ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version

Introduction to Matthew

Matt. 27:35 crucified him. Crucifixion was widely practiced by the Romans, and the early Jewish historian Josephus mentions thousands of people crucified in first-century Palestine (mostly during rebellions against Rome). There are stories of Roman soldiers cruelly playing with different postures for crucified victims (e.g., Josephus, Jewish War 5.449–551), though the use of nails and a crossbar appear to have been common. Modern medical explanations for the cause of death on a cross have focused on either asphyxiation or shock. Crucifixion was widely believed to be the worst form of execution, due to the excruciating pain and public shame. Hanging suspended by one's arms eventually caused great difficulty in breathing, which could be alleviated only by pushing up with one's feet to take the weight off the arms. But that motion itself would cause severe pain in the feet, arms, legs, and back, causing the exhausted victim to slump down again, only to be nearly unable to breathe once more. Eventually, the victim would succumb to suffocation, if he had not already died as a result of the cumulative effect of the physical trauma inflicted on him. They divided his garments among them by casting lots is a clear reference to Ps. 22:18. Matthew alludes to Psalm 22 throughout much of the narrative without his typical fulfillment formula (see note on Matt. 1:22). His readers would know that the soldiers' actions fulfill Scripture.