The only difference in manuscript traditions is the Alexandrian add "ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν"--"they came to him..." Which is fairly insignificant.
St Cyril of Alexandria follows the Alexandrian reading and comments:
[He] suffers the crowd of soldiers to insult Him, and put a crown of thorns about His Head, and throw a purple robe upon Him, and buffet Him with the palms of their hands, and otherwise dishonour Him. For he thought he could easily put to shame the people of the Jews, if they saw the Man Who was altogether free from guilt suffering this punishment, only without a cause. He was scourged unjustly, that He might deliver us from merited chastisement; He was buffeted and smitten, that we might buffet Satan, who had buffeted us, and that we might escape from the sin that cleaves to us through the original transgression. For if we think aright, we shall believe that all Christ's sufferings were for us and on our behalf, and have power to release and deliver us from all those calamities we have deserved for our revolt from God. For as Christ, Who knew not death, when He gave up His own Body for our salvation, was able to loose the bonds of death for all mankind, for He, being One, died for all; so we must understand that Christ's suffering all these things for us sufficed also to release us all from scourging and dishonour.St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel According to John, Book XII, on John 19:3
Χαῖρε--Hail
The word Χαῖρε translated hail in addition to being a greeting means to rejoice/be glad, to add to the mockery. Though John does not record it, Matthew notes when Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss he said, "Χαῖρε"
And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail (Χαῖρε), master; and kissed him.--Matthew 26:49
This is the same word the Angel Gabriel greeted the Virgin Mary with in Luke 1.
Slap ῥαπίσματα
John here seems to leave it implied or ambiguous about how Jesus was slapped but Matthew gospel adds more detail:
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.--Matthew 27:30
In the prior verse of Matthew, the reed accompanied the crown of thorns as a faux scepter which they used to slap him with shortly after.
Jesus was slapped earlier (similar to previously being told "hello" at the start of his betrayal) at the beginning of his "trial" because He was perceived as disrespected the High Priest Caiaphas.
And
he having said these things, one of the officers standing by did give
Jesus a slap (ῥάπισμα), saying, 'Thus dost thou answer the chief priest?'--John 18:22 (see also Matthew 26:67)
have given my back to scourges and my cheeks to blows (ῥαπίσματα), but I did not turn away my face from the shame of spittings. --Isaiah 50:6 (translated from LXX)
We saw previously, John 19:1 the scourged was fulfilling Isaiah 50:6 also.
The apostolic fathers and other ante-nicene fathers like the Epistle of Barnabas from the late first/early second century believed this was fulfilled in Christ:
He himself willed thus to suffer, for it was necessary that He should suffer on the tree. For says he who prophesies regarding Him, "Spare my soul from the sword, fasten my flesh with nails; for the assemblies of the wicked have risen up against me." And again he says, "Behold, I have given my back to scourges, and my cheeks to strokes, and I have set my countenance as a firm rock." (Isaiah 50:6)--Epistle of Barnabas, Chapter 5
In fact, reading Barnabas, he says much of Isaiah 50 was fulfilled by Christ.
St Justin Martyr (2nd century) likewise:
And when the Spirit of prophecy speaks from the person of Christ, the utterances are of this sort: "I have spread out My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to those who walk in a way that is not good." (Isaiah 65:2) And again: "I gave My back to the scourges, and My cheeks to the buffetings; I turned not away My face from the shame of spittings; and the Lord was My helper: therefore was I not confounded: but I set My face as a firm rock; and I knew that I should not be ashamed, for He is near that justifies Me." (Isaiah 50:6) --St Justin Martyr, The First Apology, Chapter 38
St Irenaeus (2nd century) also:
Some of them, moreover — [when they predicted that] as a weak and inglorious man, and as one who knew what it was to bear infirmity, (Isaiah 53:3) and sitting upon the foal of an ass, (Zechariah 9:9) He should come to Jerusalem; and that He should give His back to stripes, (Isaiah 50:6) and His cheeks to palms [which struck Him]; and that He should be led as a sheep to the slaughter; (Isaiah 53:7)--St Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book IV, Chapter 33:12
Also, noteworthy Hosea 11:4 mentions God slapping (ῥαπίζων) "I will be to them as a man smiting [another] on his cheek", Hosea 11:1 is applied to Christ by Matthew.
