Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 15:36

"And one ran, and filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to take him down." — Mark 15:36 (ASV)

Mark does not identify the person who went to get the wine vinegar, though most likely it was one of the soldiers. A sponge was filled with this wine vinegar, placed around the tip of a stick and held up to Jesus’ lips so that he could suck the liquid from it. Apparently some of the bystanders wanted to prevent the soldier from giving the vinegar to Jesus (translating the first phrase as “Leave me alone”). He insisted on doing it, however, and then added his own taunt: “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”