The Fallible Study Bible

The Fallible · Synthetic · Study Bible

Matthew27:32–44

The Crucifixion

✦ Public-domain source — quoted & attributed⚙ AI synthesis — generated, verify

Matthew 27:32–44 — The Crucifixion. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

32

Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Exerchomenoi heuron anthrōpon Kyrēnaion onomati Simōna ēngareusan touton hina arē ton stauron autou

Word by word14 · parsed
δὲdeAlong the wayG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἘξερχόμενοιExerchomenoi. . .G1831
√ ἐξέρχομαι — to issue (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἐξέρχομαι: to issue, go out The participle sets the scene outside the wall. Gill records the Mishnaic and Maimonidean rule that the place of execution lay outside the city, and draws the antitype: “So Jesus went without the camp, and suffered without the gate, as the antitype of the red heifer.” The geography is therefore also liturgy.
εὗρονheuronthey foundG2147
√ εὑρίσκω — to find (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἄνθρωπονanthrōpona manG444
√ ἄνθρωπος — from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι))NounAccusative Masculine Singular
ΚυρηναῖονKyrēnaionfrom CyreneG2956
√ Κυρηναῖος — iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
Κυρηναῖος: a Cyrenian A rare lexeme (Verifier: 6 verses in the NT). Ellicott notes the flourishing Jewish settlement of Cyrene whose members appear at Pentecost (Acts 2:10), against Stephen (Acts 6:9), and as preachers (Acts 11:20). Cambridge is more cautious than Ellicott and Gill about Simon's prior discipleship: “The inference that he was already an adherent of Christ is quite uncertain.”
ὀνόματιonomatinamedG3686
√ ὄνομα — a "name" (literally or figuratively) (authority, character)NounDative Neuter Singular
ΣίμωναSimōnaSimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἠγγάρευσανēngareusan[and] they forcedG29
√ ἀγγαρεύω — properly, to be a courier, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἀγγαρεύω: to press into public service Rare (Verifier: 3 verses), and one of the other two is Matthew 5:41, where Jesus taught what to do when a man ἀγγαρεύσει you one mile. Matthew uses the same rare verb for his Lord's own commandeered mile. Ellicott reads the impressment as evidence of the physical state of the Sufferer: “The act implied that our Lord was sinking beneath the burden.”
τοῦτονtoutonhimG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἵναhinatoG2443
√ ἵνα — compare G3588 (ὁ))Conjunction
ἄρῃarēcarryG142
√ αἴρω — to lift upVerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Singular
αἴρω: to lift up, take up Aorist subjunctive after ἵνα: the purpose of the impressment. Poole holds that both John 19:17 and the synoptics are true, Simon bearing the hinder part after Jesus; Gill draws the pastoral application that none bear this cross unless constrained.
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
σταυρὸνstauroncrossG4716
√ σταυρός — a stake or post (as set upright), iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
σταυρός: a stake, cross The noun (Verifier: 27 verses) enters Matthew's Passion narrative here as an object of weight and wood before it becomes a theological word. Barnes and Pulpit both reconstruct the instrument in detail; Pulpit concedes the honest gap: “Whether Jesus carried the whole cross or only the transom is uncertain.”
αὐτοῦautouof [Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
33

And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai elthontes eis topon legomenon Golgotha ho estin legomenos topos kraniou

Word by word11 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiAnd [when]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐλθόντεςelthontesthey cameG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τόπονtopona placeG5117
√ τόπος — a spot (general in space, but limited by occupancyNounAccusative Masculine Singular
τόπος: a spot, place A common word (Verifier: 89 verses), but it carries all the Gospels' agreement: Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33 and John 19:17 use τόπος of the same spot, and Mark and Luke share the rare κρανίον with Matthew.
λεγόμενονlegomenoncalledG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveAccusative Masculine Singular
ΓολγοθᾶGolgothaGolgothaG1115
√ Γολγοθᾶ — the skullNounAccusative Feminine Singular
Γολγοθᾶ: the skull The site is unknown. Cambridge: “The site of Golgotha is unknown; it was outside the walls, but "nigh to the city".” Ellicott lists the competing identifications (the Church of the Sepulchre from the fourth century, Fergusson's Dome of the Rock) and concludes for the descriptive sense; Pulpit says judgment must be suspended. We record the uncertainty rather than choosing.
ὅhowhichG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Neuter Singular
ἐστινestinmeansG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
λεγόμενοςlegomenos. . .G3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Singular
τόποςtoposThe PlaceG5117
√ τόπος — a spot (general in space, but limited by occupancyNounNominative Masculine Singular
κρανίουkraniouof the SkullG2898
√ κρανίον — a skull ("cranium")NounGenitive Neuter Singular
κρανίον: a skull Rare (Verifier: 4 verses), shared with Mark 15:22 and Luke 23:33. Ellicott weighs and rejects the theory that skulls of criminals lay unburied there, since a wealthy Jew would not plant a garden in such a place; Barnes prefers the place-of-execution theory; Pulpit and Ellicott both prefer the bare shape of the rock. The ancient Adam-skull legend, Gill says plainly, is “an ancient tradition, but without foundation.”
34

they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

edōkan autō oinon piein memigmenon meta cholēs kai geusamenos ēthelēsen ouk piein