King of the Jews (Ἰουδαίων)
The title is that of the Messiah, and implicitly of God himself, the original head of the Jews since God did not want them to have a king initially. The Jews preferred Cesar as their king than God. God allowed Israel kings as a concession, similar to allowing divorce. The Jews were only to have a king through David, but here many recognize a pagan as their king per the priest in John 19:15. This was contrary to the Torah:
you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose.
One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not
put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.--Deuteronomy 17:15
Cesar was not their "brother" being a pagan, but a foreigner. This will be dealt with more on John 19:15 comments.
By Jesus' time them term Israel and Jew/Judea had some overlap, since neither were kingdoms anymore. The beginning of John's gospel Nathaniel calls Jesus the king of Israel/
And the soldiers twisted (πλέξαντες) together a crown (στέφανον) of thorns (ἀκανθῶν) and put it on his head (κεφαλῇ) and arrayed (περιέβαλον) him in a purple (πορφυροῦν) robe (ἱμάτιον).--John 19:2
And they stripped him and put a scarlet (κοκκίνην) robe (χλαμύδα) on him, And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They
put a staff in His right hand and knelt down before Him to mock Him,
saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"--Matthew 27:28-29
καὶ ἐκδύσαντες αὐτόν, περιέθηκαν αὐτῷ χλαμύδα κοκκίνην. Καὶ πλέξαντες στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ κάλαμον ἐπὶ τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ· καὶ γονυπετήσαντες ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ ἐνέπαιζον αὐτῷ, λέγοντες, Χαῖρε, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων·--Matthew 27:28-29 Byzantine majority (the Alexandrian has several small variants, v 28 has the same words but order changed)
Mark 15:17 largely is the same as Matthew 27:28 in this case but instead uses John's color of purple:
And they clothed him with purple (πορφύραν), and platted (πλέξαντες) a crown of thorns (ἀκάνθινον), and put it about his [head],--Mark 15:17
In John 18, Pilate mockingly called Christ the king of the Jews. Here his soldiers continue the mockery in physical ways.
Soldiers/Cherubim
The Roman soldiers carrying spears/swords might be an allusion to the cherubim with the flaming sword in Genesis to protect the Garden and the Tree of Life:
So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden
the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the
way to the tree of life.--Genesis 3:24
Twisted (πλέξαντες)
The root word according to a concordance is found:
πλέκω Gr4120
To fold, plait, entwine.
Ex 28:14, Is 28:5, Mt 27:29, Mk 15:17, Jn 19:2
Exodus 28:14 is one of the many times John 19 seems to allude to Exodus 28 which is about Priestly attire, fitting for Christ.
And you shall make two tassels from pure gold, intermingled with flowers, a work of braiding, and you shall place the braided [πεπλεγμένα, peplegmena] tassels on the small shields on their shoulder-straps on the front sides.--Exodus 28:14 NETS of LXX
and two chains [שַׁרְשְׁרֹת shar'sherot] of pure gold, wreathed work thou dost make them, work of
thick bands, and thou hast put the thick chains on the embroidered [שַׁרְשְׁרֹת shar'sherot] things.--Exodus 28:14
In the above the second שַׁרְשְׁרֹתcorresponds to πεπλεγμένα, while the first one is translated as κροσσωτὰ. Here the braiding is part of the garment of the priest, not worn on the head, the high priest wore a turban.
Sharsherot שַׁרְשְׁרֹת appears only 7 times in the MT, x2 in Exodus 28:14, 1 in Exodus 39:15, 1 Kings 7:17, 1 Chronicles 3:5, x2 in 2 Chronicles 3:16.
Isaiah 28:5 reads:
In that day the Lord Sabaoth will be the garland of hope, which is woven [πλακεὶς plakeis] of glory, to what is left of my people.--Isaiah 28:5 NETS of LXX
In that day the LORD of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem [וְלִצְפִירַת v'litz'firat] of beauty, to the remnant of his people--Isaiah 28:5 ESV of MT
The LXX say the crown is woven. Perhaps, this can suggest Christ represents the faithful remnant of God's people.
