The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 404

ORAPTER XIX. coeroe. John 1lBe8 the word l,.,.t1,,.{-y"""'"• a purely Greek word. Matthew and Mark, 'ferB. 1-S.-(d) [Within the Pretorinm.] who refer to the scourging which preceded !'he u,,ju.st gcqurgif19, and tl~ cror.on of thorM. Christ's being led to Calvary, use another Yer. 1.-Then Pilate therefore took .Jesus, official and technica.l word ,t,pa.-yeJ,,.},.~tfcu and scourged him. The force of the " there- (identifiable with the Latin wordflagellana). fore" may be seen in the foregoing observa- This does not require us to believe in two tions (see especially Luke :u:iii. 23-25). sconrginge. Matthew and Mork simply He obviously fe.ncied tha.t the eight of their refer to the scourging, which had been Victim's utter humiliation, his rednction to arbitrarily and informally iaflioted, BB John the lowest possible position, would sa.te their informs us, before the condemnation was burning re.ge. Scourging WBB the ordinary pronounced. The Roman punishment fla· preliminary of crnci.fu:ion, and it migbt be geUu inflicted hideous torture. "It was regarded as Pila.te's verdict, or the conclusion executed upon ela.vcs with thin elm rode or of the whole matter. Roman and Greek straps having leaden balls or sharply pointed historians oonfirm the custom (Josephus, bones attached, and was delivered on the • Aut.,' v. lL l; 'Bell. Jud.,' ii. H. 9; comp. bent, ho.re, and tense back." The victim Matt. XL 19; Luke xviii 33) of scourging WBB fastened to e. pillo.r for the:purpose, the before crucifixion. It may have he.d a twofold like to which hue actually been found by motiv~ne to glut the desire of inflicting Sir C. Warren in a subterranean cavem, on phyeica.l tormenta.nd ignominy, a.nd another the site of what Mr. Ferguson regards as allied to the offer of anodyne, to hasten the Tower of Antonia (Westcott). The tbe final sn1feringe of the cross. But the fiagella.tion nsually brought blood with the governor clearly thought that he might, by first stroke, and reduced the back to a fee.r- first humouring the populBce, in releaaing ful state of raw and quivering flesh. Strong Darabbas from his confinement, and then men often succumbed under it, while the reducing to a politice.l absurdity the charge indignity of such a proceeding in this case cf treaBOn e.g..inet Ceasar, se.ve the suf. must have cut far deeper into the awful ferin" Prisoner from further wrong. The sanotnary of the Sufferer's soul morbid suggestion of a mind a.ccnstomed Ver. 2.-Pilate then allowed the wounded to glr,diatorial shove, and to the 11Udden and bruised man to be yet further and cruelly CllilU"'ee of feeling- which ran throuih the insulted by the Roman soldiers, who de- amphitheatres at the sight of blood, not lighted in oruel play and coarse scorn. And on) v revee.le the ince.pa,city of Pilate to the soldiers plaited a orown ot thorns, e.nd understand the difference between right and put it on his head, and e.rrayed him in a wroug, but provee that he he.d not 110unded purple robe, The "gorgeous robe" 1 whioh the depth of Jewish fanaticiBin, nor under- ijtood the people he he.d been ordered t9 on. XIX. 1-42.] 'fHJ~ GOSPEL ACCOitDING TO ST. JOI-IN. 417