Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 27:33-34

"And they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull, they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted it, he would not drink." — Matthew 27:33-34 (ASV)

Golgotha was the common place of execution for criminals, the Tyburn or Old Bailey of Jerusalem, outside the gate of the city.

There was a special symbolic reason for Christ’s suffering outside the gate, and His followers are instructed to go forth to Him, without the camp, bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13:11–13).

A pain-dulling drink was given to the condemned to lessen some of the agony of crucifixion, but our Lord came to suffer, and He would not take anything that would at all dull His senses.

He did not forbid His fellow sufferers from drinking the vinegar mixed with gall (wine mingled with myrrh, Mark 15:23), but He would not drink it.

Jesus did not refuse this drink because of its bitterness, for He was prepared to drink, even to the last dreadful dregs, the bitter cup of wrath that was His people’s due.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

Golgotha was the common place of execution for malefactors, the Tyburn or Old Bailey of Jerusalem, outside the gate of the city.

There was a special symbolical reason for Christ's suffering outside the gate, and His followers are instructed to go forth unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach (Hebrews 13:11–13).

A stupefying drink was usually given to the condemned to lessen the agony of crucifixion; however, our Lord came to suffer, and He would not take anything that would at all impair His faculties. He did not forbid His fellow-sufferers drinking the vinegar mingled with gall (wine mingled with myrrh,Mark 15:23), but He would not drink it.

Jesus did not refuse this drink because of its bitterness, for He was prepared to drink, even to the last dreadful dregs, the bitter cup of wrath that His people deserved.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

He wholly abstained from that which might have lessened his pain. He came to suffer, and he intended to go through with all that he had undertaken. He would do nothing that would blunt the edge of the sacrificial knife. He does not forbid the soothing drink to other sufferers who are in pain; but, as for himself, he will not partake of it.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

It was not because of its bitterness that our Lord refused it, for He did not decline to endure anything that would add to His grief; but this was a stupefying draught, a death potion, which was given to those who were executed to somewhat mitigate their pains. But the Savior did not intend that His senses should be dulled by any such draught as that, and so, when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

This was a stupefying drink, which was usually given to prisoners about to die in order to mitigate their pain, and therefore Christ would not drink it, because he was determined to suffer even to the bitter end. He had no mitigation of his agony when he was offering his atonement for us; and so, when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.