Fathers

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What the Fathers say

John 19:23

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

The soldiers parted the garments, but not the coat. See the prophecies in every instance fulfilled by their wickednesses; for this also had been predicted of old; yet there were three crucified, but the matters of the prophecies were fulfilled in Him. For why did they not this in the case of the others, but in His case only? Consider too, I pray you, the exactness of the prophecy. …

Homily on the Gospel of John 85 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

Others say that they did not weave in Palestine, as we do, the shuttle being driven upwards through the warp; so that among them the woof was not carried upwards but downwardsb. The garment without seam denotes the body of Christ, which was woven from above; for the Holy Ghost came upon the Virgin, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Cyprian

This sacrament of unity, this bond of a concord inseparably cohering, is set forth where in the Gospel the coat of the Lord Jesus Christ is not at all divided nor cut, but is received as an entire garment, and is possessed as an uninjured and undivided robe by those who cast lots concerning Christ's garment, who should rather put on Christ. …

Treatise I On the Unity of the Church ↗

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

And yet let no one say that such things had no good signification because they were done by the bad, that is to say, not by those who followed Christ, but by those who persecuted Him. For what could we have to say of the cross itself, which every one knows was in like manner made and fastened to Christ by enemies and sinners? …

Tractates on John 118 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

2425 Now the Evangelist shows the role played by the soldiers (v 23): first, he mentions that Christ's garments were distributed among them; and secondly, we see that lots were cast for his tunic. 2426 He says, When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garments. We can gather two things from this: the debasement of the dying Christ, for the soldiers stripped him, which was done only to those they despised; secondly, we see the greed of the soldiers, because they took his garments and made four parts, one for each soldier. …

Commentary on John ↗

Bonaventure

When the soldiers therefore had crucified him. Here is noted the third principal point, namely the cruelty or cupidity of those who crucified him, in this, that they stripped Christ and thus divided his garments. And three things are noted here, namely the division of the garments by parts: second, by lot: third, the confirmation of both by authority, lest anything in the death of Christ should seem to happen by chance. …

Commentary on John, Chapter 19 ↗