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As the death of the cross was a Roman punishment, so it was the manner of the Romans first to scourge and whip their malefactores, and then deliver them to be crucified. Now the manner of the Romans scourging is said to be thus; they stripped the condemned person, and bound him to a post; two strong men first scourged him with rods of thorns; then two others scourged him with whips full of knots; and lastly two more with whips of wire, and therewith tore off the very flesh and skin from the person's back and sides.
That our Saviour was thus cruelly scourged, seems to some not improbable, from that of the psalmist, The ploughers ploughed upon my luck, and made long furrows. Psa_129:3 Which, if spoken prophetically of Christ, was literally fulfilled in the day of his scourging. But why was the precious body of our blessed Lord thus galled and torn with scourgings! Doubtless to fulfil that prophecy; I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair,-That by his stripes we might be healed.
And to learn us patience from his example: Why should we think it strange to be scourged either with the tongue or the hand, or with both, when we see our dear Redeemer bleeding by stripes and scourges before our eyes?