This verb describes the careful twisting or weaving of flexible material into an object. In the Gospel passion narratives it portrays Roman soldiers deliberately fashioning a crown from thorny branches—a purposeful, mocking parody of royal honor.

Occurrences in the Gospel Passion Narratives

• Matthew 27:29 – “and twisting together a crown of thorns, they set it on His head…”
• Mark 15:17 – the same action appears in Mark’s condensed account.
• John 19:2 – John notes that after twisting the crown, the soldiers also clothed Jesus in a purple robe.

Each reference belongs to the same historical moment: the soldiers’ mock coronation of Jesus immediately before His crucifixion.

Old Testament Backdrop of Thorns and Kingship

Thorns first enter Scripture as a consequence of Adam’s sin (Genesis 3:18). They reappear as symbols of hardship, judgment, and the fruitlessness of rebellion (Numbers 33:55; Proverbs 22:5; Isaiah 34:13). By combining thorns with the form of a crown, the soldiers unknowingly link the curse of Eden with royal imagery. Messianic psalms celebrate an incorruptible King (Psalm 2; Psalm 45), yet on the cross that King bears a cursed crown, fulfilling the paradox of Isaiah 53:3, “He was despised and rejected by men.”

Roman Historical Context

Roman soldiers commonly ridiculed condemned prisoners through mock ceremonies. A “crown” (corona) was integral to their parody of Caesar’s triumphs. Selecting local thorny branches allowed them to intensify pain while ridiculing Jewish hopes for a Davidic monarch. The action was public, calculated, and intended as both physical torture and political satire.

Theological Significance of the Twisted Crown

1. Substitutionary Curse-Bearing: The last Adam accepts the sign of humanity’s toil and judgment on His own brow (Galatians 3:13).
2. True Kingship Revealed through Suffering: What begins as mockery becomes a proclamation; the crucified One is indeed King (John 19:19-22).
3. Fulfillment of Prophecy: Psalm 22:7-8 anticipates derision; Isaiah 50:6 pictures the Servant giving His back to those who strike. The thorn-crown episode unites these strands.
4. Eschatological Reversal: Revelation 19:12 later shows the risen Christ crowned with many diadems—no longer thorns, but acknowledged glory.

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

• Suffering believers see in the thorn-crowned Christ One who enters fully into human pain and humiliation (Hebrews 4:15).
• The passage warns against worldly mockery of divine authority; those who jeered now serve as cautionary figures.
• It calls the Church to humble service: if the King embraced a crown of suffering, disciples should not expect earthly glamour (2 Timothy 3:12).

Related Biblical Themes

– The reversal motif: humiliation leading to exaltation (Philippians 2:8-11).

– The cost of redemption: precious blood instead of outward splendor (1 Peter 1:18-19).

– The end of the curse: thorns give way to the “tree of life bearing twelve kinds of fruit” (Revelation 22:2).