Matthew 27 · Verse 30

Matthew 27:30

And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Matthew 27:30, King James Version

Matthew 27:30 in other translations

BSBThen they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly.
WEBThey spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.
ASVAnd they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head.
YLTAnd having spit on him, they took the reed, and were smiting on his head;
DARBYAnd having spit upon him, they took the reed and beat him on his head.
BBEAnd they put shame on him, and gave him blows on the head with the rod.
WebsterAnd they spit upon him, and took the reed, and struck him on the head.

What does Matthew 27:30 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 30. And they spit upon him. This was a token of the deepest contempt and insult. Mt 26:67.

And took the reed. The cane, probably so large as to inflict a heavy blow.

And smote him on the head. Not merely to injure him by the force of the blow, but to press the thorns into his head, and thus to add cruelty to insult.

(b) "spit" Is 49:7, 50:6, 53:3,7

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 And they spit upon him - "Let us pay our adoration," says the same pious writer, "and humble ourselves in silence at the sight of a spectacle which faith alone renders credible, and which our senses would hardly endure. Jesus Christ, in this condition, preaches to the kings of the earth this truth - that their scepters are but reeds, with which themselves shall be smitten, bruised, and crushed at his tribunal, if they do not use them here to the advancement of his kingdom."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:26-30

Crucifixion was a death used only among the Romans; it was very terrible and miserable. A cross was laid on the ground, to which the hands and feet were nailed, it was then lifted up and fixed upright, so that the weight of the body hung on the nails, till the sufferer died in agony. Christ thus answered the type of the brazen serpent raised on a pole. Christ underwent all the misery and shame here related, that he…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:26-30 →

Matthew 27:30 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐμπτύσαντεςemptusanteshaving spitG1716
εἰςeisuponG1519
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
ἔλαβονelabonthey tookG2983
τὸνtontheG3588
κάλαμονkalamonreedG2563
καὶkaiandG2532
ἔτυπτονetuptonwere striking [Him]G5180
εἰςeisonG1519
τὴνtēntheG3588
κεφαλὴνkephalēnheadG2776
αὐτοῦ.autouof Him.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 27:30

  • Isaiah 50:6

    I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

  • Matthew 26:67

    Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,

  • Isaiah 53:7

    He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

  • Mark 15:19

    And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.

  • Job 30:8-10

    They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth. And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword. They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

  • Isaiah 52:14

    As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

  • Isaiah 49:7

    Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

  • Luke 18:32-33

    For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

  • Micah 5:1

    Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.

  • Isaiah 53:3

    He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
26:67; Job 30:8-10; Isa 49:7; 50:6; 52:14; 53:3,7; Mic 5:1; Mr 15:19
Lu 18:32,33

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 27:29

    And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!

  • Matthew 27:30

    And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.

  • Matthew 27:31

    And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y escupiendo en él, tomaron la caña, y le herían en la cabeza.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ayant craché contre lui, ils prirent le roseau et lui en frappaient la tête.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie spieen ihn an, nahmen das Rohr und schlugen ihn auf das Haupt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et exspuentes in eum, acceperunt arundinem, et percutiebant caput ejus.