were well known. Josephus describes them by the same word which Matthew uses, érécnuor, notable. Their depredations were often committed under patriotic pretences, so that Barab- bas wight have had influential friends among the people.
CHAPTER XTX. 1-3. Compare Matt. xxvii. 26-30; Mark xv. 15-19.
1. Scourged (€uactiywoev). Matthew and Mark use the Greek form of the Latin word jlagellare, dpayedAdw, which occurs only in those two instances in the New Testament. John uses the more common Greek word, though he has d¢pa- yerdrtov ( flagellum), scourge, at ii. 15. Matthew and Mark, however, both use wacrvyow elsewhere (Matt. x. 17; xx. 29; Mark x. 34). Its kindred noun, dori, occurs several times in the metaphorical sense of a plague. See on Mark iii. 10, and compare Mark v. 29, 34; Luke vii. 21. The verb is used meta- phorically only once, Heb. xii. 6. Scourging was the legal pre- liminary to crucifixion, but, in this case, was inflicted illegally before the sentence of crucifixion was pronounced, with a view of averting the extreme punishment, and of satisfying the Jews. (Luke xxiii. 22). The punishment was horrible, the victim be- ing bound to a low pillar or stake, and beaten, either with rods, or, in the case of slaves and provincials, with scourges, called scorpions, leather thongs tipped with leaden balls or sharp spikes. The severity of the infliction in Jesus’ case is evident from His inability to bear His cross.
2. Crown (crépavov). So Matthew and Mark. Luke does not mention the crown of thorns. See on 1 Pet. v. 4.
Of thorns (€& dxavIov). So Matthew. Mark has dxdv9wovr, the adjective, made of thorns, which John also uses in xix. 5. All attempts to define the botanical character of the thorns used for Christ’s crown are guesses. The word for thorns used here is the only one that occurs in the New Testament; the