was readily available, likely for the soldiers.
Luke 23:36This passage describes a similar offering of sour wine, but in the context of mockery *before* the darkness, showing a potential contrast in intent or timing compared to Matthew's account.
Isaiah 53:12This prophecy speaks of the Suffering Servant being 'numbered with the transgressors' and bearing their guilt, a concept echoed by Jesus being crucified between two criminals and receiving this mixture.
henryMatthew 27:45-50: "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
27:45-50 During the three hours which the darkness continued, Jesus was in agony, wrestling with the powers of darkness, and suffering his Father's displeasure against the sin of man, for which he was now making his soul an offering. Never were there three such hours since the day God created man upon the earth, never such a dark and awful scene; it was the turning point of that great affair, m…
gillMatthew 27:48: "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."
And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge,.... Which was not far from the cross, where a vessel full of vinegar was set, John 19:29 , and filled it with vinegar; dipping it into it, it sucked it up. Some of these sponges had leathern handles to them. (r). And put it on a reed; a stalk of hyssop; See Gill on John 19:29, and gave him to drink; not t…
What seems like a simple act of mocking actually reveals a moment of complex human reaction; a soldier, perhaps moved by Jesus' cry, offers a drink, but the surrounding crowd's immediate command to "stop" highlights their focus on seeing if Elijah will deliver him, utterly missing the deeper significance of Jesus' thirst. This also underscores that the sour wine, though a common soldier's drink, was not the drugged mixture intended to deaden pain.
Jesus has been hanging on the cross for hours, and a supernatural darkness has fallen over the land. He cries out, quoting Psalm 22, leading some to mock Him further, while others wonder if Elijah will come. In the midst of this, Jesus expresses His thirst, prompting one soldier to offer Him a drink of sour wine on a sponge.
Jesus has been hanging on the cross for hours, and a supernatural darkness has fallen over the land. He cries out, quoting Psalm 22, leading some to mock Him further, while others wonder if Elijah will come. In the midst of this, Jesus expresses His thirst, prompting one soldier to offer Him a drink of sour wine on a sponge.
"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." — What seems like a simple act of mocking actually reveals a moment of complex human reaction; a soldier, perhaps moved by Jesus' cry, offers a drink, but the surrounding crowd's immediate command to "…
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Last reviewed October 2026