Remembering all this, I believe tbat the sense of the verse before us must be paraphrased in the following way : " After this, Jesus knowing in His own mind that all things were now practically accomplished, which he came into the world to do, and knowing that it wa:S expedient that His death should be a most public event, in the face of the crowds assembled to view His crucifixion, proceeded to say the last words which He in- tended to say, before giving up the ghost at three o'clock, and by saying them fulfilled a prophecy of Scripture." — Nothing in the details of our Lord's death, we must always remember, was accidental or by chance. Every part of the great sacrifice fop sin was foreordained and arranged in the eternal counsels of the Trinity, even to the words which He was to speak on the cross.
The expression " T thirst," was chiefly used, I believe, in or- der to afford a public testimony of the reality and intensity of His bodily suiferings, and to prevent any one supposing, be- cause of His marvellous calmness and patience, that He wag miraculously free from sufiering. On the contrary, He would have all around Him know that He felt what all severely wounded persons, and especially what all crucified persons, felt, — a burning and consuming thirst. So that when we read that " He suffered for sins," we are to understand that He really and truly suffered.
Henry observes, " The torments of hell are represented by a violent thirst, in the complaint of the rich man who begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue. To that everlasting thirst we had all been condemned, if Christ had not suffered on the cross, and said, ' I thirst.' "
Scott observes that Christ suffered thirst, in order that we might drink the water of life for ever, and thirst no more.
Quesnel remarks, " The tongue of Jesus Christ underwent its own particular torment, in order to atone for the ill-use which men make of their tongues by blasphemy, evil-speaking, vanity, lying, gluttony, and drunkenness."
The theory that Christ only said " I thirst," in order to fulfil Scripture, is to my mind unsatisfactory and unreasonable. His saying " I thirst," was a fulfilment of Scripture, but He did not merely say it in order to fulfil Scripture. St. John, according to his style of writing, only meant that by His saying " I thirst," and having His thirst relieved by vinegar, the words of Psalm Ixix. 21, were fulfilled.
The Greek word which is rendered " accomplished," is the same that is rendered " finished " in the thirtieth verse. This difference, within two verses, in translating the same word, is one of those blemishes in our authorized version which must be regretted.