GALL (χολή, fel).—
In LXX Septuagint χολή represents (1) רא̇?שׁ? (Deuteronomy 32:32, Psalms 69:21); and (2) לַ?עֵ?נָ?ה wormwood (Proverbs 5:4, Lamentations 3:15). ״ְ?̇?שׁ? and לַ?עִ?נִ?ה are sometimes combined, e.g. Deuteronomy 29:18 רא̇?שׁ? ולעֲ?נָ?ה, LXX Septuagint ἐ?ν χολῇ? και τικρια, Vulgate fel et amaritudiaem; Lamentations 3:19 לִ?עֲ?נָ?ה וָ?רא̇?שׁ?, LXX Septuagint τικρια καὶ? χολἡ?, Vulgate absynthiiet fellis.
It thus appears that χολή was used of any bitter drug, and there is therefore no discrepancy between Matthew 27:34 οἶ?νον [ὄ?ξος is a copyist’s assimilation to Psalms 69:21 ] μετὰ? χολῆ?ς μεμιγμένον, and Mark 15:23 ἐ?σμυρνισμένον οἶ?νον . The potion administered to the cruciarius (see Crucifixion) was composed of wine and a variety of drugs—frankincense, laudanum, myrrh, resin, saffron, mastich. * [Note: Wetstein on Mark 15:23.] Thus ‘wine mixed with gall’ and ‘myrrhed wine’ are equivalent phrases, signifying generally medicated wine (cf. Swete, St. Mark, ad loc.). Matthew 27:34 and Acts 8:23 are the only places in the NT where χολή occurs.
David Smith.