What does "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" mean in Matthew 27:47? Old Testament Background in Psalm 22:1 Psalm 22 opens, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” . Written by David c. 1000 BC, the psalm rehearses suffering that culminates in vindication, concluding, “He has done it!” (v. 31), a phrase echoed in “It is finished” (John 19:30). Every Jew within earshot would have known the psalm; Jesus’ citation signaled that the entire lament-to-victory arc was coming to fulfillment on the cross. Aramaic or Hebrew? The consonants ‘Eli’ occur identically in Hebrew and Aramaic script. “Lema sabachthani” is Aramaic; the LXX renders Psalm 22 with the Greek ἱνατί ἐγκατέλιπές. Jesus likely employed a mixed Hebraic-Aramaic cry understood by the multilingual crowd. Meaning in the Crucifixion Context 1. Prophetic Identification—By invoking Psalm 22, Jesus ties His experience to David’s prophetic portrait: pierced hands and feet (v. 16), divided garments (v. 18), public mockery (v. 7). 2. Judicial Substitution—“Forsaken” expresses covenantal abandonment as He bears sin (Isaiah 53:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Trinity is not ontologically divided; rather, the Son experiences the penal consequences of sin in His human nature. 3. Faith-Filled Lament—Even in anguish He says “My God,” affirming relationship. The Misunderstanding about Elijah (Matthew 27:47) “Some of those standing there heard this and said, ‘He is calling Elijah.’ ” . In Aramaic, “Eli” can sound like “Eliyahu.” First-century Jews expected Elijah to return before Messiah (Malachi 4:5). The mishearing highlights spiritual blindness and ironically testifies that Jesus, not Elijah, fulfills the messianic mission. Prophetic Fulfillment and Messianic Identity Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12:10, and Daniel 9:26 converge on a suffering, pierced Messiah. Jesus’ citation links the prophecies to the historical crucifixion witnessed c. AD 30. Archaeological confirmation of Roman crucifixion practices (e.g., Jehohanan ankle-bone with spike, Jerusalem, 1968) corroborates the Gospel setting anticipated by Psalm 22 centuries earlier—long before the Romans developed crucifixion, underscoring divine foreknowledge. Theological Implications • Atonement: The cry reveals the cost of redemption, fulfilling the Levitical requirement of substitutionary blood (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). • Trinity: The Father “forsakes” judicially, not ontologically; crucifixion does not fracture divine unity (John 10:30). • Assurance: Because the Psalm ends in triumph, the forsakenness is temporary, guaranteeing resurrection (Psalm 22:24, 31; Acts 2:24-32). Pastoral and Devotional Application Believers facing suffering can echo Jesus’ honest lament yet cling to covenant hope. Unbelievers are confronted with the gravity of sin and the exclusivity of Christ’s atoning work. The cry invites every listener to move from misunderstanding—“He is calling Elijah”—to recognition: He is calling sinners to Himself. |
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