Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. VI:
The Harmony of the Gospels.: Chapter XI

Chapter XI.—Of the Consistency of Matthew’s Version with that of Mark in the Account of the Potion Offered Him to Drink, Which is Introduced Before the Narrative of His Crucifixion.

38. Matthew then proceeds in these terms: “And they came unto a place called Golgotha; that is to say, a place of a skull.” 1377 So far as the place is concerned, they are most unmistakeably at one. The same Matthew next adds, “and they gave Him wine 1378 to drink, mingled with gall; and when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink.” 1379 This is given by Mark as follows: “And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; and He received it not.” 1380 Here we may understand Matthew to have conveyed the same sense as Mark, when he speaks of the wine being “mingled with gall.” For the gall is mentioned with a view to express the bitterness of the potion. And wine mingled with myrrh is remarkable for its bitterness. The fact may also be that gall and myrrh together made the wine exceedingly bitter. Again, when Mark says that “He received it not,” we understand the phrase to denote that He did not receive it so as actually to drink it. He did taste p. 197 it, however, as Matthew certifies. Thus Mark’s words, “He received it not,” convey the same meaning as Matthew’s version, “He would not drink.” The former, however, has said nothing about His tasting the potion.

Footnotes

Matt. xxvii. 33.

Vinum. [So the correct Greek text. Comp. Revised Version.—R.]

Matt. xxvii. 34.

Mark xv. 23.