our Lord was crowned with a, in mockery by the Romans (Mt 27:29). The object of Pilate's guard in doing this was probably to insult, and not specially to inflict pain. There is nothing to show that the shrub thus used was, as has been supposed, the spina Christi, which could have been easily woven into a wreath. It was probably the thorny nabk, which grew abundantly round about Jerusalem, and whose flexible, pliant, and round branches could easily be platted into the form of a crown. (SeeThorn, 3.)

The crown placed in derision on the head of the Lord Jesus, when arrayed in a scarlet robe. Though applied to His sacred head by the rough soldiers, it was connived at by Pilate, who presented the Lord in this garb to the Jews, but which only drew forth their cry, 'Crucify Him.' We read that the robe was taken off Him, but nothing is said of the crown, so that He may have worn that on the cross. It is supposed to have been made of the Arabian nabk, which has flexible branches with very sharp thorns, and ivy-like leaves: mocking the Lord, as some think, both as a king and as a victor. Mt 27:29; Mr 15:17; Joh 19:2,5.

Crown of thorns,

Mt 27:29

Our Lord was crowned with thorns in mockery by the Roman soldiers. Obviously some small flexile thorny shrub is meant perhaps Capparis spinosa. "Hasselquist, a Swedish naturalist, supposes a very common plant naba or nubka of the Arabs, with many small and sharp sines; soft, round and pliant branches; leaves much resembling ivy, of a very deep green, as if in designed mockery of a victor's wreath." --Alford.