Thorns ἀκανθῶν
Adam was punished/cursed with thorns:
We see the mention of thorns first,
And unto Adam He said: 'Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'--Genesis 3:17-19
The same Greek word is used in Genesis 3:18 LXX "ἀκανθῶν"--thorn bush.
The crown of thorns as an allusion to Adam when he was banished from the Garden, and Christ took away that curse:
"..Let us thank Him who took away the curse by His thorns"--St Ephrem the Syrian, Nativity Hymn 3:18
Through the crown of thorns, which they put on him, they showed and witnessed that he took away the curse of Adam.23 Through all with which they wanted to falsify his words, his truth was crowned by the false ones.--St Ephraim the Syrian, Hymns on the Crucifixion 4:2
St Cyril of Jerusalem (not to be confused with the same of Alexandria), largely agreeing with St Ephrem on Christ undoing the curse of Adam, its represents the forgiveness of sins, also links it to Christ cursing the fig tree:
for what though it be of thorns? Every king is proclaimed by soldiers; and Jesus also must in a figure be crowned by soldiers; so that for this cause the Scripture says in the Canticles, Go forth, O you daughters of Jerusalem, and look upon King Solomon in the crown wherewith His mother crowned Him. (Song of Songs 3:11) And the crown itself was a mystery; for it was a remission of sins, a release from the curse.
Adam received the sentence, Cursed is the ground in your labours; thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you. (Genesis 3:17-18) For this cause Jesus assumes the thorns, that He may cancel the sentence; for this cause also was He buried in the earth, that the earth which had been cursed might receive the blessing instead of a curse. At the time of the sin, they clothed themselves with fig-leaves; for this cause Jesus also made the fig-tree the last of His signs. For when about to go to His passion, He curses the fig-tree, not every fig-tree, but that one alone, for the sake of the figure; saying, No more let any man eat fruit of you (Mark 11:1); let the doom be cancelled. And because they aforetime clothed themselves with fig-leaves, He came at a season when food was not wont to be found on the fig-tree. Who knows not that in winter-time the fig-tree bears no fruit, but is clothed with leaves only? Was Jesus ignorant of this, which all knew? No, but though He knew, yet He came as if seeking; not ignorant that He should not find, but showing that the emblematical curse extended to the leaves only.--St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 13:17-18
Rufinus also notes the connection with Adam:
It is written that there was put on Him a crown of thorns. Of this hear in the Canticles the voice of God the Father marvelling at the iniquity of Jerusalem in the insult done to His Son: "Go forth and see, you daughters of Jerusalem, the crown wherewith His mother has crowned Him." Moreover, of the thorns another Prophet makes mention: "I looked that she should bring forth grapes, and she brought forth thorns, and instead of righteousness a cry." But that you may know the secrets of the mystery, it behooved Him, Who came to take away the sins of the world, to free the earth also from the curse, which it had received through the sin of the first man, when the Lord said "Cursed be the earth in your labours: thorns: and thistles shall it bring forth to you." For this cause, therefore, is Jesus crowned with thorns, that first sentence of condemnation might be remitted.--Rufinus, Commentary on the Apostles' Creed
Thorns in Syrian Christian and Jewish tradition
It is noteworthy that Jewish tradition believes the fig tree to be the Tree of knowledge of good and evil, which those in the Syrian tradition generally held to such as the Nestorian bishop of Mosul--Solomon of Akhlat in his Book of the Bee (His hands were nailed upon the wood of the fig-tree of which Adam ate, and behold, we have mentioned its history with that of Moses' rod.--Solomon of Akhlat, Book of the Bee, Chapter 44).
