Commentary on John 19:33-37

 A continuation of my prior posts on John's 19's allusions to the Old Testament, especially Genesis.

See commentaries for: John 19:1, John 19:2, John 19:3, John 19:4, John 19:23

After Jesus died on the cross, John 19 says:

But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead (τεθνηκότα), they did not break (κατέαξαν) his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced (ἔνυξεν) Jesus’ side (πλευρὰν) with a spear (λόγχῃ), bringing a sudden flow (ἐξῆλθεν) of blood and water--John 19:33-34

ἐπὶ δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐλθόντες, ὡς εἶδον ἤδη αὐτὸν τεθνηκότα, οὐ κατέαξαν αὐτοῦ τὰ σκέλη, ἀλλ' εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν λόγχῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευρὰν ἔνυξεν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εὐθὺς αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ. --John 19:33-34 (all major texts)

John then proceeds to indirectly tell us in v.35 that he personally saw these things happen. Some have taken it to mean most didn't see this (Theodore of Mopsuestia).

St John then provides explicit commentary for the piercing and the fact Jesus's legs were not broken in verses shortly after:

These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”--John 19:36-37

Ἐγένετο γὰρ ταῦτα ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ, Ὀστοῦν οὐ συντριβήσεται [ἀπ'] αὐτοῦ. καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρα γραφὴ λέγει· Ὄψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν. --John 19:36-37 (ἀπ' is only found in the Byzantine Majority)

The quote of "Not one of his bones will be broken" "Ὀστοῦν οὐ συντριβήσεται [ἀπ'] αὐτοῦ" quotes:

“It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones [לֹא תִשְׁבְּרוּ-בוֹ].--Exodus 12:46

 בְּבַיִת אֶחָד יֵאָכֵל, לֹא-תוֹצִיא מִן-הַבַּיִת מִן-הַבָּשָׂר חוּצָה; וְעֶצֶם, לֹא תִשְׁבְּרוּ-בוֹ.--Exodus 12:46

 ἐν οἰκίᾳ μιᾷ βρωθήσεται καὶ οὐκ ἐξοίσετε ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας τῶν κρεῶν ἔξω καὶ ὀστοῦν οὐ συντρίψετε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ--Exodus 12:46 (LXX)

John 19:36 in the Byzantine majority includes the ἀπ' agreeing with it word-for-word. Note despite most translations of Exodus 12:46 not saying "of/in him" the words are there. "בוֹ" means "in him."

The quote “They will look on the one they have pierced” Ὄψονται εἰς ὃν ἐξεκέντησαν" roughly quotes:

וְשָׁפַכְתִּי עַל-בֵּית דָּוִיד וְעַל יוֹשֵׁב יְרוּשָׁלִַם, רוּחַ חֵן וְתַחֲנוּנִים, וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-דָּקָרוּ; וְסָפְדוּ עָלָיו, כְּמִסְפֵּד עַל-הַיָּחִיד, וְהָמֵר עָלָיו, כְּהָמֵר עַל-הַבְּכוֹר--Zechariah 12:10

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through [וְהִבִּיטוּ אֵלַי, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-דָּקָרוּ;]; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.  --Zechariah 12:10

καὶ ἐκχεῶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Δαυιδ καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Ιερουσαλημ πνεῦμα χάριτος καὶ οἰκτιρμοῦ καὶ ἐπιβλέψονται πρός με ἀνθ᾽ ὧν κατωρχήσαντο καὶ κόψονται ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν κοπετὸν ὡς ἐπ᾽ ἀγαπητὸν καὶ ὀδυνηθήσονται ὀδύνην ὡς ἐπὶ πρωτοτόκῳ--Zechariah 12:10 (LXX)

 Clearly, the present Greek text does not match. This issue will be shelved for now.

