John 19:29
New International Version
A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

New Living Translation
A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips.

English Standard Version
A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth.

Berean Standard Bible
A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.

Berean Literal Bible
A vessel full of sour wine had been set there. So having put on a stalk of hyssop a sponge filled with sour wine, they brought it to the mouth.

King James Bible
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

New King James Version
Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

New American Standard Bible
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

NASB 1995
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

NASB 1977
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His mouth.

Legacy Standard Bible
A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth.

Amplified Bible
A jar full of sour wine was placed there; so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a branch of] hyssop and held it to His mouth.

Christian Standard Bible
A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it up to his mouth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A jar full of sour wine was sitting there; so they fixed a sponge full of sour wine on hyssop and held it up to His mouth.

American Standard Version
There was set there a vessel full of vinegar: so they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth.

Contemporary English Version
A jar of cheap wine was there. Someone then soaked a sponge with the wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth on the stem of a hyssop plant.

English Revised Version
There was set there a vessel full of vinegar: so they put a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop, and brought it to his mouth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A jar filled with vinegar was there. So the soldiers put a sponge soaked in the vinegar on a hyssop stick and held it to his mouth.

Good News Translation
A bowl was there, full of cheap wine; so a sponge was soaked in the wine, put on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted up to his lips.

International Standard Version
A jar of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.

Majority Standard Bible
A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.

NET Bible
A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth.

New Heart English Bible
A vessel full of sour wine was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

Weymouth New Testament
There was a jar of wine standing there. With this wine they filled a sponge, put it on the end of a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.

World English Bible
Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his mouth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
a vessel, therefore, was placed full of vinegar, and having filled a sponge with vinegar, and having put [it] around a hyssop stalk, they put [it] to His mouth;

Berean Literal Bible
A vessel full of sour wine had been set there. So having put on a stalk of hyssop a sponge filled with sour wine, they brought it to the mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
a vessel, therefore, was placed full of vinegar, and they having filled a sponge with vinegar, and having put it around a hyssop stalk, did put it to his mouth;

Smith's Literal Translation
Then was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they having filled a sponge with vinegar, put upon hyssop, and brought near to his mouth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And there was a container placed there, full of vinegar. Then, placing a sponge full of vinegar around hyssop, they brought it to his mouth.

New American Bible
There was a vessel filled with common wine. So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop and put it up to his mouth.

New Revised Standard Version
A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now there was a pitcher full of vinegar placed there; so they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it on the point of a reed, and placed it on his mouth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And a vessel had been set full of vinegar, but they filled a sponge from the vinegar and placed it on hyssop and they put it near to his mouth.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Now a vessel full of vinegar had been set there; and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon a hyssop-stalk, and put it to his mouth.

Godbey New Testament
Then a vessel was sitting by full of vinegar: and filling a sponge with vinegar and placing it on the hyssop, they brought it to His mouth.

Haweis New Testament
Now there was placed a vessel full of vinegar: they then filling a spunge with the vinegar, and putting it on a stick of hyssop, carried it to his mouth.

Mace New Testament
now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon a stick of hyssop, and held it to his mouth.

Weymouth New Testament
There was a jar of wine standing there. With this wine they filled a sponge, put it on the end of a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.

Worrell New Testament
There was set there a vessel full of vinegar; so, putting a sponge full of vinegar on hyssop, they bore it to His mouth.

Worsley New Testament
Now there was set a vessel there full of vinegar: so they filled a spunge with the vinegar, and putting it upon hyssop, held it up to his mouth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Death of Jesus
28After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. 30When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.…

Cross References
Matthew 27:48
One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.

Mark 15:36
And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

Psalm 69:21
They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.

Luke 23:36
The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.

John 4:7-9
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” / (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) / “You are a Jew,” said the woman. “How can You ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

John 7:37-39
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. / Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” / He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Exodus 12:22
Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.

Numbers 19:18
Then a man who is ceremonially clean is to take some hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle the tent, all the furnishings, and the people who were there. He is also to sprinkle the one who touched a bone, a grave, or a person who has died or been slain.

Psalm 22:15
My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.

Isaiah 53:3-5
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. / Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. / But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Matthew 27:34
they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it.

Mark 15:23
There they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.

John 18:11
“Put your sword back in its sheath!” Jesus said to Peter. “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?”

John 13:18
I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’

John 2:4
“Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”


Treasury of Scripture

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it on hyssop, and put it to his mouth.

was set.

Matthew 27:34,48
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink…

Mark 15:36
And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

Luke 23:36
And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,

hyssop.

Exodus 12:22
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.

Numbers 19:18
And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:

1 Kings 4:33
And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

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Bowl Branch End Filled Full Held Hyssop Jar Jesus Lifted Mouth Placed Plant Ready Round Soaked Sour Sponge Spunge Stalk Standing Stick Stood Vessel Vinegar Wine
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John 19
1. Jesus is scourged, crowned with thorns, and beaten.
4. Pilate is desirous to release him,
15. but being overcome with the outrage of the crowd, he delivers him to be crucified.
23. They cast lots for his garments.
25. He commends his mother to John.
28. He dies.
31. His side is pierced.
38. He is buried by Joseph and Nicodemus.