Word by word12 · parsed
ἔδωκανedōkanthey offeredG1325
√ δίδωμι — to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figurativelyVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
οἶνονoinonwineG3631
√ οἶνος — "wine" (literally or figuratively)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
οἶνος: wine The received text of Matthew has been transmitted both as οἶνον (wine) and ὄξος (vinegar). Pulpit: “Instead of "vinegar" ( ὄξος ) very many manuscripts, followed by Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort, and others, read here, as in Mark, "wine".” Pulpit adds that the vinegar reading is supposed to be derived from Psalm 69:21. Benson, Barnes and Poole all labour to harmonise Matthew's word with Mark's, since sour wine and vinegar were one drink in common speech.
πιεῖνpieinto drinkG4095
√ πίνω — to imbibe (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Infinitive Active
μεμιγμένονmemigmenonmixedG3396
√ μίγνυμι — to mixVerbPerfect Participle Middle or PassiveAccusative Masculine Singular
μίγνυμι: to mix Rare (Verifier: 4 verses). The only other New Testament uses are Luke 13:1 (blood mingled with sacrifices), Revelation 8:7 (hail and fire mixed with blood) and Revelation 15:2 (a sea of glass mingled with fire). In every one, the mixing makes a cup or a plague worse than its parts. Here it makes a mercy undrinkable.
μετὰmetawithG3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
χολῆςcholēsgallG5521
√ χολή — "gall" or bile, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
χολή: gall, bitterness Twice in the New Testament, here and Acts 8:23, where Peter tells Simon Magus he is in the gall of bitterness. The word therefore carries both the physical bitterness of the anodyne and a moral register. Gill records the further Jewish reading of Ruth 2:14 in which dipping the morsel in vinegar is taken of the Messiah's chastisements.
καὶkaibutG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
γευσάμενοςgeusamenosafter tasting [it]G1089
√ γεύομαι — to tasteVerbAorist Participle MiddleNominative Masculine Singular
γεύομαι: to taste Aorist middle: He took it upon His own lips. The commentators are divided on who offered it. Ellicott and Cambridge (citing Lightfoot) credit the wealthy or pitying women of Jerusalem; Gill argues the soldiers substituted something worse; Benson reports Casaubon's theory that friends sent myrrhed wine and a soldier added gall. The brief gives no way to decide.
ἠθέλησενēthelēsenHe refusedG2309
√ θέλω — to determine (as an active option from subjective impulseVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
θέλω: to will, determine The refusal is an act of will, and the commentators are united on why. Maclaren: “He would not drink because He would suffer, and He would suffer because He would redeem.” Pulpit: “he would meet all with the powers of mind and body undarkened.” Barnes: “The "cup" which his "Father" gave him he rather chose to drink.” Barnes also distinguishes this cup from the vinegar He does take at v. 48.
οὐκouk. . .G3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
πιεῖνpieinto drink [it]G4095
√ πίνω — to imbibe (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Infinitive Active
35

When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Staurōsantes auton diemerisanto autou ta himatia ballontes klēron

Word by word9 · parsed
δὲdeWhenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΣταυρώσαντεςStaurōsantesthey had crucifiedG4717
√ σταυρόω — to impale on the crossVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
σταυρόω: to impale on a cross Matthew gives the central act of the world's history in one participle and no description. Pulpit: “The writer leaves it reverently to speak for itself, without any attempt at sensational adjuncts or rhetorical amplification.” Barnes and Benson supply the physiology the evangelists withhold.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
διεμερίσαντοdiemerisantothey divided upG1266
√ διαμερίζω — to partition thoroughly (literally in distribution, figuratively in dissension)VerbAorist Indicative Middle3rd Person Plural
αὐτοῦautouHisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
ἱμάτιαhimatiagarmentsG2440
√ ἱμάτιον — a dress (inner or outer)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἱμάτιον: outer garment Plural, the outer clothes (Verifier: shared with Mark 15:24 and John 19:24). Cambridge draws the distinction the Greek makes and Matthew does not exploit: “they divided His himatia , or outer garments, but cast lots for the seamless chiton , or tunic.” Matthew reports only the dividing; John reports the seamless tunic.
βάλλοντεςballontesby castingG906
√ βάλλω — to throw (in various applications, more or less violent or intense)VerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
κλῆρονklēronlotsG2819
√ κλῆρος — a die (for drawing chances)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
κλῆρος: a lot, a die Relatively uncommon (Verifier: 10 verses). Psalm 22:18 stands behind the scene in every commentator here, but Matthew's own text is disputed at exactly this point: the explicit citation formula is absent from the leading manuscripts (Cambridge, Pulpit, Gill and Benson all say so). The event is sourced; the quotation clause in Matthew is not.
36

And sitting down, they kept watch over Him there.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai kathēmenoi etēroun auton ekei

Word by word5 · parsed
καὶkaiAndG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
καθήμενοιkathēmenoisitting downG2521
√ κάθημαι — and (to sitVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
κάθημαι: to sit, be seated The soldiers' posture is the hinge of Maclaren's exposition of this verse: “they sit stolidly down to take their ease at the foot of the cross.” It is also, as Pulpit notes, simply procedure: guards on a crucifixion watch were allowed to sit through a duty that could last days.
ἐτήρουνetērounthey kept watch overG5083
√ τηρέω — perhaps akin to G2334 (θεωρέω))VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
τηρέω: to keep watch, guard Imperfect, continuous. Gill lists the Roman practice of watching the crucified even after death, and offers three reasons for this guard (the disciples, the crowd, or Jesus' own power); Cambridge gives only the first. Pulpit turns the guard into evidence: their vigilance is one of the means by which the reality of the death is provable, and Josephus is cited for crucified men taken down alive.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἐκεῖekeithereG1563
√ ἐκεῖ — thereAdverb
37

Above His head they posted the written charge against Him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

epanō autou tēs kephalēs kai epethēkan tēn gegrammenēn aitian autou HOUTOS ESTIN IĒSOUS HO BASILEUS TŌN IOUDAIŌN

Word by word17 · parsed
ἐπάνωepanōAboveG1883
√ ἐπάνω — up above, iPreposition
αὐτοῦautouHisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τῆςtēsG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
κεφαλῆςkephalēsheadG2776
√ κεφαλή — the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figurativelyNounGenitive Feminine Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐπέθηκανepethēkanthey postedG2007
√ ἐπιτίθημι — to impose (in a friendly or hostile sense)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἐπιτίθημι: to impose, lay upon Barnes resolves the tension with John 19:19 (Pilate wrote it) by the ordinary rule that “A man is often said to do what he directs others to do.” Gill adds that the titulus normally went before the condemned on the road, and was here nailed above the head, which he connects with Colossians 2:14.
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
γεγραμμένηνgegrammenēnwrittenG1125
√ γράφω — to "grave", especially to writeVerbPerfect Participle Middle or PassiveAccusative Feminine Singular
γράφω: to write, engrave The perfect participle makes the placard a standing text. Pulpit, following Westcott, records that it stood in three languages, Aramaic, Latin and Greek, and that this is not incidental: each tongue had prepared, in its own way, for the one now named on the board.
αἰτίανaitianchargeG156
√ αἰτία — a cause (as if asked for), iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
αἰτία: cause, accusation The word is the legal ground of execution. The Syriac and Persic, Gill reports, render it “the cause of his death.” Ellicott notes that the priests read Pilate's wording as a real recognition of kingship and clamoured for a change he refused (John 19:20), so that the charge sheet became, against the will of everyone who signed it, a confession.
αὐτοῦautouagainst HimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ΟΥΤΟΣHOUTOSTHISG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Masculine Singular
ΕΣΤΙΝESTINISG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ΙΗΣΟΥΣIĒSOUSJESUSG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ΟHOTHEG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣBASILEUSKINGG935
√ βασιλεύς — a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively)NounNominative Masculine Singular
βασιλεύς: a sovereign, king Common (Verifier: 105 verses), but placed here it is the accusation, the mockery of v. 42 (King of Israel), and the truth at once. Ellicott judges John's form of the title the most likely to be exact, since John alone of the evangelists is known to have stood there.
ΤΩΝTŌNOF THEG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
ΙΟΥΔΑΙΩΝIOUDAIŌNJEWSG2453
√ Ἰουδαῖος — Judæan, iAdjectiveGenitive Masculine Plural
38

Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right and the other on His left.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Tote dyo lēstai staurountai syn autō heis ek dexiōn kai heis ex euōnymōn

Word by word13 · parsed
ΤότεToteG5119
√ τότε — the when, iAdverb
δύοdyoTwoG1417
√ δύο — "two"AdjectiveNominative Masculine Plural
λῃσταίlēstairobbersG3027
√ λῃστής — a brigandNounNominative Masculine Plural
λῃστής: a brigand Uncommon (Verifier: 15 verses), shared with Mark 15:27. Cambridge and Ellicott both place these men in Barabbas' insurrection; Barnes adds that Jesus hung on the cross that should have held Barabbas himself. Isaiah 53:12 is in view for Gill, Benson, Poole and Pulpit alike, since Mark 15:28 cites it, though that verse in Mark is itself textually disputed.
σταυροῦνταιstaurountaiwere crucifiedG4717
√ σταυρόω — to impale on the crossVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
σταυρόω: to crucify The historic present with the middle or passive form. Gill notes it collided with a rabbinic canon that two are not judged in one day, and that here three died together. Whatever the arrangement, Gill's conclusion is the sourced one: Christ “stood in the room and stead of sinners, and was numbered with them.”
σὺνsynwithG4862
√ σύν — with or together (but much closer than G3326 (μετά) or G3844 (παρά)), iPreposition
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
εἷςheisoneG1520
√ εἷς — oneAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
ἐκekonG1537
√ ἐκ — literal or figurativePreposition
δεξιῶνdexiōn[His] rightG1188
√ δεξιός — the right side or (feminine) hand (as that which usually takes)AdjectiveGenitive Neuter Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
εἷςheis[the other]G1520
√ εἷς — oneAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
ἐξexonG1537
√ ἐκ — literal or figurativePreposition
εὐωνύμωνeuōnymōn[His] leftG2176
√ εὐώνυμος — properly, well-named (good-omened), iAdjectiveGenitive Neuter Plural
εὐώνυμος: left (literally well-named) Pulpit records Augustine's reading of the two sides as an anticipation of the judgment: the cross as tribunal, one robber freed and one condemned, signifying what the Judge will do with quick and dead. That is an ancient figural reading, not a claim of the Greek.
39

And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Hoi paraporeuomenoi eblasphēmoun auton kinountes autōn tas kephalas

Word by word9 · parsed
δὲdeAndG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΟἱHoithose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
παραπορευόμενοιparaporeuomenoipassed byG3899
√ παραπορεύομαι — to travel nearVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
παραπορεύομαι: to travel near, pass by The crowd is a function of the site. Pulpit: “Golgotha being near a great high road and a much-frequented city gate ( John 19:20 ), passersby were numerous.” Maclaren makes the same inference from the Damascus road. Gill notes that the crosses stood by the wayside.
ἐβλασφήμουνeblasphēmounheaped abuse onG987
√ βλασφημέω — to vilifyVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
βλασφημέω: to vilify, blaspheme Imperfect: the reviling went on and on, and the Sufferer answers nothing. Gill draws that out, that “he answered them not a word; and which may teach us patience under the revilings of men,” and he records the Jewish reading of Psalm 89:51 of the footsteps of the Messiah.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
κινοῦντεςkinountesshakingG2795
√ κινέω — to stir (transitively), literally or figurativelyVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
κινέω: to stir, move Uncommon (Verifier: 8 verses), and shared with the parallel at Mark 15:29 along with κεφαλή. The gesture itself is scriptural shorthand for contempt at the fall of the righteous: Barnes points to Job 16:4 and Psalm 109:25, Pulpit to Psalm 22:7 and Psalm 109:25, Gill to Isaiah 37:22.
αὐτῶνautōntheirG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
τὰςtasG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
κεφαλὰςkephalasheadsG2776
√ κεφαλή — the head (as the part most readily taken hold of), literally or figurativelyNounAccusative Feminine Plural
κεφαλή: the head The same noun stood at v. 37 for the head over which the royal indictment was nailed. Here the heads are theirs, moving in derision. ⚙ Matthew has used one word twice for two heads, the titled and the tossing, though he draws no attention to it.
40

and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai legontes Ho katalyōn ton naon kai oikodomōn en trisin hēmerais sōson seauton ei ei Huios tou Theou kai katabēthi apo tou staurou

Word by word23 · parsed
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
λέγοντεςlegontessayingG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
ὉHoYou whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleVocative Masculine Singular
καταλύωνkatalyōnare going to destroyG2647
√ καταλύω — to loosen down (disintegrate), iVerbPresent Participle ActiveVocative Masculine Singular
καταλύω: to loosen down, destroy The charge was never proved at trial. Ellicott: “Our Lord had not been formally condemned on this charge, the evidence being insufficient, but it had clearly impressed itself on the minds of the people.” Pulpit tracks the same saying forward into the condemnation of Stephen (Acts 6:13-14), and notes that Jesus had said “I am able to destroy,” not “Destroy ye,” which is itself a witness that He laid down His life voluntarily.
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ναὸνnaontempleG3485
√ ναός — a fane, shrine, templeNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ναός: shrine, sanctuary The sanctuary is the standing subject of the taunt and the coming subject of v. 51, where the veil of this same ναός is torn. Cambridge identifies the speakers precisely: “This is the mockery of the Jewish populace, who have caught up the charges brought against Jesus before the Sanhedrin.”
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἰκοδομῶνoikodomōnrebuild [it]G3618
√ οἰκοδομέω — to be a house-builder, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveVocative Masculine Singular
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τρισὶνtrisinthreeG5140
√ τρεῖς — "three"AdjectiveDative Feminine Plural
ἡμέραιςhēmeraisdaysG2250
√ ἡμέρα — day, iNounDative Feminine Plural
σῶσονsōsonsaveG4982
√ σώζω — to save, iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
σῴζω: to save, rescue Aorist imperative. The demand is for self-rescue, and the unit answers it twice over: Pulpit, citing Bishop Pearson, “in saving himself he would not have saved us”; Gill, that the sonship “was not to be declared by his coming down from the cross ... but by a much greater instance of power, even by his resurrection from the dead.”
σεαυτόνseautonYourselfG4572
√ σεαυτοῦ — of (with, to) thyselfPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 2nd Person Singular
εἰeiIfG1487
√ εἰ — if, whether, that, etcConjunction
εἶeiYou areG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active2nd Person Singular
ΥἱὸςHuios[the] SonG5207
√ υἱός — a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinshipNounNominative Masculine Singular
υἱός: a son The title is the ground of the Sanhedrin's blasphemy verdict (Matthew 26:63-65) and the devil's lever in the wilderness (Matthew 4:3, 4:6). Ellicott sees the same answer given to both: “To accept the challenge would have been to show that He did not trust the Father.” Gill notes that even the enemies' phrasing shows they took Son of God to mean a divine person, and that the same taunt appears in the hostile Jewish Toldos Jesu.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
κατάβηθιkatabēthicome downG2597
√ καταβαίνω — to descend (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
ἀπὸapofromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
τοῦtoutheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
σταυροῦstauroucrossG4716
√ σταυρός — a stake or post (as set upright), iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
41

