V. 22. And they bring Him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The Place of a Skull. V. 23. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but He received it not. V. 24. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
It was now necessary for the soldiers to support Him and probably to carry Him the last part of the way, to the place known as Golgotha, explained by the evangelist as meaning the place of a skull, on account of the peculiar shape of the hill, which resembled the upper part of a human skull.
It was the custom to give to the condemned some potion which would tend to deaden the sensibilities, a mixture of wine, or vinegar, with myrrh or gall. But Jesus refused this drink; He wanted to endure His sufferings with full consciousness. And so they fastened him to the cross; they carried out the governor's sentence.
The crucified criminal was divested of his clothing, with the probable exception of a loin-cloth, and therefore the soldiers took the garments of Jesus, putting up the various pieces into four heaps or parts, and then gambled for the several heaps, the highest number taking the best clothes. The coat was, according to the account of John 19, 24, made a separate stake, since it could not be divided.