Mark 15:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh; however, myrrh is known to be the harshest of liquids, which made it a derisive offering to the Lord. One Gospel mentions that He was given vinegar mixed with gall (Matthew 27:34), while another states that something different was provided to Him. Yet, there is no inconsistency in this; amidst the chaos of that time, different individuals presented various items: some brought vinegar combined with gall, while others offered wine mixed with myrrh. It is also possible that the wine was sour and the myrrh spoiled, thereby allowing the Evangelists to harmonize their accounts—one referring to wine mixed with myrrh, while the other speaks of vinegar with gall.

Bile is referenced due to its association with bitterness; similarly, wine mixed with mealy is distinctly bitter as well. It is possible that they offered Jesus a combination of wine, bile, and mealy. When Mark states that He did not consume it, it indicates that He did not drink it, although He may have tasted it nonetheless.

Be cautious and approach the words of your opponents with discernment, rejecting them without allowing them to take root in you. Emulate the Lord when He was offered a bitter beverage: He tasted it and then rejected it (cf. Matt. 27:34). In the same manner, you should listen and then cast aside.

He is filled with sour wine, as Scripture attests in the Gospels. He is given a bitter substance to consume. Who is this? It is the one who transforms water into wine, the one who eradicates bitterness, our delight and all-sufficient desire.

What sort of bitterness did they offer Him to drink? It is recorded that they presented Him with wine mixed with myrrh (cf. Matt. 27:34). Myrrh is akin to bitterness and sorrow (cf. Deut. 32:6). Are these the offerings, O vineyard, that you bring to your Master?

In the moment of the crucifixion, Christ, in His thirst, chooses to refuse the offered drink, deliberately enduring His dehydration.

It was a common practice to offer a mixture of wine and gall to those about to be executed. This concoction dulled the senses and muddled the mind. Thus, the wretched individual being crucified, at least during the initial moments, was less aware of the torment involved in crucifixion. Christ Jesus was also presented with this drink prior to His crucifixion. - Despite the extreme anguish that awaited Him on the cross, He chose not to partake of the drink that would have clouded His perception. He willingly surrendered Himself to His adversaries; with complete awareness and total freedom of spirit, He chose to face the suffering of crucifixion.

As the procession arrived at Golgotha, tradition dictated that the condemned be offered a particular mixture of wine and myrrh. This concoction dulled the senses and lessened the pain of crucifixion. When offered this drink, Jesus chose to reject it, desiring to fully experience the agony He faced. The Evangelist Matthew refers to this same beverage, describing it as a combination of vinegar and gall. It is unlikely that Jesus was offered two distinct drinks; thus, it is often understood that Matthew identified the mixture of bitter myrrh and sour wine as vinegar and gall, drawing from the words of David’s psalm: “And they gave me gall to eat, and gave me vinegar to drink when I was thirsty” (Psalm 68:22).

"Wine mixed with low-quality wine" is equivalent to what is described in Hebrews and in Matthew as "vinegar and gall." This was a beverage of sour wine, enhanced with a bitter, pungent substance that induced a numbing effect. It could be prepared in different manners, which is why it is not particularly significant that one Gospel writer refers to it in one way while another uses a different term; both intend to denote a familiar drink offered to those facing execution.

They offered Him a drink of wine, specifically a mixture of wine with bitter elements. This concoction was typically provided to those facing execution to lessen their agony, as it numbed their faculties and reduced the intensity of their torment. However, it was not a soothing beverage. This illustrates that Jesus Christ, despite the brutality of His afflictions, chose to undergo all of them with complete awareness.