Mark 15:24 - Exposition

And they crucify him ( καὶ σταυροῦσιν αὐτὸν ,) . Such is the most approved reading. The evangelist states the fact without staying to dwell on the painful circumstances connected with the act of nailing him to the cross; and passes on to the mention of other things. They part his garments among them, casting lots upon them, what each should take . The outer robe and the tunic would have been removed previously to the crucifixion. St. John ( John 21:23 ) here goes into details. "They took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top through.. out." His garments ( τὰ ἱμάτια ) . This would be the loose, flowing outer dress with girdle. The tunic ( χιτών ) was a closefitting dress, worn underneath the ἱμάτιον . There were four soldiers employed for each crucifixion. St. Cyril refers to the clothes of criminals as the perquisite of the executioners. Here was another ingredient of bitterness in our Lord's cup, that he saw before his eyes his garments torn by the soldiery, and his tunic divided to them by lot. But he divested himself of these garments of mortality, that he might clothe us with life and immortality.