In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Homoiōs kai hoi archiereis meta tōn grammateōn kai presbyterōn empaizontes elegon

Word by word11 · parsed
ὉμοίωςHomoiōsIn the same wayG3668
√ ὁμοίως — similarlyAdverb
ὁμοίως: similarly, in like manner The adverb is Matthew's structural device: rabble (v. 39), rulers (v. 41), robbers (v. 44), each joined by a word of likeness. ⚙ The effect is that no class is exempted, which is also Henry's reading of the scene.
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἀρχιερεῖςarchiereischief priestsG749
√ ἀρχιερεύς — the high-priest (literally, of the Jews, typically, Christ)NounNominative Masculine Plural
ἀρχιερεύς: high priest, chief priest With scribes and elders named alongside, the three groups are the Sanhedrin. Cambridge: “members of the Sanhedrin, the “rulers” of Luke 23:35 .” Ellicott: “It would seem as if all, or nearly all, the members of the Sanhedrin ... had come to feast their eyes.” Gill and Pulpit both register the moral inversion, that the men whose office was intercession stood mocking instead of restraining the crowd.
μετὰmetaG3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
τῶνtōnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
γραμματέωνgrammateōnscribesG1122
√ γραμματεύς — scribe, town-clerkNounGenitive Masculine Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πρεσβυτέρωνpresbyterōneldersG4245
√ πρεσβύτερος — olderAdjectiveGenitive Masculine Plural
ἐμπαίζοντεςempaizontesmocked HimG1702
√ ἐμπαίζω — to jeer at, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἐμπαίζω: to jeer, make sport of The same verb was used of the soldiers earlier in the chapter; here it is the clergy. Maclaren states the principle he draws from it: “It is an old saying that the corruption of the best is the worst.”
ἔλεγονelegonsayingG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
42

“He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

esōsen Allous ou dynatai sōsai heauton estin Basileus Israēl katabatō nyn apo tou staurou kai pisteusomen ep’ auton

Word by word18 · parsed
ἔσωσενesōsenHe savedG4982
√ σώζω — to save, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
σῴζω: to save Three times in two verses, and the taunt turns out to be the argument of the atonement. Barnes: “It may seem strange to some that Jesus did not vindicate by a miracle his claims to be the Messiah ... But the time had come for him to make an atonement.” Cambridge hears the name itself: the words “connect themselves with the name of Jesus (“Saviour”).”
ἌλλουςAllousothersG243
√ ἄλλος — "else," iAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
οὐouvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
δύναταιdynatai[but] He cannotG1410
√ δύναμαι — to be able or possibleVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
δύναμαι: to be able Gill answers the charge from the narrative itself: He had struck the arresting party to the ground in the garden and could have had more than twelve legions of angels; “but so it must not be; he came not to save himself, but others.”
σῶσαιsōsaisaveG4982
√ σώζω — to save, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
ἑαυτὸνheautonHimselfG1438
√ ἑαυτοῦ — him- (her-, it-, them-, also (in conjunction with the personal pronoun of the other persons) my-, thy-, our-, your-) self (selves), etcReflexive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἐστινestinHe isG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ΒασιλεὺςBasileus[the] KingG935
√ βασιλεύς — a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively)NounNominative Masculine Singular
βασιλεύς: king The title on the board (v. 37, King of the Jews) returns from the priests' mouths as King of Israel, the covenant form. Pulpit connects it with Matthew 2:6. Cambridge notes its rarity on Jesus' lips or others'. ⚙ Pilate's Latinate charge and the priests' covenant title say the same thing in two registers, and both are said in derision.
ἸσραήλIsraēlof IsraelG2474
√ Ἰσραήλ — Israel (iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
καταβάτωkatabatōLet Him come downG2597
√ καταβαίνω — to descend (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Imperative Active3rd Person Singular
νῦνnynnowG3568
√ νῦν — "now" (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis)Adverb
ἀπὸapofromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
τοῦtoutheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
σταυροῦstauroucrossG4716
√ σταυρός — a stake or post (as set upright), iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πιστεύσομενpisteusomenwe will believeG4100
√ πιστεύω — to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), iVerbFuture Indicative Active1st Person Plural
πιστεύω: to have faith, believe upon The condition offered is a sign, and the answer of the unit is that a greater sign was given and refused. Gill: “after this, he did a much greater work, raised himself from the dead, of which they had the fullest evidence, yet they remained unbelieving.” Pulpit says the same and adds that they would have explained the sign away. Barnes notes they had already set at naught every other miracle.
ἐπ’ep’inG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
αὐτόνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
43

He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

pepoithen epi ton Theon rhysasthō auton nyn ei thelei gar eipen hoti eimi Huios Theou

Word by word15 · parsed
πέποιθενpepoithenHe trustsG3982
√ πείθω — to convince (by argument, true or false)VerbPerfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πείθω: to persuade, rely, trust The perfect is the exact form of Psalm 22:8 as the priests use it, and its presence here is the hardest fact of the unit. Ellicott: it seems “hardly conceivable that priests and scribes could thus have quoted the very words of Psalm 22:8 , and so have fulfilled one of the great Messianic prophecies,” and he explains it by their refusal to read the psalm as messianic at all. Cambridge: they “unconsciously apply to the true Messiah the very words of a Messianic psalm.”
ἐπὶepiinG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ΘεόνTheonGodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ῥυσάσθωrhysasthōLet [God] deliverG4506
√ ῥύομαι — compare G4511 (ῥύσις))VerbAorist Imperative Middle3rd Person Singular
ῥύομαι: to rescue, draw to oneself An aorist imperative in the middle voice: let Him snatch him out. Gill paraphrases the demand exactly, “let him deliver him now; directly, from the cross, and the death of it,” and identifies the words as Psalm 22:8 spoken as predicted. Poole notes the horror that this comes from the men whose office was to be praying for a dying man, and compares Nebuchadnezzar's defiance in Daniel 3:15.
αὐτόνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
νῦνnynnowG3568
√ νῦν — "now" (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis)Adverb
εἰeiifG1487
√ εἰ — if, whether, that, etcConjunction
θέλειtheleiHe wants HimG2309
√ θέλω — to determine (as an active option from subjective impulseVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
θέλω: to will, to want, to delight in The pivot of the unit's whole irony. Pulpit documents the textual question too: the leading manuscripts omit the first αὐτόν, giving “Let him now, if he will, deliver him,” and the Vulgate follows that. Either way the verb is the same one Matthew used of Jesus' own refusal in v. 34.
γὰρgarForG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ὅτιhotiG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
εἰμιeimiI amG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
ΥἱόςHuios[the] SonG5207
√ υἱός — a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinshipNounNominative Masculine Singular
υἱός: son The claim on which the Sanhedrin condemned Him is now the joke at the cross, and Matthew leaves it unanswered here; the answer comes in v. 54 from a centurion. Pulpit records the close verbal parallel in Wisdom 2:13-20, “if the just man be the Son of God, he will help him,” and attributes the similarity to the typical nature of the treatment of the righteous rather than to borrowing.
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
44

