They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
Parallel translations
- KJV And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
- BSB Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly.
- ESV And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
- NKJV Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
- NASB And they spit on Him, and took the reed and beat Him on the head.
- NLT And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The soldiers spit on Jesus and strike His head with the reed. They heap physical abuse upon their mockery.
Overview
Their scorn turns violent as they spit on Jesus and beat Him with the very reed given as a mock scepter. The treatment fulfills prophecies of the suffering servant who gave His back to those who struck and did not hide His face from shame and spitting. Jesus absorbs this cruelty in silence, bearing it for the salvation of those who would later trust Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 50:6I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting.
- Matt 26:67Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,
- Mark 15:19They struck his head with a reed, and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him.
- Isa 53:7He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn’t open his mouth.
- Job 30:8–10They are children of fools, yes, children of base men. They were flogged out of the land.
- Isa 53:3He was despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him.
- Isa 52:14Just as many were astonished at you (his appearance was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men),
- Mic 5:1Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.
- Luke 18:32–33For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.
- Isa 49:7Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and rise up; princes, and they shall worship; because of Yahweh who is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 27:30 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.