69:21 They put bitter poison 3 into my food,
and to quench my thirst they give me vinegar to drink. 4
1 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn It is difficult to say for certain who gave Jesus this drink of wine mixed with gall (e.g., the executioner, or perhaps women from Jerusalem). In any case, whoever gave it to him most likely did so in order to relieve his pain, but Jesus was unwilling to take it.
3 tn According to BDB 912 s.v. II רֹאשׁ the term can mean “a bitter and poisonous plant.”
4 sn John 19:28-30 appears to understand Jesus’ experience on the cross as a fulfillment of this passage (or Ps 22:15). See the study note on the word “thirsty” in John 19:28.
5 sn Sour wine was cheap wine, called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion, who had some on hand, now used it to taunt Jesus further.
6 sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
7 sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamo", “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).
8 tn Or “and brought it.”
9 tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
10 tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.
11 tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”