ἀλλ' εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν λόγχῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευρὰν ἔνυξεν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν εὐθὺς αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ-- Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side (πλευρὰν) with a spear (λόγχῃ), bringing a sudden flow (ἐξῆλθεν) of blood and water

The piercing in the side of the dead Christ, the new Adam, from which poured blood and water is understood to symbolize the formation of the Church, the bride of Christ just as Eve was formed from the side of the sleeping Adam who the LORD caused to fall asleep:

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs [מִצַּלְעֹתָיו], and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. And the rib [הַצֵּלָע], which the LORD God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man--Genesis 2:21-22

וַיַּפֵּל יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים תַּרְדֵּמָה עַל-הָאָדָם, וַיִּישָׁן; וַיִּקַּח, אַחַת מִצַּלְעֹתָיו, וַיִּסְגֹּר בָּשָׂר, תַּחְתֶּנָּה. וַיִּבֶן יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הַצֵּלָע אֲשֶׁר-לָקַח מִן-הָאָדָם, לְאִשָּׁה; וַיְבִאֶהָ, אֶל-הָאָדָם.  --Genesis 2:21-22 Masoretic Text

And God cast a trance upon Adam, and he slept (ὕπνωσεν), and he took one of his ribs (πλευρῶν) and filled up flesh in its place. And the rib (πλευράν) that he had taken from Adam the Lord God fashioned into a woman and brought her to Adam.--Genesis 2:21-22 NETS of LXX

καὶ ἐπέβαλεν ὁ θεὸς ἔκστασιν ἐπὶ τὸν Αδαμ καὶ ὕπνωσεν καὶ ἔλαβεν μίαν τῶν πλευρῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεπλήρωσεν σάρκα ἀντ᾽ αὐτῆς καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὴν πλευράν ἣν ἔλαβεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Αδαμ εἰς γυναῖκα καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὴν πρὸς τὸν Αδαμ --Genesis 2:21-22 LXX

Christ's pierced side is called "πλευρὰν" by St John, and the same word is used in Genesis 2:22 in the LXX. The corresponding Hebrew is הַצֵּלָע. 

Many of the Church Fathers, especially the Latin, saw the symbolism of the formation of the church. This was encapsulated in the extraordinary magisterium of the Church at the General Council of Vienne taught: 

And that in this assumed nature the Word of God willed for the salvation of all not only to be nailed to the cross and to die on it, but also, having already breathed forth his spirit, permitted his side to be pierced by a lance, so that from the outflowing water and blood there might be formed the one, immaculate and holy virginal mother church, the bride of Christ, as from the side of the first man in his sleep Eve was fashioned as his wife, in this way, to the determinate figure of the first and old Adam, who according to the Apostle is a type of the one who was to come, the truth might correspond in our last Adam, that is to say in Christ.--Council of Vienne (1311-1313), Decree 1

One of the earliest Latin writing Christians (albeit one who left the church), Tertullian, in the early 3rd Century wrote:

If you receive your instruction from God, (you will find) that the fountain of the human race, Adam, had a taste of drowsiness before having a draught of repose; slept before he laboured, or even before he ate, nay, even before he spoke; in order that men may see that sleep is a natural feature and function, and one which has actually precedence over all the natural faculties. From this primary instance also we are led to trace even then the image of death in sleep. For as Adam was a figure of Christ, Adam's sleep shadowed out the death of Christ, who was to sleep a mortal slumber, that from the wound inflicted on His side might, in like manner (as Eve was formed), be typified the church, the true mother of the living.--Tertullian, A Treatise on the Soul: Chapter 43

St Cyril of Jerusalem linked it to Eve, as well as baptism and martyrdom. 

the water, perhaps, for him who judged Him; but for them that shouted against Him the blood. And again it is to be understood in another way; the blood for the Jews, and the water for the Christians: for upon them as plotters came the condemnation from the blood; but to you who now believe, the salvation which is by water. For nothing has been done without a meaning. Our fathers who have written comments have given another reason of this matter. For since in the Gospels the power of salutary Baptism is twofold, one which is granted by means of water to the illuminated, and a second to holy martyrs, in persecutions, through their own blood, there came out of that saving Side blood and water , to confirm the grace of the confession made for Christ, whether in baptism, or on occasions of martyrdom. There is another reason also for mentioning the Side. The woman, who was formed from the side, led the way to sin; but Jesus who came to bestow the grace of pardon on men and women alike, was pierced in the side for women, that He might undo the sin.--St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 13 

