Sponge

Sponge. A soft, porous marine substance. Sponges were, for a long time, supposed to be plants, but are now considered by the best naturalists to belong to the animal kingdom. Sponge is mentioned only in the New Testament. Mat 27:48; Mar 15:36; Joh 19:29. The commercial value of the sponge was known from very early times; and although there appears to be no notice of it in the Old Testament, yet it is probable that it was used by the ancient Hebrews, who could readily have obtained it good from the Mediterranean, where it was principally found.

Mat 27:48; Mar 15:36; Joh 19:29; Psa 69:21. Found on rocks in deep water in the Levant and the parts of the Mediterranean which wash the Grecian Isles.

SPONGE.—See Animals in vol. i. p. 67^a and Vinegar.

SPONGE (Gr. spongos, Mat 27:48, Mar 15:36, Joh 19:29, used in the Crucifixion scene).—Sponges have been used from early times, and are common along the Syrian coasts of the Mediterranean.

E. W. G. Masterman.

spunj (σπόγγος, spóggos): The word “sponge,” the King James Version “spunge,” occurs only in the accounts of our Lord’s crucifixion in Mat 27:48; Mar 15:36; Joh 19:29. Sponges have been known from the earliest periods. They are mentioned by Homer, Aeschylus, Aristophanes and other ancient writers. The sponge fisheries of the Eastern Mediterranean are still among the most important in the world. Sponges are animals of a very simple organization, fixed to rocks or other objects in the sea or in fresh water. The marketable sponge consists of a mass of soft interlacing fibers which constituted the skeleton of the living animal. The sponge fishers of the Levant dive from boats, with or without diving apparatus, and tear the sponges from the rocks with their hands. The sponges are allowed to die and rot in the air and are then thoroughly washed until nothing but the skeleton remains. Sponges which have calcareous or silicious skeletons are unfit for use.

Sponge. The sponge is a plant-like animal that lives on the ocean floor. It absorbs nourishment from water passing through its body. When a sponge is removed from water, the cells die, leaving a skeleton. The skeletons of some sponges are flexible and porous. These have been used for centuries as cleaning and water-absorbing tools. Such a sponge, dipped in sour wine, was offered to Christ on the cross (Mat 27:48; Mar 15:36; Joh 19:29).

A sponge is a simple sea animal in the Porifera family. The term "sponge" also describes their skeletal remains. Sponges have a body full of pores, tubules, and cells.

In ancient times, sponge fishing was popular in the Mediterranean, especially along the coasts of Anatolia and Syria. Divers harvested these sponges. The Bible references their use for absorbing liquids (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36).

See also Animals.

Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.