In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

d’ To auto kai hoi lēstai hoi systaurōthentes syn autō ōneidizon auton

Word by word12 · parsed
δ’d’vvvG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΤὸTovvvG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Singular
αὐτὸautoIn the same wayG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
αὐτός: the same The accusative of the thing said ties the robbers' words to the Sanhedrin's. Gill spells out what that content was: they “twitted him with his pretensions of being the Son of God, the Messiah, and king of Israel.”
καὶkaievenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
λῃσταὶlēstairobbersG3027
√ λῃστής — a brigandNounNominative Masculine Plural
οἱhoiwhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
συσταυρωθέντεςsystaurōthenteswere crucifiedG4957
√ συσταυρόω — to impale in company with (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
συσταυρόω: to crucify together with The lexicon gives the compound as “to impale in company with (literally or figuratively),” and that parenthesis is the whole distance between this verse and Galatians 2:20: Matthew uses it literally of two brigands, Paul figuratively of himself. The aorist passive participle makes the joint crucifixion, not the crime, the thing that now defines these men, and the closest company Jesus has anywhere in this unit is company that reviles Him. ⚙ The Pauline resonance is our own observation; the Verifier's recorded basis for Galatians 2:20 lists only common lexemes, so the thread below is tiered structural rather than verbal.
σὺνsynwithG4862
√ σύν — with or together (but much closer than G3326 (μετά) or G3844 (παρά)), iPreposition
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ὠνείδιζονōneidizonberatedG3679
√ ὀνειδίζω — to defame, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ὀνειδίζω: to reproach, defame The plural is the difficulty of the verse, since Luke 23:39-43 records one robber rebuking the other and receiving paradise. The sources offer three resolutions and do not agree. Geneva calls it synecdoche, “for only one of the thieves reviled him”; Gill and Barnes agree with that Hebraism (Gill citing Jonah 1:5); Pulpit and Barnes also allow that both reviled at first and one afterwards repented, Pulpit noting that Augustine preferred the plural-for-singular reading. Cambridge adds the possibility that the penitent robber had seen Jesus in Galilee. We record the disagreement rather than choosing.
αὐτόνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The commandeered man — 27:32

Matthew opens the Crucifixion not with nails but with a verb of imperial requisition. ἠγγάρευσαν (G29) occurs in only three New Testament verses, and one of the others is Matthew 5:41, where Jesus taught His disciples what to do when a man commandeers them a mile. Pulpit traces the word to Persian courier practice, “the compulsory power possessed by couriers of requisitioning horses and carriages.” Ellicott draws the physical inference: “The act implied that our Lord was sinking beneath the burden.” Geneva says the same from the other side, that by the compelling of Simon “it appears that Jesus was so poorly handled before that he fainted along the way.” On Simon himself the sources split, and we do not resolve them: Ellicott, Gill and Pulpit all suspect a secret sympathiser seized for his sympathy; Cambridge refuses it, “The inference that he was already an adherent of Christ is quite uncertain.” ⚙ What the Greek does secure is smaller and stranger than the biography: the one who taught men to yield to the commandeering mile is now the reason a stranger is commandeered.

ii. The place of a skull and the cup He would not drink — 27:33-34

Two rare words carry this movement. κρανίον (G2898, four verses) and the transliterated Γολγοθᾶ (G1115, three verses) tie Matthew tightly to Mark 15:22 and Luke 23:33, and the site itself is unknown. Ellicott, Cambridge and Pulpit converge on the bare, skull-shaped rock and away from the charnel theory Barnes prefers; Gill dismisses the Adam's-skull tradition as “an ancient tradition, but without foundation”; Pulpit ends where honesty ends, “judgment must be suspended.” Then the cup. μεμιγμένον (G3396) is a perfect participle: this drink was compounded before it arrived. Ellicott fixes χολῆς by Septuagint usage, not by anatomy, “The animal secretion known as "gall" is clearly out of the question,” and Barnes, Poole and Benson all identify it with the stupefying draught given to the condemned. Pulpit insists it was “a usual act of kindliness,” Cambridge citing Lightfoot on the wealthy ladies of Jerusalem who charged themselves with the office; Gill dissents and reads it as an aggravation, the soldiers substituting something worse. ⚙ Matthew's verb decides nothing about the giver and everything about the receiver: ἠθέλησεν οὐκ is not “He refused” but “He willed not.” Maclaren states the logic exactly: “He would not drink because He would suffer, and He would suffer because He would redeem.”

iii. One participle for the crucifixion, a main verb for the clothes — 27:35-37

The grammar of v. 35 is the theology of Matthew's restraint. Σταυρώσαντες is a subordinate aorist participle; the main verb of the sentence is διεμερίσαντο, a middle: they partitioned for themselves. Maclaren reads the silence as reverence, “to Matthew, it was too sacred to be narrated, He cannot bring his pen to write it,” and Pulpit the same, “The writer leaves it reverently to speak for itself.” Psalm 22:18 stands over the dice for Pulpit, Benson, Gill and Poole alike, and here the honest apparatus must speak: Cambridge reports that “The leading MSS. omit this quotation, which has probably been inserted from Mark,” a judgment Pulpit, Gill and Benson independently confirm. The fulfilment is in John 19:24; the fulfilment formula in Matthew is very probably not Matthew's. Then the imperfect ἐτήρουν, hours of guarding, which Maclaren turns into the sermon of the blind watchers, “had to stare at it for three or four hours, and never saw anything,” and which Pulpit turns into evidence: “This vigilance of the soldiers was providentially ordered as one of the means of proving the reality of Christ's death.” Above the head goes the αἰτία, the indictment, written in the standing perfect γεγραμμένην. Ellicott hears “a kind of rough tenderness” in Pilate's wording; Geneva hears more, “He is pronounced the true Messiah, even by those who reject him.”

