Psalms 69:21

This verse is connected with the preceding one. Not content with merely refusing sympathy, they aggravated and embittered his sufferings, as though one were to mock a hungry man by offering him bitter and poisonous food, or a thirsty man by giving him sour and undrinkable wine. The language is plainly metaphorical: cp. Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15. The Heb. word rôsh, rendered gall(LXX χολή, Vulg. and Jer. fel), denotes some bitter and poisonous plant, which cannot however be identified with certainty. Tristram (Nat. Hist. of Bible, p. 447) thinks that the Poppy is the plant intended. "Papaver arenariumgrows everywhere in Palestine; it springs up very quickly in cornfields, and its juice is most bitter and poisonous."

Vinegarcannot here mean the thin sour wine which was used as a refreshing beverage (Numbers 6:3; Ruth 2:14), but such as had gone bad and become nauseous and unfit to drink.

Allusion seems to be made to this passage in St Matthew's account of the Crucifixion (Matthew 27:34), though it is not actually quoted; and St John expressly says that the cry "I thirst" was uttered "that the scripture might be accomplished [34]."

[34] The -Gospel of Peter" (ch. 5) represents the potion of "gall with vinegar" as poison administered to hasten death.