St Aphrahat the Persian sage states:
Because of her the earth was cursed, that it should bring forth thorns and tares. Accordingly, by the coming of the offspring of the Blessed Mary the thorns are uprooted, the sweat wiped away, the fig-tree cursed, (Matthew 21:19) the dust made salt, (Matthew 5:13) the curse nailed to the cross, (Colossians 2:14) the edge of the sword removed from before the tree of life and it given as food to the faithful, and Paradise promised to the blessed and to virgins and to the saints.--St Aphrahat, Demonstrations VI
St Ephraim notes that bread mentioned following the toiling, sweating among thorns for food, and contrasts it with Christ and the Eucharist:
The beautiful staff that grew among the ugly tares gave the bread of life without toil to the hungry. He released the curse that held Him captive in Adam to eat by the sweat the bread of pains and thorns Blessed is he who eats from His blessed bread and makes pass away from him the curse--St Ephraim the Syrian, Hymn on Virginity 31:14
The burning bush Moses encountered God in Exodus 3 is called סנה sneh, which specifically refers to a thorn bush (contrary to most English translations), in fact Jesus and Stephen in Mark 12:26, Luke 20:37, Acts 7:30 uses a Greek word for the bush "batou" that refers to a thorn bush.
Commenting on the Burning Bush, St Ephraim the Syrian notes:
"The bush which was unsuitable even as an image of dead gods was able to depict within itself the mystery of the living God. Moses, this is a sign to you; as you saw God dwelling in the midst of the fire, by fire you must serve the God who dwells in the fire."--St Ephraim the Syrian, Commentary on Exodus, p 232
On this passage, the editor refers to Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews:
There were good reasons for selecting the thorn-bush as the vessel
for a Divine vision. It was "clean," for the heathen could not use it to
make idols. God's choosing to dwell in the stunted thorn-bush conveyed
the knowledge to Moses that He suffers along with Israel. Furthermore,
Moses was taught that there is nothing in nature, not even the
insignificant thorn-bush, that can exist without the presence of the
Shekinah. Besides, the thorn-bush may be taken as the symbol for Israel
in several respects. As the thorn-bush is the lowliest of all species of
trees, so the condition of Israel in the exile is the lowliest as
compared with that of all the other nations, but as the thorn-bush
releases no bird that alights upon it without lacerating its wings, so
the nations that subjugate Israel will be punished. Also, as a garden
hedge is made of the thorn-bush, so Israel forms the hedge for the
world, the garden of God, for without Israel the world could not endure.
Furthermore, as the thorn-bush bears thorns and roses alike, so Israel
has pious and impious members, and as the thorn-bush requires ample
water for its growth, so Israel can prosper only through the Torah, the
celestial water. And the thorn-bush, the leaf of which consists of five
leaflets, was to indicate to Moses that God had resolved to redeem
Israel only for the sake of the merits of five pious men, Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and Moses. The numbers represented by the letters
composing the Hebrew word for thorn-bush, Seneh, add up to one hundred
and twenty, to convey that Moses would reach the age of one hundred and
twenty years, and that the Shekinah would rest on Mount Horeb for one
hundred and twenty days. Finally, in order to give Moses an illustration
of His modesty, God descended from the exalted heavens and spake to him
from a lowly thorn-bush instead of the summit of a lofty mountain or
the top of a stately cedar tree. --Legends of the Jews, Volume II, Chapter 4: 303 (Moses in Egypt) by Louis Ginzberg
We see much can be applied to Christ, some seemingly cannot eg the 5 leaves representing 5 people that merited Israel's redemption--Christ alone merited the Church's, and also the gematria. The thorns can represent true worship and symbolizes God suffering with His people, just as Christ being God in Flesh suffered for His people. The thorns allude to a protective hedge--the Garden of God, something alluded to by John 19. The hedge protects the world--Christ's death appeased God's wrath, and by the prayers of the Church in the Mass the death of Christ is presented again.
Lastly, as mentioned, the thorns represent God's modesty, a condescension, the kenosis mentioned in Philippians 2, where God leaves an exalted place and comes in a lowly form.
The Ram caught in the Thicket
When God called off the sacrifice of Isaac, a ram caught in a thicket was found by Abraham and sacrifice in place of Isaac. St Augustine, and others note this:
For when Abraham saw him, he was caught by the horns in a thicket. What, then, did he represent but Jesus, who, before He was offered up, was crowned with thorns by the Jews?--St Augustine, The City of God (Book XVI)
This ties in with my short article where I show a Jewish commentary that noted the sacrificing of Isaac was like a crucifixion.
