Matthew 27:47
New International Version
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

New Living Translation
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.

English Standard Version
And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”

Berean Standard Bible
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.”

Berean Literal Bible
And some of those who were standing there, having heard, began saying, "This man calls Elijah."

King James Bible
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

New King James Version
Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”

New American Standard Bible
And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

NASB 1995
And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

NASB 1977
And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

Amplified Bible
When some of the bystanders there heard it, they began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.”

Christian Standard Bible
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling for Elijah!”

American Standard Version
And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah.

Contemporary English Version
Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, "He's calling for Elijah."

English Revised Version
And some of them that stood there, when they heard it, said, This man calleth Elijah.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When some of the people standing there heard him say that, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

Good News Translation
Some of the people standing there heard him and said, "He is calling for Elijah!"

International Standard Version
When some of the people standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling for Elijah."

Majority Standard Bible
When some of those standing there heard this, they said, ?He is calling Elijah.?

NET Bible
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah."

New Heart English Bible
Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, "This man is calling Elijah."

Webster's Bible Translation
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elijah.

Weymouth New Testament
"The man is calling for Elijah," said some of the bystanders.

World English Bible
Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And certain of those standing there having heard, said, “He calls Elijah”;

Berean Literal Bible
And some of those who were standing there, having heard, began saying, "This man calls Elijah."

Young's Literal Translation
And certain of those standing there having heard, said -- 'Elijah he doth call;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And some of them standing there, having heard, said, That he calls Elias.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And some that stood there and heard, said: This man calleth Elias.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then certain ones who were standing and listening there said, “This man calls upon Elijah.”

New American Bible
Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “This one is calling for Elijah.”

New Revised Standard Version
When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Some of the men who were standing by, when they heard it, said, This man has called for Elijah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Those people who were standing there, when they had heard, they were saying, “This one has called Elijah.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, said: This man calls for Elijah.

Godbey New Testament
And certain ones of those standing there hearing, said, He is calling Elijah.

Haweis New Testament
Then some of those who stood there, hearing him, said, This man is calling out for Elias.

Mace New Testament
some of the standers by, when they heard that, said, he calls upon Elias.

Weymouth New Testament
"The man is calling for Elijah," said some of the bystanders.

Worrell New Testament
And some of those standing there, hearing it, said, "This One is calling for Elijah.

Worsley New Testament
And some of them that stood by, hearing Him, said, He calls upon Elias:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Death of Jesus
46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He is calling Elijah.” 48One of them quickly ran and brought a sponge. He filled it with sour wine, put it on a reed, and held it up for Jesus to drink.…

Cross References
Mark 15:35-36
When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.” / And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine. He put it on a reed and held it up for Jesus to drink, saying, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to take Him down.”

Psalm 22:1
For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?

John 19:28-30
After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” / A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth. / When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Hebrews 5:7
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.

Psalm 69:21
They poisoned my food with gall and gave me vinegar to quench my thirst.

John 19:29
A jar of sour wine was sitting there. So they soaked a sponge in the wine, put it on a stalk of hyssop, and lifted it to His mouth.

Psalm 22:7-8
All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: / “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.”

Isaiah 53:3-4
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. / Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows; yet we considered Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

Psalm 69:3
I am weary from my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.

John 7:12
Many in the crowds were whispering about Him. Some said, “He is a good man.” But others replied, “No, He deceives the people.”

Psalm 22:16-18
For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. / I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me. / They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 23:35-36
The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” / The soldiers also mocked Him and came up to offer Him sour wine.

Psalm 42:9-10
I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?” / Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”


Treasury of Scripture

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calls for Elias.

This.

Matthew 11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mark 15:35,36
And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias…

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Matthew 27
1. Jesus is delivered bound to Pilate.
3. Judas hangs himself.
19. Pilate, admonished of his wife,
20. and being urged by the multitude, washes his hands, and releases Barabbas.
27. Jesus is mocked and crowned with thorns;
33. crucified;
39. reviled;
50. dies, and is buried;
62. his tomb is sealed and watched.














