Bible Strands
Mark 15:23
There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Roman soldiers at Golgotha offer Jesus wine mixed with myrrh to drink as He stands before crucifixion. He refuses the drink before the soldiers proceed to nail Him to the cross.
The words — ἐδίδουν (edidoun) means "they were offering," and ἐσμυρνισμένον (esmurnismenon) literally translates to "mixed with myrrh." These Greek terms record the specific preparation of the beverage and the continuous nature of the soldiers' action.
The thread — This refusal parallels Matthew 27:34, where Jesus declines wine mixed with gall after tasting it, and contrasts with Luke 22:18, where Jesus states He will not drink wine until the kingdom comes. The soldiers also mock Him with sour wine in Luke 23:36.
Why it lands — The text records a clear refusal of a numbing agent before the execution begins. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the crucifixion proceeds without pharmacological mitigation, matching the exact sequence of the narrative.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
Cross-references
- Matthew 27:34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.
- Luke 22:18 For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
- Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.
- John 19:28 After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
- Matthew 26:19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
- Mark 14:25 Truly I tell you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”