St Augustine sees a link with Noah and Adam with mention of the "side": 

A suggestive word was made use of by the evangelist, in not saying pierced, or wounded His side, or anything else, but "opened;" that thereby, in a sense, the gate of life might be thrown open, from whence have flowed forth the sacraments of the Church, without which there is no entrance to the life which is the true life. That blood was shed for the remission of sins; that water it is that makes up the health-giving cup, and supplies at once the laver of baptism and water for drinking. This was announced beforehand, when Noah was commanded to make a door in the side of the ark, (Genesis 6:16) whereby the animals might enter which were not destined to perish in the flood, and by which the Church was prefigured. Because of this, the first woman was formed from the side of the man when asleep, (Genesis 2:22) and was called Life, and the mother of all living. (Genesis 3:20) Truly it pointed to a great good, prior to the great evil of the transgression (in the guise of one thus lying asleep). --St Augustine, Tractate 120 (John 19:31-20:9)

The Noah link also has the contrasted stupor of Noah by wine and "sleep of death" of Christ. 

St Augustine said Eve was formed from Adam sleeping and the Church from the New Adam dying:

And as if you should say, When shall we rise? We are ordered now to sit: when will be our rising? When the Lord's was. Look unto Him, who went before you: for if you heed not Him, "it is lost labour for you to rise before dawn." When was He raised? When He had died. Hope therefore for your uplifting after your death: have hope in the resurrection of the dead, because He rose again and ascended. But where did He sleep? On the Cross. When He slept on the Cross, He bore a sign, yea, He fulfilled what had been signified in Adam: for when Adam was asleep, a rib was drawn from him and Eve was created; (Genesis 2:21-22) so also while the Lord slept on the Cross, His side was transfixed with a spear, and the Sacraments flowed forth, (John 19:34) whence the Church was born. For the Church the Lord's Bride was created from His side, as Eve was created from the side of Adam. But as she was made from his side no otherwise than while sleeping, so the Church was created from His side no otherwise than while dying.--St Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 127

St Ephraim the Syrian says the sword opened the door to paradise: 

Blessed be the Merciful One, who saw the weapon by Paradise, that closed the way to the Tree of Life; and came and took a Body which could suffer, that with the Door, that was in His side, He might open the way into Paradise.--St Ephraim the Syrian, Hymn 6 

For more on the sword's significance see my other article on John 19:1. 

 St Cyril of Alexandria see the Eucharist and baptism in the blood and water:

...as they still had a faint suspicion that He might not be actually dead, they with a spear pierced His Side, which sent forth Blood, mingled with Water; God presenting us thereby with a type, as it were, and foreshadowing of the mystery of the Eucharist, and Holy Baptism. For Holy Baptism is of Christ, and Christ's institution; and the power of the mystery of the Eucharist grew up for us out of His Holy Flesh.--St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on John, Book 12

 St John Chrysostom likewise links it to the two sacraments:

Yet, beloved, be not thou confounded, be not thou desponding; for the things which these men did from a wicked will, fought on the side of the truth. Since there was a prophecy, saying, from this circumstance, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced." (Ver. 37; Zechariah 12:10) And not this only, but the deed then dared was a demonstration of the faith, to those who should afterwards disbelieve; as to Thomas, and those like him. With this too an ineffable mystery was accomplished. For "there came forth water and blood." Not without a purpose, or by chance, did those founts come forth, but because by means of these two together the Church consists. And the initiated know it, being by water indeed regenerate, and nourished by the Blood and the Flesh. Hence the Mysteries take their beginning; that when you approach to that awful cup, you may so approach, as drinking from the very side. --St John Chrysostom, Homily 85 on the Gospel of John

