John 19:24

Let us not rend it (mh sciswmen auton). Mh with first aorist active volitive subjunctive of scizw, to split. It was too valuable to ruin. Cast lots (lacwmen). Second aorist active volitive subjunctive of lagcanw. The usual meaning is to obtain by lot ( Luke 1:9 ; Acts 1:17 ). Field (Ot. Norv. 72) holds that no example has been found where it means "cast lots" as here, but Thayer cites Isocrates, p. 144b and Diod. 4, 63. John here quotes with the usual formula Psalms 22:18 (LXX verbatim) and finds a fulfilment here. The enemies of the Lord's Anointed treated him as already dead (Westcott) and so cast lots (elabon klhron, the common phrase as in Matthew 27:35 ).