John 19:29

A jar full of sour wine ¹  was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop ²  and lifted it ³  to his mouth.

Ex 12:22; Nu 19:18; 1Ki 4:33; Ps 51:7; Mt 27:34,48; Mr 15:36; Lu 23:36

¹ sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

² sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamo", “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).

³ tn Or “and brought it.”