When some of those standing there
This phrase sets the scene at the crucifixion of Jesus, where a crowd has gathered. The Greek word for "standing" (ἑστῶτες, hestōtes) implies a stationary position, indicating that these individuals were not merely passing by but were intentionally present, witnessing the events unfold. Historically, crucifixions were public spectacles, and the presence of onlookers was common. This crowd likely included a mix of Roman soldiers, Jewish leaders, and curious onlookers, each with their own perspective on the events.

heard this
The phrase refers to the preceding cry of Jesus, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46, BSB). The Greek word for "heard" (ἀκούσαντες, akousantes) suggests an auditory perception that goes beyond mere hearing to include understanding or interpretation. This moment is pivotal, as it reflects the fulfillment of Psalm 22, a messianic psalm that begins with the same cry. The crowd's reaction indicates a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of Jesus' words, which were spoken in Aramaic.

they said
This phrase introduces the response of the onlookers. The Greek word for "said" (εἶπαν, eipan) is a simple past tense, indicating a direct and immediate reaction. This response reveals the crowd's lack of understanding and highlights the confusion surrounding Jesus' identity and mission. It also underscores the theme of misunderstanding that runs throughout the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus' true nature and purpose are often obscured to those who do not have faith.

He is calling Elijah
The mention of Elijah is significant in Jewish eschatological expectations. Elijah, a revered prophet, was believed to return before the coming of the Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi 4:5. The Greek name for Elijah (Ἠλίαν, Ēlian) is phonetically similar to "Eli," which may have led to the crowd's confusion. This statement reflects a common Jewish belief that Elijah would come to rescue the righteous in times of distress. The crowd's interpretation of Jesus' cry as a call to Elijah reveals their misunderstanding of His divine mission and the nature of His suffering. It also highlights the irony of the situation: while they expect a miraculous intervention, they fail to recognize the fulfillment of prophecy occurring before their eyes.

(47) This man calleth for Elias.--There is no ground for looking on this as a wilful, derisive misinterpretation. The words may have been imperfectly understood, or some of those who listened may have been Hellenistic Jews. The dominant expectation of the coming of Elijah (see Notes on Matthew 16:14; Matthew 17:10) would predispose men to fasten on the similarity of sound, and the strange unearthly darkness would intensify the feeling that looked for a supernatural manifestation of His presence.

Verse 47. - Some of them that stood there. These could not have been the Roman soldiers, for they would not have understood the Saviour's language, and could have known nothing about Elias. Edersheim supposes that the guards were provincial soldiers, and not necessarily of Latin extraction. At any rate, the speakers are Jews standing near enough to the cross to catch more or less the words uttered by Jesus. This man (οῦτος, he, pointing at him) calleth for Elias. Whether they wilfully misinterpreted the half-heard cry, "Eli, Eli!" or whether they really misunderstood it, is an undecided question. In the first case, we must suppose that they spoke in cruel mockery - the last of the brutal insults vented on the meek Sufferer. He cannot save himself; he appeals to the old prophet to come to rescue him; was there ever such presumption? There are two considerations which militate against this supposition. The time of ribaldry and abuse is now past; the supernatural darkness has had a calming and terrifying effect; and there is no spirit of mockery left in the awed bystanders. Besides this, it is not likely that Jews, who with all their errors and vices paid an outward respect to holy things, would have presumed to make a play on the sacred name of God. Therefore it is no more reasonable to hold that, misunderstanding Christ's words, they spoke seriously, with some vague, superstitious idea that Elijah might appear at this crisis, and rescue the Sufferer (see ver. 49).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
When
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

some
Τινὲς (Tines)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

of those
τῶν (tōn)
Article - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

standing
ἑστηκότων (hestēkotōn)
Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah'-o; to stand, used in various applications.

there
ἐκεῖ (ekei)
Adverb
Strong's 1563: (a) there, yonder, in that place, (b) thither, there. Of uncertain affinity; there; by extension, thither.

heard this,
ἀκούσαντες (akousantes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

they said,
ἔλεγον (elegon)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“[He]
οὗτος (houtos)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

is calling
φωνεῖ (phōnei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 5455: From phone; to emit a sound; by implication, to address in words or by name, also in imitation.

Elijah.”
Ἠλίαν (Ēlian)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2243: Elijah, the prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Helias, an Israelite.


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