Living Water Flows

It is also noteworthy that John 19:34's flow of water evokes imagery of Christ's own words: 

But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.--John 4:14

He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified--John 7:38

Water was a common motif in John's gospel, mentioned frequently: John 1 (baptism), 2 (water into wine), 3 (new birth and baptism), 4 (baptism, well) etc. This point was not missed in the early church:

It is written that when the side of Jesus was pierced "He shed thereout blood and water." This has a mystical meaning. For Himself had said, "Out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water." But He shed forth blood also, of which the Jews sought that it might be upon themselves and upon their children. He shed forth water, therefore, which might wash believers; He shed forth blood also which might condemn unbelievers.--Tyrannius Rufinus of Aquileia, Commentary on the Apostles' Creed

In John 7:38 He seems to speak of the Holy Spirit as living water, the shedding of water after His death then might also indicate that now Christ being glorified/crucified and dead, He can now send out the Spirit, as He did in John 20:22 giving the Spirit to the Apostles to forgive sins, then in Acts 1 where the baptism of the Spirit came (called the sacrament of Confirmation or Chrismation).

 John later said:

Then the angel showed me the river of life-giving water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of its street. On either side of the river grew the tree of life that produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month; the leaves of the trees serve as medicine for the nations...The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let the hearer say, “Come.” Let the one who thirsts come forward, and the one who wants it receive the gift of life-giving water--Revelation 22:1-2, 17

Revelation 22 is making allusions to Ezekiel 47.

Going back to the allusion in John 7:38, it's not a quote of any extant verse of the Old Testament, however, its generally taken as a reference to verses like Isaiah 12 and Ezekiel 47. If Ezekiel 47 is in mind, then it's another allusion by Christ to the temple being Himself, and/or a believer also becoming a temple.

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and there! I saw water flowing out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east. The water flowed out toward the right side of the temple to the south of the altar--Ezekiel 47:1

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for GOD the LORD is my strength and song; and He is become my salvation.' Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.--Isaiah 12:2-3

In fact, in the Roman Rite during the Eastertide, there is the famous hymn saying as much:

I saw water flowing out of the Temple, from its right side, Alleluia:  And all to whom this water came were saved, And they shall say: Alleluia, Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good for the world [is] in his mercy. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. I saw water flowing out of the Temple, from its right side, Alleluia: And all to whom this water came were saved, And they shall say: Alleluia, Alleluia.--Vidi aquam

Three that testify

At the Cross Christ gave up the spirit, and shed water and blood, St John mentions all three in his first epistle: 

Who [indeed] is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord.--1 John 5:5-8 

Lapide's many comments

Cornelius Lapide's commentary reads:

Ver. 33.—But when they came to Jesus (evidently to break His legs. Euthymius says, “They came to Him last, as wishing to please the Jews by treating Him with greater insult) and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs. He did not wish His legs to be broken, for He wished to rise again with an unmutilated body.” As Lactantius says (iv. 26), “His body is taken down from the cross entire, and carefully laid in the tomb, lest by the loss of any limb it might be rendered less seemly for resurrection.” 

Instead, then, of His legs being broken, His side was pierced with the spear. This was after He was dead, not while He was alive as some have thought. This error was condemned in the Council of Vienne. For as Christ, while alive, gave up His whole Body for us, so did He in His death wish to give us His heart. For this it was that was pierced by the spear, and blood and water flowed forth from it, so that He gave Himself entirely to us. 

You will say that Christ was already dead, and that therefore He merited nothing by this piercing of His heart. But I reply that when alive He knew this wound would be inflicted, and that He offered it to the Father for us, and thus merited and effected our salvation. Thou wilt say next, We see that blood flows from the body of a slain person, if the murderer is present. This then is a natural effect. I say that it is not natural, but very nearly miraculous; to point out and confound the murderer. And much more was it miraculous in the case of Christ, as I will presently show. 

