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Mat_27:29 f. Ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ] belongs to πλέξαντες . What is meant is something made by twisting together young flexible thorns so as to represent the royal diadem. The object was not to produce suffering, but to excite ridicule; so that while we cannot altogether dissociate the idea of something painful from this crown of thorns, we must not conceive of it as covered with prickles which were intentionally thrust into the flesh. Michaelis adopts the rendering Bärenklau ( ἄκανθος ); but this is incompatible with the ἀκάνθινον of Mar_15:17, which adjective is never used with reference to the plant just mentioned. Besides, this latter was a plant that was highly prized (for which reason it was often used for ornamental purposes in pieces of sculpture and on the capitals of Corinthian pillars), and therefore would be but ill suited for a caricature. It is impossible to determine what species of thorn it was (possibly the so-called spina Christi?; see Tobler, Denkbl. pp. 113, 179).
καὶ κάλαμον ] ἔθηκαν ] being understood, the connection with ἐπέθηκαν is zeugmatic.
Observe the imperfects ἐνέπαιζον and ἔτυπτον as indicating the continuous character of the proceeding.