Matthew 27:32-44

Expanded Bible

Jesus Is Crucified^(A)

³² ·As the soldiers were going out of the city with Jesus [^LAs they went out], they ·met [found; came across] a man from Cyrene [^Ca city in northern Africa, in present-day Libya], named Simon, and forced him to carry the cross for Jesus. ³³ They all came to the place called Golgotha, which means [^Cin Aramaic] the Place of the Skull. ³⁴ ·The soldiers [^LThey; ^Cthis could be the soldiers or the women of Jerusalem] gave Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink [^Cthe gall was either a sedative or further mockery, making the wine bitter; Ps. 69:21; Prov. 31:6]. He tasted the wine but refused to drink it. ³⁵ When the soldiers had crucified him, they threw lots [^Csimilar to dice] to ·decide who would get [^Ldivide up] his clothes^[a] [Ps. 22:18]. ³⁶ The soldiers sat there and ·continued watching [kept guard over] him. ³⁷ They put a sign above Jesus’ head with the charge against him. It said: this is jesus, the king of the jews. ³⁸ Two ·robbers [rebels; revolutionaries; ^Cthe term “robber” was used by the Romans of insurrectionists] were crucified beside Jesus, one on the right and the other on the left [Is. 53:12]. ³⁹ People walked by and ·insulted [defamed; slandered; ^Cthe same Greek word used to “blaspheme”] Jesus and shook their heads [^Ca gesture of derision; Ps. 22:7], ⁴⁰ saying, “You said you could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down from that cross if you are really the Son of God!”

⁴¹ The ·leading [^Tchief] priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish elders were also ·making fun of [mocking] Jesus. ⁴² They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He says he is the king of Israel! If he is the king, let him come down now from the cross. Then we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God, so let God ·save [rescue; deliver] him now, if God really wants him [Ps. 22:8]. He himself said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And in the same way, the robbers [rebels; revolutionaries; v. 38] who were being crucified beside Jesus also ·insulted [ridiculed; taunted] him.