Ver. 34.—But one of the soldiers opened His side. As somewhat doubting, says S. Cyril, whether He were really dead; and if He were not, to hasten His death. For it was the duty of these soldiers to carry out the sentence, and to see that criminals were not taken away before it was certain that they were dead. S. Chrysostom adds, “To please the Jews, they lay open His side and insult Him when dead. 0 most evil and most atrocious wish.” Some suppose that this soldier was the centurion, who cried out “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew xxvii. 54.) But it is not likely that he who so cried out would dare to commit such an act. Nazianzen in his “Christus Patiens” suggests that he was blind, and that he then regained his sight. Many stories on this matter were collected by Barradius, which Baronius rejects as apocryphal. Here note—1. That the soldier was one of the guuard who brake the legs of the two malefactors, and would have broken Christ’s also had he been alive. But they pierced His side, to show that He was dead, and this was why they brake not His legs. 2. Some say it was a spear, others a sword which was used. 3. The Vulgate seems to have read, ήνοιξε, but the Greek is ένυξε. 4. This wound was so large that a hand could have been thrust into it. See John xx. 27. 5. It was on the right side, as represented by painters. Some think it was so foretold by Ezekiel xvii. 2.  S. Francis also received his wound on the right side. See S. Bonaventura, Ribadeaeira, &c. 6. Christ therefore received six wounds. 7. This wound seems to have pierced through both sides, as Prudentius says in several passages. As, e.g., 

As struck the cruel spear through either side, Water and Blood poured forth in mingled tide: For victory this, and that to cleanse applied.  

De Pass. Christi [apud Diptych, num. xlii.]; Peristeph. Hymn viii. [151; and Cathomer, Hymn ix. [85]; [Pseudo]-Cyprian also (de Pass.) says the same. Theophylact speaks of this wound in the plural number, Prudentius seems to imply that the larger wound emitted blood, and the smaller wound on the left side water. But this wound on the left slide was so small as not to be taken into account. Hence there were only five wounds.  S. Bridget’s Revel. iv. 40, vii. 15, and ii. 21, are also referred to. 

And forthwith came thereout blood and water. Both together (not separately, as Nonnus paraphrases), but yet not mixed, but so that they could be distinguished from each other. But this could not be the case naturally, because the blood of a dead body congeals, and pure blood cannot flow from it. And this was pure blood, not serum, as Innoc. III. lays it down (Lib. iii. Decret. tit. 41, de Celebr. Miss. cap. viii.) Calvin is therefore wrong in saying that water is contained in the pericardium. Therefore this flowing forth of blood and water was miraculous, as S. Ambrose on Luke xxiii., Euthymius, and Theophylact say. The latter remarks, “The contumely is changed into a miracle, and wonderful it was that blood flowed forth from a dead body. But a caviller might say that some vital force might probably remain in the body. But the water which flowed forth puts the matter beyond all dispute.” He says afterwards, “Confounded be the Armenians, who in the Mysteries mix not water with the wine. For, as it seems, they do not believe that water flowed forth from the side (which would be more wonderful), but blood only. And in this passage they do away with a mighty miracle. The blood then is the symbol of a crucified man, but the water of one who is above man, that is, of God.” See Adam Coutzen and Francis Lucas on this passage. 