iv. Numbered with brigands, mocked in three voices — 27:38-44

λῃσταί (G3027) is not “thieves.” Ellicott: “Better, robbers, the word being the same as that used of Barabbas.” Cambridge: “In the eyes of the Jews they would be patriots.” Henry states the exchange the placement effects, that He was “numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints,” and Gill grounds it in substitution rather than symmetry. Then three waves of mockery, each in the imperfect: the passers-by ἐβλασφήμουν and κινοῦντες their heads (Barnes points to Job 16:4 and Psalm 109:25), the Sanhedrin ἔλεγον about Him rather than to Him (Maclaren notices the fastidious distance, “the dignified movers of the ignorant crowd stood superciliously apart”), the robbers ὠνείδιζον. The taunt of v. 40 echoes the wilderness challenge, as Ellicott sees: “Then, as now, the words “If thou be the Son of God” were as a challenge from the Power of Evil.” The taunt of v. 42 preaches against itself, as Ellicott again notes, “The mockers, as before, bear unconscious witness to the truth,” and Cambridge hears in ἔσωσεν the hosannas and the very name of Jesus, “Saviour.” And in v. 43 the chief priests quote Psalm 22:8 almost verbatim, which Ellicott calls “at first hardly conceivable” and explains by their refusal to read the psalm messianically at all. Pulpit notes the further, uncomfortable parallel with Wisdom 2:13-20. Barnes draws the plain conclusion: they were “fulfilling the predictions of their own Scriptures.”

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Offered to be tested, not asserted. Matthew's Greek makes one grammatical decision again and again in these thirteen verses, and it is always the same decision: the active verbs belong to other people. Soldiers commandeer, give, crucify, divide, cast, guard, impose; crowds blaspheme and shake; priests mock and say; robbers revile. Every one of those is a finite verb with a human subject. The Sufferer has, in this whole passage, exactly two verbs of His own: γευσάμενος, He tasted, and ἠθέλησεν οὐκ, He willed not. Maclaren saw this and called it the perfect passivity of Matthew's account. ⚙ We would put it one degree differently: what looks like passivity is the narrowest possible exercise of will, and it is exercised against relief. The single thing He does is decline the anodyne. If that is right, then the mockers' premise is precisely inverted. They reason from power to descent: if You are Son of God, come down. The text reasons from Sonship to refusal: because He is Son, He will not drink the cup that dulls the other cup. θέλω (G2309) is the hinge word of the unit, His at v. 34 and theirs at v. 43, where they demand that God rescue Him “if He wants Him.” The unbearable answer the passage leaves standing is that God did want Him, and this was the wanting.

Not Scripture but our own fallible reading: in the whole scene He does one thing, and the one thing He does is refuse the drug.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The commandeered mile, commandeered back verbal / quotation: confirmed

The verb of v. 32, ἠγγάρευσαν (ἀγγαρεύω, G29), is rare: the Verifier records it in only three verses of the New Testament, and one of them is Matthew 5:41, in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says that whoever compels you one mile, go two. Cambridge and Pulpit both cross-reference Matthew 5:41 at this verse, Cambridge noting it is “the same word.” The link is verbal and internal to Matthew: one Gospel, one rare verb, the teaching and then the teacher's own road.

Matthew 5:41

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G29 ἀγγαρεύω, rare (in 3 vv), Greek to Greek and within Matthew; not a quotation but a genuine rare-word link, and Cambridge and Pulpit both record the cross-reference

Golgotha in four Gospels verbal / quotation: confirmed

The place is fixed lexically rather than geographically. Matthew, Mark and Luke share the rare κρανίον (G2898, four verses); Matthew and Mark share the transliterated Γολγοθᾶ (G1115, three verses); John 19:17 shares τόπος and σταυρός. Cambridge and Ellicott both note that the other Gospels give the name with the article, as a known locality, and that its site is unknown. Pulpit: “judgment must be suspended.”

Mark 15:22 · Luke 23:33 · John 19:17

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G2898 κρανίον (in 4 vv) and G1115 Γολγοθᾶ (in 3 vv) with Mark 15:22 and Luke 23:33, plus G5117 τόπος and G1831 ἐξέρχομαι with John 19:17; all Greek to Greek, rare lexemes present

Simon the Cyrenian across the synoptics verbal / quotation: confirmed

Mark 15:21 and Luke 23:26 carry the same two uncommon names as Matthew 27:32: Κυρηναῖος (G2956, six verses) and Σίμων, with σταυρός. Mark alone adds that he was father of Alexander and Rufus, and Luke alone that the cross was laid on him to bear it after Jesus. Poole holds both John 19:17 and the synoptics without harmonising them away: “Both were doubtless true.”

Mark 15:21 · Luke 23:26

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G2956 Κυρηναῖος (in 6 vv, rare), G4613 Σίμων (in 69 vv), G4716 σταυρός (in 27 vv); Greek to Greek synoptic parallel

Gall: the bitterness of the cup and the bitterness of the heart verbal / quotation: confirmed

χολή (G5521) occurs in only two New Testament verses. The other is Acts 8:23, where Peter tells Simon Magus that he is in the gall of bitterness. Ellicott shows that the Greek word's sense here is set by Septuagint usage for wormwood and poison rather than by anatomy. ⚙ The two occurrences stand at opposite ends of the same word: gall offered to Christ, gall diagnosed in a man's heart. That is an observation about the lexeme, not a claim that either text cites the other.

Acts 8:23

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G5521 χολή, very rare (in 2 vv), Greek to Greek; the verbal link is the lexeme itself, with no quotation claimed in either direction

They gave me gall for my food typological

Psalm 69:21 says that they gave gall for food and vinegar to drink. Pulpit records that the very reading of Matthew's text has been pulled toward that psalm: “The received reading in our text is supposed to be derived from Psalm 69:21 ,” where the better manuscripts have wine rather than vinegar. Gill says plainly that by the offer “was fulfilled the prophecy in Psalm 69:21 .” The link cannot be verbal here: Matthew is Greek and the psalm Hebrew, so no shared Strong's number exists across them, and Matthew himself makes no citation at this verse.