A jar of sour wine was sitting there
This phrase sets the scene for a poignant moment in the crucifixion narrative. The "jar of sour wine" refers to a common drink of the Roman soldiers, known as "posca," which was a cheap, vinegary wine mixed with water. This detail highlights the humility and suffering of Christ, who, in His final moments, was offered a drink associated with the lower classes and soldiers. The Greek word for "sour wine" is "oxos," which underscores the bitterness of the moment, both literally and metaphorically. Historically, this act fulfills the prophecy found in Psalm 69:21, "They gave me vinegar for my thirst," demonstrating the meticulous fulfillment of Scripture in the life and death of Jesus.

So they soaked a sponge in the wine
The act of soaking a sponge in the wine is significant. Sponges were commonly used in the ancient world for various purposes, including cleaning and as a tool for applying liquids. The use of a sponge here is practical, allowing the soldiers to offer the drink to Jesus without removing Him from the cross. This action reflects the Roman practice of offering a form of crude relief to those being crucified, albeit in a manner that was more mocking than merciful. The Greek word "baptō," meaning to dip or immerse, is used here, symbolizing the immersion of Christ into the depths of human suffering.

put it on a stalk of hyssop
The mention of "hyssop" is rich with symbolic meaning. Hyssop is a plant associated with purification and sacrifice in the Old Testament. It was used during the Passover to apply the blood of the lamb to the doorposts (Exodus 12:22), symbolizing deliverance and protection. In this context, the use of hyssop connects Jesus' sacrifice to the Passover lamb, emphasizing His role as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. The Greek word "hyssōpos" is used, which directly links this moment to the themes of cleansing and redemption found throughout Scripture.

and lifted it to His mouth
The act of lifting the sponge to Jesus' mouth is both practical and symbolic. It fulfills Jesus' statement in John 19:28, "I am thirsty," highlighting His humanity and the physical agony of crucifixion. This moment also serves as a fulfillment of prophecy and a demonstration of Jesus' obedience to the Father's will, even in suffering. The Greek word "pherō," meaning to carry or bring, is used here, indicating the deliberate action of offering the drink to Jesus. This act, though seemingly small, is a profound reminder of the humility and love of Christ, who endured such suffering for the sake of humanity.

(29) Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar.--This vessel of the ordinary sour wine drunk by the Roman soldiers, was placed near in order to be given to those who were crucified. Thirst was always an accompaniment of death by crucifixion, and that the vessel of wine was prepared for this purpose is made probable by the mention of the sponge and hyssop (Comp. Note on Matthew 27:48.)

And put it upon hyssop.--This detail is peculiar to St. John. Bochart (Hierozoicon, i. 2, 50) thinks that the plant was marjoram, or some plant like it, and he is borne out by ancient tradition. The stalks, from a foot to a foot and a half high, would be sufficient to reach to the cross. The plant is named in one other passage in the New Testament (Hebrews 9:19), and is frequent in the Greek of the Old Testament. The Hebrew word is ?z?v, and the identification must always be uncertain, because we cannot know whether the Greek translation is based upon an identification of the plant, or upon a similarity in the sound of the names.

Verse 29. - There was set there a vessel full of vinegar, probably for the use of the soldiers, and occasionally offered to the sufferers to soothe a part of their torment. John clearly associates this fact with the unconscious fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew gives it, with strange lack of connection, as following the cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" So they (Matthew, "one") having placed a sponge full of the vinegar upon hyssop. This hyssop plant, if identical with the caper plant, does produce stems three or four feet long, and may therefore be identical with the "reed" mentioned in Matthew and Mark, while Luke (Luke 23:36) refers the act to the soldiers offering him vinegar to drink, saying, "Let us see whether Elias will come and save him." They put it, brought it, presented it to his mouth. This was not the stupefying draught which he refused, but an exhilarating one.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
A jar
σκεῦος (skeuos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4632: A vessel, implement, equipment or apparatus (specially, a wife as contributing to the usefulness of the husband).

of
μεστόν (meston)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3324: Full, filled with. Of uncertain derivation.

sour wine
ὄξους (oxous)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3690: Vinegar, sour wine mixed with water, a common drink of Roman soldiers. From oxus; vinegar, i.e. Sour wine.

was sitting [there].
ἔκειτο (ekeito)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2749: To lie, recline, be placed, be laid, set, specially appointed, destined. Middle voice of a primary verb; to lie outstretched.

So
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

they soaked
μεστὸν (meston)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3324: Full, filled with. Of uncertain derivation.

a sponge
σπόγγον (spongon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4699: A sponge. Perhaps of foreign origin; a 'sponge'.

[in the] wine,
ὄξους (oxous)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3690: Vinegar, sour wine mixed with water, a common drink of Roman soldiers. From oxus; vinegar, i.e. Sour wine.

put [it] on
περιθέντες (perithentes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4060: To place or put around, clothe; fig: I bestow, confer. From peri and tithemi; to place around; by implication, to present.

a stalk of hyssop,
ὑσσώπῳ (hyssōpō)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5301: Hyssop, a stalk or stem of hyssop. Of foreign origin; 'hyssop'.

[and] lifted
προσήνεγκαν (prosēnenkan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4374: From pros and phero; to bear towards, i.e. Lead to, tender, treat.

it
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

to [His]
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

mouth.
στόματι (stomati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4750: The mouth, speech, eloquence in speech, the point of a sword.


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