Markus 15:36

15:36 Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, ¹  put it on a stick, ²  and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!”

Mazmur 69:22

69:22 May their dining table become a trap before them!

May it be a snare for that group of friends! ³ 

Amsal 31:6

31:6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, ⁴ 

and wine to those who are bitterly distressed; ⁵ 

[15:36]  ¹ sn Sour wine refers to cheap wine that was called in Latin posca, a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

[15:36]  ² tn Grk “a reed.”

[69:22]  ³ tc Heb “and to the friends for a snare.” The plural of שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is used in Ps 55:20 of one’s “friends.” If the reading of the MT is retained here, the term depicts the psalmist’s enemies as a close-knit group of friends who are bound together by their hatred for the psalmist. Some prefer to revocalize the text as וּלְשִׁלּוּמִים (ulÿshillumim, “and for retribution”). In this case the noun stands parallel to פַּח (pakh, “trap”) and מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), and one might translate, “may their dining table become a trap before them, [a means of] retribution and a snare” (cf. NIV).

[31:6]  ⁴ sn Wine and beer should be given to those distressed and dying in order to ease their suffering and help them forget.

[31:6]  ⁵ tn Heb “to the bitter of soul.” The phrase לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ (lÿmare nafesh) has been translated “of heavy hearts” (KJV); “in anguish” (NIV); “in misery” (TEV); “in bitter distress” (NRSV); “sorely depressed” (NAB); “in deep depression (NLT); “have lost all hope” (CEV). The word “bitter” (מַר, mar) describes the physical and mental/spiritual suffering as a result of affliction, grief, or suffering – these people are in emotional pain. So the idea of “bitterly distressed” works as well as any other translation.