Matthew 27 · Verse 33

Matthew 27:33

And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
Matthew 27:33, King James Version

Matthew 27:33 in other translations

BSBAnd when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means The Place of the Skull,
WEBWhen they came to a place called “Golgotha”, that is to say, “The place of a skull,”
ASVAnd when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, The place of a skull,
YLTand having come to a place called Golgotha, that is called Place of a Skull,
DARBYAnd having come to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a skull,
BBEAnd when they came to the place named Golgotha, that is to say, Dead Man's Head,
WebsterAnd when they had come to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

What does Matthew 27:33 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 33. Golgotha. This is the Hebrew word signifying the place of a skull, This is the word which in Luke is called Calvary. In the original, there also, it is a skull. The word calvary is a Latin word meaning skull, or place of skulls. It is not known certainly why this name was given to this place. Some have supposed that it was because the mount resembled in shape a human skull. The most probable opinion, however, is that it was a place of execution; that malefactors were beheaded there, or otherwise put to death, and that their bones remained unburied or unburned. Mount Calvary was a small eminence, usually supposed to have been on the northwest of Jerusalem, without the walls of the city, but at a short distance. Jesus was put to death out of the city, because capital punishments were not allowed within the walls. See Nu 15:35,36, 1Kgs 21:13. This was a law among the Romans, as well as the Jews. He also died there, because the bodies of the beasts slain in sacrifice, as typical of him, were burned without the camp. He also, as the antitype, suffered without the gate, Heb 13:11,12. The place which is shown as Calvary now is within the city, and must also have been within the ancient walls; and there is no reason to suppose that it is the place where the Saviour was put to death.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 33 A place called Golgotha - From the Hebrew גלגתה or גלגלת, golgoleth, a skull, probably so called from the many skulls of these who had suffered crucifixion and other capital punishments scattered up and down in the place. It is the same as Calvary, Calvaria, i.e. calvi capitis area, the place of bare skulls. Some think the place was thus called, because it was in the form of a human skull. It is likely that it was the place of public execution, similar to the Gemoniae Scalae at Rome.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:31-34

Christ was led as a Lamb to the slaughter, as a Sacrifice to the altar. Even the mercies of the wicked are really cruel. Taking the cross from him, they compelled one Simon to bear it. Make us ready, O Lord, to bear the cross thou hast appointed us, and daily to take it up with cheerfulness, following thee. Was ever sorrow like unto his sorrow? And when we behold what manner of death he died, let us in that behold…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:31-34 →

Matthew 27:33 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
ἐλθόντεςelthonteshaving comeG2064
εἰςeistoG1519
τόπονtopona placeG5117
λεγόμενονlegomenonbeing namedG3004
Γολγοθᾶ,GolgothaGolgotha,G1115
ὅhowhichG3739
ἐστινestinisG1510
κρανίουkraniouof a SkullG2898
τόποςtoposPlaceG5117
λεγόμενος,legomenosbeing named,G3004

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

Cross references for Matthew 27:33

  • John 19:17-19

    And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

  • Mark 15:22-32

    And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. …

  • Luke 23:44

    And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

  • Mark 15:34

    And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

  • John 19:23-24

    Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Golgotha.
Mr 15:22; Lu 23:27-33; Joh 19:17

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

Context

  • Matthew 27:32

    And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.

  • Matthew 27:33

    And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,

  • Matthew 27:34

    They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:33 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y como llegaron al lugar que se llama Gólgotha, que es dicho, El lugar de la calavera,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et étant arrivés au lieu appelé Golgotha, ce qui signifie lieu du crâne,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und als sie an einen Ort gekommen waren, genannt Golgatha, das heißt Schädelstätte,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et venerunt in locum qui dicitur Golgotha, quod est Calvariæ locus.