Bible Strands
Matthew 27:48
One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — A bystander among the onlookers runs to offer a sponge soaked in sour wine on a reed to Jesus while others debate whether Elijah will descend to rescue him.
The words — εὐθέως (eutheōs) means "immediately" and δραμὼν (dramōn) means "having run," emphasizing the haste of the action. λαβὼν (labōn) translates to "having taken," describing the physical act of securing the sponge.
The thread — This scene fulfills the prophecy of Psalm 69:21 regarding vinegar for thirst and echoes the earlier refusal of gall-mixed wine in Matthew 27:34. The same sour wine appears in Luke 23:36 as part of the soldiers' mockery.
Why it lands — The text records a concrete act of provision that simultaneously highlights Jesus' physical suffering and the surrounding debate over his identity. It requires the reader to observe the contrast between the offered drink and the unanswered expectation of deliverance.
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 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.
Cross-references
- Psalms 69:21 They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.
- Matthew 27:34 they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.
- Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.
- John 19:29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.