They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head.

While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?

He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick, until he brings justice to victory.

and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand, and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!”