Psalm 69:21

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew): no shared Strong's lexeme is possible, so no verbal tier. Figural link recorded by Gill and Pulpit, who also note the psalm's pull on the textual transmission of Matthew 27:34; widely held in the tradition rather than novel

They divided my garments and cast lots structural / thematic: confirmed

Psalm 22:18 tracks v. 35 clause by clause: garments divided, a lot cast for the clothing. Ellicott, Pulpit, Gill, Benson and Poole all record the correspondence, and Pulpit states it exactly: “The soldiers' act did fulfil in marvellous fashion the psalmist's enunciation ( Psalm 22:18 ).” John 19:24 makes the citation explicit and distinguishes the outer garments from the seamless tunic, a distinction Cambridge notes Matthew does not draw. Even here the tier stays structural, for two reasons: the pairing crosses the Testaments, so shared Strong's numbers are impossible; and Matthew's own citation formula at this verse is textually doubtful (see the flagged thread following).

Psalm 22:18 · John 19:24

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew) pairing, so no shared Strong's lexeme and no verbal tier permitted, even though the narration tracks the psalm clause by clause. Within the Greek, Verifier records G2440 ἱμάτιον (in 58 vv), G2819 κλῆρος (in 10 vv) and G906 βάλλω (in 107 vv) shared with John 19:24 and Mark 15:24

The fulfilment formula that may not be Matthew's flagged: verify source

Many older editions of Matthew 27:35 add “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.” Four independent voices in this brief report it as an insertion. Cambridge: “The leading MSS. omit this quotation, which has probably been inserted from Mark.” Pulpit: “Modern editors almost universally have rejected them as an interpolation from the parallel passage in St. John.” Gill: “All this, Beza says, is not in any of the ancient copies.” Benson relays Campbell's judgment that a copyist brought it over from John. The event and the psalm are not in doubt; the provenance of the citation formula inside Matthew is.

Psalm 22:18 · John 19:24 · Mark 15:28

basis: Provenance disputed in the sources themselves: Cambridge, Pulpit, Gill and Benson all report the citation clause at Matthew 27:35 as absent from the leading manuscripts and probably imported from a parallel. Mark 15:28, the parallel Isaiah citation, is likewise textually contested. Cross-Testament refs, so no verbal tier in any case

Wagging heads: the psalm of the mocked righteous structural / thematic: confirmed

Verse 39 puts two participles together, ἐβλασφήμουν and κινοῦντες ... κεφαλάς. Barnes annotates the gesture with Job 16:4 and Psalm 109:25; Pulpit adds Psalm 22:7. In v. 43 the mockery becomes near-citation: Ellicott says it is “at first hardly conceivable that priests and scribes could thus have quoted the very words of Psalm 22:8 ,” and Cambridge that they “unconsciously apply to the true Messiah the very words of a Messianic psalm.” Pulpit notes a further parallel in Wisdom 2:13-20. Within the Greek, the Verifier confirms the shared uncommon verb κινέω (G2795, eight verses) with Mark 15:29.

Psalm 22:7-8 · Psalm 109:25 · Mark 15:29

basis: Two different bases held apart. Greek to Greek: Verifier records shared G2795 κινέω (in 8 vv) and G2776 κεφαλή (in 67 vv) with Mark 15:29. Greek to Hebrew (Psalm 22:7-8, Psalm 109:25): cross-Testament, so no shared Strong's number exists and no verbal tier is permitted, though the priests' words in v. 43 track Psalm 22:8 almost exactly; recorded by Barnes, Pulpit, Ellicott, Cambridge and Gill

Numbered with the transgressors structural / thematic: confirmed

Isaiah 53:12 says the servant was numbered with transgressors, and Matthew sets δύο λῃσταί at His right and left. Benson, Gill, Poole and Pulpit all record the connection, Benson noting that Mark makes it a citation. The tier stays below verbal on two counts: the pairing crosses the Testaments, and Mark 15:28, the verse that carries the explicit quotation, is itself absent from the leading manuscripts.

Isaiah 53:12 · Mark 15:27

basis: Cross-Testament for Isaiah 53:12 (Greek to Hebrew), so no shared Strong's lexeme and no verbal tier; the citation is carried by Mark 15:28, which is textually contested. Within the Greek, Verifier records G4717 σταυρόω (in 42 vv), G3027 λῃστής (in 15 vv) and G1417 δύο (in 122 vv) shared with Mark 15:27

Crucified together with Him structural / thematic: confirmed

Verse 44 uses the compound συσταυρωθέντες (G4957 συσταυρόω), “crucified together with.” In Galatians 2:20 Paul takes that same compounding to himself: I have been crucified with Christ. ⚙ We keep this thread deliberately below a verbal tier. The Verifier's recorded basis for Galatians 2:20 lists only common lexemes (G5207 υἱός in 344 vv, G3568 νῦν in 140 vv, G1438 ἑαυτοῦ in 294 vv); it does not record the compound itself, so the root observation is ours and unconfirmed, and the tier reflects that rather than the strength of the idea. What the two texts undoubtedly share is a pattern: in Matthew 27:44 being crucified with Him is the position of men who revile Him, and in Galatians it is the position of a man who lives by Him.

Galatians 2:20

basis: Verifier-recorded shared lexemes are all common (G5207 in 344 vv, G3568 in 140 vv, G1438 in 294 vv), so no verbal claim. The συσταυρόω (G4957) resonance is our own unconfirmed observation, stated as such; the confirmed content is a shared motif of being crucified with Christ

The rare verb of mixing verbal / quotation: confirmed

μίγνυμι (G3396) is rare: four verses. Besides Matthew 27:34 it stands at Luke 13:1 (Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices), Revelation 8:7 (hail and fire mixed with blood) and Revelation 15:2 (a sea of glass mingled with fire). ⚙ In each the mixing makes the compound worse or more terrible than its parts, and in three of the four something is mixed with blood. That is a lexical pattern, not a citation, and we claim nothing more.

Luke 13:1 · Revelation 8:7 · Revelation 15:2

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G3396 μίγνυμι, rare (in 4 vv), Greek to Greek across all three refs; a rare-word link only, with no quotation claimed

Outside the camp, outside the gate typological

Verse 32 begins with a company going out, and the sources make the direction theological. Gill assembles the halakhic rule from Leviticus 24:14, the Mishnah and Maimonides that execution lay outside the three camps, and concludes: “So Jesus went without the camp, and suffered without the gate, as the antitype of the red heifer; see Numbers 19:3 , compared with Hebrews 13:11 .” Barnes reaches the same place from the sacrificial side, that the bodies of the beasts slain as types were burned without the camp. Ellicott confirms from John 19:20 and Hebrews 13:12 that Golgotha lay outside the walls. This is a figural reading and cannot be a verbal one: Hebrews is Greek, Numbers and Leviticus Hebrew, so no shared Strong's lexeme can be recorded across them.