But this took place by way of mystery. But what mystery? (1.) To show the reality of Christ’s human nature. See 1 John v. 7. (2.) To signify that the Church was formed as the Spouse of Christ out of the side of the second Adam dying on the Cross. Symbolically, i.e. and figuratively, as meaning that the Church was purchased, founded, and sanctified by the Blood of Christ. As S. Ambrose (on Luke xxiii.) says, “Life flowed forth from that dead body. For water and blood flowed forth, the one to cleanse, the other to redeem;” and as S. Cyril and Chrysostom say, that the water signifies baptism, which is the first beginning, of the Church and the other sacraments, and the blood represents the Eucharist, which is the end and completion of the sacraments, to which they all refer as to their beginning and their end. Whence S. Augustine says (in loc.), that all sacraments flowed forth from the side of Christ, in mystery, as I said. His words are, “It is not said that he ‘struck’ or ‘wounded,’ but that he ‘opened’ the side of Christ, that the door of life might thus, as it were, be opened, from whence the sacraments of the Church flowed forth, without which there is no entrance to true life.” And S. Chrysostom. “Because the sacred mysteries take their rise from thence, when thou approachest the awful Chalice, thou shouldest approach it as if thou wert about to drink from the very side of Christ;” and the reason is, as S. Chrysostom and Theophylact say, “The Church exists and consists by means of the sacraments.” For it is born by Baptism, strengthened by Confirmation, fed and perfected by the Eucharist, healed by Penance, fortified by Extreme Unction, governed by Holy Orders, and continued and extended by Matrimony. 

As a symbol of this, Cyprian and others say that water must be mixed with the wine in the consecration of the Chalice. 

Tropologically. Tertullian says (de Baptismo), that Christ by this effusion of Blood and Water indicated the two kinds of Baptism, by water and by martyrdom. 

Anagogically. This opening of Christ’s side shadowed forth that heaven, which had been closed for 4000 years, was opened by His death. Ruffinus adds, In Expos. Symb., “He poured forth water to cleanse believers, and blood to condemn unbelievers.” See Suarez, Par. iii. Quæst. li Disput. xli. § 1, where, however, he thinks that only the left side of Christ was pierced, and that the blood first ran forth, and afterwards the water, both which are equally probable. 

Ver. 35.—And he that saw it bare record. Probably John himself, who speaks of himself unassumingly in the third person. 

Ver. 36.—For these things where done that the scripture should be fulfilled (allegorically, not literally), A bone of Him shall not be broken. A bone, i.e., of the Paschal Lamb (Ex. xii. 46). The literal reason was, that they had to eat it in haste, and had not time to break the bones and extract the marrow. The allegorical reason was, because that lamb was a type of Christ, and God willed that a bone of Him should not be broken, in order that His sacred Body, which was to rise again, should remain complete in every limb. Symbolically, it signified—(1.) That the Godhead of Christ, which was (as it were) the bone which supported His Body, remained entire and uninjured in His Passion (see Rupertus on Ex. xii.) 

(2.) That the strength and vigour of Christ as man (of which the bones were a symbol) were not diminished, but rather increased, by His Passion. For His mind was steadfastly fixed on God, and His will remained firmly and constantly united to the Divine Will. So the Martyr Hippolytus says. See Theodoret, Dialog. iii. 

Allegorically, This signifies that the Holy Apostles, who were the bones of the Church, were not to be broken. (See, S. Augustine on Ps. xxxiv.; S. Jerome on Ps. xxi.; and S. Gregory, Mor. xxiv. 30.) 

And S. Hilary, on Ps. xl., says, the bones of Christ were not broken, because the Church, which was formed of His bones, ought not to be weakened by their being broken. 

Tropologically. See S. Bernard (Serm. de cute, &c. animæ). He says that the skin is good thoughts, the flesh pious affections, the bones holy intentions, which, even when godly thoughts and affections fail, must still be kept unbroken and strong: or else a man bursts asunder, and falls to pieces. 

Ver. 37.—And again another scripture saith, They shall look on Him whom they pierced. See Zech. xii. 10. 

Heresy of Christ being alive when pierced with the sword

The Council of Vienne also condemned anyone who said Christ was not dead when the soldier pierced his side:

...when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness - his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth -- that you also may believe. 

We, therefore, directing our apostolic attention, to which alone it belongs to define these things, to such splendid testimony and to the common opinion of the holy fathers and doctors, declare with the approval of the sacred council that the said apostle and evangelist, John, observed the right order of events in saying that when Christ was already dead one of the soldiers opened his side with a spear. --Council of Vienne (1311-1313), Decree 1