The Nestorian Solomon of Akhlat (absurdly) claims the cross was made of the wood of the tree used to offer the ram caught in the thicket.
St Cyril of Alexandria commenting on the meaning of the thorns states:
And I have heard some say, and to some the conceit is well-pleasing,
that the crown of thorns further signifies the multitude of
idol-worshippers who will be taken up by Christ, as it were, into a
diadem, through faith in Him; and they liken the Gentiles to barren and
useless thorns, through their bearing no fruit of piety, and being
rather fit to feed consuming fire----just like rubbish in the fields,
just as wild thicket, which grows up without any culture--St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel According to John, Book XII, on John 19:2
Lactantius states more eloquently:
For the placing of a crown of thorns upon His head, declared that it would come to pass that He would gather to Himself a holy people from those who were guilty. For people standing around in a circle are called a corona . But we, who before that we knew God were unjust, were thorns — that is, evil and guilty, not knowing what was good; and estranged from the conception and the works of righteousness, polluted all things with wickedness and lust. Being taken, therefore, from briars and thorns, we surround the sacred head of God; for, being called by Himself, and spread around Him, we stand beside God, who is our Master and Teacher, and crown Him King of the world, and Lord of all the living --Lactantius, Divine Institutes, Book IV (Of True Wisdom and Religion), Chapter 26
Thorns symbolize the Cares of the World that push aside Christ's gospel
St Augustine interprets the thorns in light of Jesus's parable:
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said....Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God....And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. --Luke 8:4-15
Origen states not to crown Christ with our thorns:
There are those who still have thorns with which they crown and dishonour Jesus, those, namely, who are choked by the cares, and riches, and pleasures of life, and though they have received the word of God, do not bring it to perfection. (Luke 8:14) We must beware, therefore, lest we also, as crowning Jesus with thorns of our own, should be entered in the Gospel and read of in this character by those who learn the Jesus, who is in all and is present in all rational and holy lives, learn how He is anointed with ointment, is entertained, is glorified, or how, on the other side, He is dishonoured, and mocked, and beaten. All this had to be said; it is part of our demonstration that our good actions, and also the sins of those who stumble, are embodied in the Gospel, either to everlasting life or to reproach and everlasting shame.--Origen, Commentary on the Gospel of John (Book I), Chapter 12
Thorns are sins
while saving us from the prickings of our sins, He refused not to submit His head to thorns--Pope Gregory the Great, Pastoral Rule (Book III), Chapter 12
St Thomas Aquinas quoting Bede the Venerable's commentary (which I cannot locate) states:
For instead of a diadem, they put upon Him a crown of thorns, and a
purple robe to represent the purple robe which kings wear. Matthew says,
a scarlet robe, but scarlet and purple are different names for the same
color. And though the soldiers did this in mockery, yet to us their
acts have a meaning. For by the crown of thorns is signified the taking
of our sins upon Him, the thorns which the earth of our body brings
forth. And the purple robe signifies the flesh crucified. For our Lord
is robed in purple, wherever He is glorified by the triumphs of holy
martyrs.--Catena Aurea on John 19:1-5
St Bede seems to tie it also with Genesis 3 curse allegorically.
St Thomas Aquinas expanding on St Bede's comments states:
They mock him with a crown, because it is customary for kings to wear a crown, a crown of gold: "A crown of gold upon his head" (Sir 45:12). The Psalm (20:4) mentions this: "You set a crown of fine gold upon his head." And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, the head of him who is a crown of glory to those who belong to him: "In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnants of his people" (Isaiah 28:5). It was appropriately made of thorns, because by them he removes the thorns of sin, which pain us through remorse of conscience: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns" (Jer 4:3). These thorns also take away the thorns of punishment which burdens us: "Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth to you" (Gen 3:18) --St Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Chapter 19, Lecture 1
Head
The head suffers with the rest of the body, Christ the head
Robe
And the purple robe signifies the flesh crucified. For our Lord is robed in purple, wherever He is glorified by the triumphs of holy martyrs.--Bede the Venerable quoted in Catena Aurea on John 19:1-5
The Purple Robe symbolizes the Kingdom of God on Earth
John says the robe was "purple" πορφυροῦν while Matthew "scarlet" κοκκίνην.