Hebrews 13:11-13 · Numbers 19:3 · Leviticus 24:14

basis: Cross-Testament figural link (Greek to Hebrew), so no shared Strong's lexeme and no verbal tier. The typology is asserted by Hebrews 13:11-13 itself and recorded here by Gill (citing Numbers 19:3 and Leviticus 24:14 with the rabbinic sources), Barnes and Ellicott; ancient and widely held, not novel

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The King proclaimed on His indictment ancient/widely-held

Matthew calls the placard αἰτία, the legal accusation, and writes it with the perfect γεγραμμένην, the participle used throughout the New Testament of Scripture that stands written. The charge is the confession. Geneva says it in one line: “He is pronounced the true Messiah, even by those who reject him.” Ellicott records that the priests read Pilate's wording as a real recognition and demanded a change he refused (John 19:20); Pulpit, following Westcott, that the three languages of the board gathered up the religious, social and intellectual preparation for Christ, “and in each witness was given to his office.” Gill connects the nailed-up indictment with Colossians 2:14, where the handwriting against us is nailed to the cross. ⚙ The unit's irony runs in one direction throughout: every party that means to degrade Him states the truth about Him.

John 19:19-22 · Colossians 2:14

The Saviour who could not save Himself ancient/widely-held

The priests' taunt in v. 42 is built on σῴζω used twice, aorist of others and infinitive of Himself. Cambridge hears in it both the hosannas of the Temple and the meaning of the name Jesus, “Saviour.” Ellicott: “The mockers, as before, bear unconscious witness to the truth.” Maclaren makes the taunt a testimony, “the Cross shows us the Saviour who could not save Himself,” and Barnes supplies the reason there was no miracle: “the time had come for him to make an atonement.” Henry compresses the whole logic, “But if no cross, then no Christ, no crown.” ⚙ The impossibility in “He cannot save Himself” is therefore not a limit of power but of purpose: the two savings were mutually exclusive, and He chose ours. Pulpit says it through Bishop Pearson: “in saving himself he would not have saved us.”

Matthew 1:21 · Isaiah 53:5

Numbered with transgressors, that we might be numbered with saints ancient/widely-held

Two brigands, one at each hand, and Matthew's historic present σταυροῦνται putting them beside Him as we watch. Gill states the substitution without ornament: Christ “stood in the room and stead of sinners, and was numbered with them.” Henry states the exchange: He was “numbered among the transgressors, that we, at our death, might be numbered among the saints.” Benson, Poole and Pulpit all read Isaiah 53:12 here, Benson noting that Mark makes it an explicit citation. Pulpit adds Augustine's figural reading of the two sides as a tribunal, one believing robber freed and one reviler condemned, “which signified what he was already about to do with the quick and dead.” ⚙ The placement is not decoration. The verse that most degrades Him is the verse that most precisely locates the atonement: between, not above.

Isaiah 53:12 · Luke 23:39-43 · 2 Corinthians 5:21

Suffered outside the gate ancient/widely-held

Gill's note on v. 32 does the redemptive-historical work: the rabbinic rule put execution outside the three camps, and therefore “So Jesus went without the camp, and suffered without the gate, as the antitype of the red heifer; see Numbers 19:3 , compared with Hebrews 13:11 .” Barnes reaches the same text from the sacrificial side, that the bodies of the beasts were burned without the camp and He as the antitype suffered without the gate. Ellicott notes from John 19:20 and Hebrews 13:12 that Golgotha lay outside the walls. Geneva turns the geography into exchange: “He is led out of the city so that we might be brought into the heavenly kingdom.” ⚙ The unplaceable site, which Pulpit says must stay undecided, is theologically placed with precision: outside.

Hebrews 13:11-13 · Numbers 19:3 · Leviticus 24:14

The one thing He does is refuse relief novel

⚙ Marked novel, because we have not found it stated in these sources in this form. Count the finite verbs with Jesus as subject in Matthew 27:32-44. There is one: ἠθέλησεν at v. 34, and it is negated. His only other act is the participle γευσάμενος, He tasted. Everything else in thirteen verses is done to Him or said about Him. Maclaren sees the silence and reads it as passivity, “as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth,” and Ellicott, Barnes, Benson, Pulpit and Maclaren all agree on the meaning of the refusal itself: He would not have His mind darkened, He would drink the Father's cup undulled. ⚙ Our addition is only structural. If the sole exercise of His will in the whole scene is to decline an anaesthetic, then His obedience here is not merely the acceptance of suffering but the active refusal of every mitigation of it, and the mockers' demand in vv. 40 and 42 is an offer of the same relief in a larger form. He declines both, and by the same will.

Matthew 26:39 · Isaiah 53:7 · Hebrews 10:5-10

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (c. 1905)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Honest limits on this unit. (1) Text: two places are genuinely uncertain in the sources given. At v. 34 the reading oscillates between οἶνον (wine) and ὄξος (vinegar), Pulpit reporting that many manuscripts and Tischendorf, Westcott and Hort read wine, and that the vinegar reading is thought to have been drawn in from Psalm 69:21. At v. 35 the citation formula (“that it might be fulfilled ... they cast lots”) is reported as an interpolation by Cambridge, Pulpit, Gill and Benson alike; we have tiered the corresponding thread “flagged: verify source” for that reason. Smaller variants noted by the sources but not built on: οὐά added at v. 40, “and Pharisees” added at v. 41, and εἰ omitted before “King of Israel” at v. 42. (2) Sources: this unit quotes Ellicott, Cambridge, Geneva, Pulpit, Maclaren, Benson, Gill, Barnes, Henry and Poole. JFB is present in the brief but is not quoted, because its Matthew entries here contain no exposition at all, only the referral “For the exposition, see on Mr 15:16-22” and “see on Joh 19:18-30”; Poole's entries for several verses are likewise bare cross-references, so Poole is quoted only where he actually comments. (3) Uncertain in substance: the site of Golgotha (Ellicott, Cambridge and Pulpit all decline to settle it); who offered the drugged cup and in what spirit (Pulpit and Cambridge say kindness, Gill says aggravation, Benson reports Casaubon's third theory); whether Simon of Cyrene was already a disciple (Ellicott, Gill and Pulpit lean yes, Cambridge calls it “quite uncertain”); the authorship of Psalm 22 (Benson says David, Cambridge says a Babylonian exile); and whether Christ bore the whole cross or only the transom (Pulpit: “uncertain”). (4) Non-canonical material: Pulpit's parallel with Wisdom 2:13-20 at v. 43, and the names Dysmas and Gysmas for the two robbers, which Ellicott expressly attributes to the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. These are reported as the sources report them and carry no scriptural weight. (5) The ⚙ layer throughout, including the sola reading and every sentence marked ⚙, is fallible synthesis offered for testing, not commentary of equal standing with the ✦ voices or with Scripture.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)