Most say that think the same garment is being referred whether it is scarlet or purple, the Diatessaron (a harmonization of the 4 gospels written by Tatian who would apostacize) seems to speak of two garments, one scarlet and one purple.
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet cloak. [John 19:2] And they clothed him in garments of purple--Diatessaron, Section 50
There is a Jewish tradition relating to how the priestly garments symbolize righteous (citing Isaiah 59:17):
R. Joshua of Siknin said in the name of R. Levi: It can be compared to a prince whose tutor wanted to go in before the King to plead on behalf of his son, but was afraid of those who stood by lest one of them should attack him. What did the king do? He clothed him in his royal purple cloak, so that all who saw him might be afraid of him. Similarly, Aaron used to enter the Holy of Holies almost hourly [on that day], and had it not been for the many merits which entered with him and helped him [in his petitions], he would have been unable to go in, on account of the angels that were there. For this reason did God give unto him [garments] after the pattern of the holy garments, as it says. And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make tunic, etc. (Ex. XXVIII, 40); just as it is written, And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon His head, and put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak (Isa LIX, 17)--Midrash Rabbah, Exodus. Chapter XXXVIII, 8-9 p 457
Jewish tradition speaks about a story of a king with a purple garment that changes to red:
"It can be compared to a king whose palace-guard sneered at his purple cloak. The king retorted: 'So. you have nothing to do except look at my purple cloak? Well, as long as you live, I will change it and punish you.' Similarly. the wicked who attacked 'the ancient of days' did not do so because He was old, but because they [they Israelites] had wearied him with their actions, for it says, Ye have wearied the Lord with your words (Mal II, 17). God said to them, 'I will change [my cloak], as it says, Wherefore is Thine apparel red? (Isa LXIII, 2), 'and I will punish you,' as it says, The Lord will go forth as a mighty man, He will stir up jealousy like a man of war (ibid XLII, 13)--Midrash Rabbah, Exodus, p 368
Bede the Venerable claims scarlet and purple in the case of the cloak refer to the same color;
a purple robe to represent the purple robe which kings wear. Matthew says, a scarlet robe, but scarlet and purple are different names for the same color.--Bede the Venerable quoted in Catena Aurea on John 19:1-5
The colors are not exactly the same as St Bede says, there is some overlap (as seen below), since other scripture seems to distinguish the two:
“Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in
purple (πορφυροῦν) and scarlet (κόκκινον), adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!"--Revelation 18:16
Also, interesting, scarlet and purple are also the priestly colors in Exodus 28 (a chapter that reoccurs in John 19's allusions), which may be the chapter Revelation 18:16 is alluding to:
And they shall take the gold and the blue and the purple (πορφύραν) and the scarlet (κόκκινον) and the linen.--Exodus 28:5 NETS translation of the LXX
But it could be there is some overlap between these colors, just as the Hebrew word commonly translated as "red" אֲדֻמָּה but can refers to red and brown, or a reddish brown--the color of blood.
The κόκκινον word according to Liddle Scott Jones' lexicon says:
As can be seen, πορφυροῦν has shades of red with in its semantic domain, not just purple. When looking at the overlap in meaning the color of the robe, if only one was used was more reddish/scarlet than violet in our modern English speech. This may be why there is not much said by the Greek fathers on the matter--the colors had overlap and was not perceived as being a contradiction.
Colors are not thought of the same in every language. For instance, in English we think of baby blue, dark blue, navy blue as all types of the same color, however in Russia baby blue is called galu'boy голубо́й, while what we call a darker blue is see-nee си́ній.
Perhaps, St John saw it more purplish, or perhaps he deliberately wanted to use a more ambiguous word to overlap with the color of royalty.
