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Translation
King James Version
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
KJV (with Strong's)
Complete Jewish Bible
At three, he uttered a loud cry, "Elohi! Elohi! L'mah sh'vaktani?" (which means, "My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?")
Berean Standard Bible
At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
American Standard Version
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
World English Bible Messianic
At the ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Geneva Bible (1599)
And at the ninth houre Iesus cryed with a loude voyce, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lamma-sabachthani? which is by interpretation, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Young's Literal Translation
and at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a great voice, saying, `Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?' which is, being interpreted, `My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?'
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In the KJVVerse 24,861 of 31,102
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Commentary on Mark 15 verses 33–41
33 ¶ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.
39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.
Here we have an account of Christ's dying, how his enemies abused him, and God honoured him at his death.
I. There was a thick darkness over the whole land (some think over the whole earth), for three hours, from noon till three of the clock. Now the scripture was fulfilled (Amo 8:9), I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day; and Jer 15:9, Her sun is gone down while it is yet day. The Jews have often demanded of Christ a sign from heaven; and now they had one, but such a one as signified the blinding of their eyes. It was a sign of the darkness that was come, and coming, upon the Jewish church and nation. They were doing their utmost to extinguish the Sun of righteousness, which was now setting, and the rising again of which they would never own; and what then might be expected among them but a worse than Egyptian darkness? This intimated to them, that the things which belonged to their peace, were now hid from their eyes, and that the day of the Lord was at hand, which should be to them a day of darkness and gloominess, Joe 2:1, Joe 2:2. It was the power of darkness that they were now under, the works of darkness that they were now doing; and such as this should their doom justly be, who loved darkness rather than light.
II. Toward the close of this darkness, our Lord Jesus, in the agony of his soul, cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Mar 15:34. The darkness signified the present cloud which the human soul of Christ was under, when he was making it an offering for sin. Mr. Fox, in his Acts and Monuments (vol. 3, p. 160), tells of one Dr. Hunter, a martyr in queen Mary's time, who, being fastened to the stake, to be burnt, put up this short prayer, Son of God, shine upon me; and immediately the sun in the firmament shone out of the dark cloud, so full in his face, that he was forced to look another way, which was very comfortable to him. But our Lord Jesus, on the contrary, was denied the light of the sun, when he was in his sufferings, to signifying the withdrawing of the light of God's countenance. And this he complained of more than any thing; he did not complain of his disciples' forsaking him, but of his Father's, 1. Because this wounded his spirit; and that is a thing hard to bear (Pro 18:14); brought the waters into his soul, Psa 69:1-3. 2. Because in this especially he was made sin for us; our iniquities had deserved indignation and wrath upon the soul (Rom 2:8), and therefore, Christ, being made a sacrifice, underwent as much of it as he was capable of; and it could not but bear hard indeed upon him who had lain in the bosom of the Father from eternity, and was always his light. These symptoms of divine wrath, which Christ was under in his sufferings, were like that fire from heaven which had been sent sometimes, in extraordinary cases, to consume the sacrifices (as Lev 9:24; Ch2 7:1; Kg1 18:38); and it was always a token of God's acceptance. The fire that should have fallen upon the sinner, if God had not been pacified, fell upon the sacrifice, as a token that he was so; therefore it now fell upon Christ, and extorted him from this loud and bitter cry. When Paul was to be offered as a sacrifice for the service of saints, he could joy and rejoice (Phi 2:17); but it is another thing to be offered as a sacrifice for the sin of sinners. Now, at the sixth hour, and so to the ninth, the sun was darkened by an extraordinary eclipse; and if it be true, as some astronomers compute, that in the evening of this day on which Christ died there was an eclipse of the moon, that was natural and expected, in which seven digits of the moon were darkened, and it continued from five o'clock till seven, it is remarkable, and yet further significant of the darkness of the time that then was. When the sun shall be darkened, the moon also shall not give her light.
III. Christ's prayer was bantered by them that stood by (Mar 15:35, Mar 15:36); because he cried, Eli, Eli, or (as Mark has it, according to the Syriac dialect) Eloi, Eloi, they said, He calls for Elias, though they knew very well what he said, and what it signified, My God, My God. Thus did they represent him as praying to saints, either because he had abandoned God, or God had abandoned him; and hereby they would make him more and more odious to the people. One of them filled a sponge with vinegar, and reached it up to him upon a reed; "Let him cool his mouth with that, it is a drink good enough for him," Mar 15:36. This was intended for a further affront and abuse to him; and whoever it was that checked him who did it, did but add to the reproach; "Let him alone; he has called for Elias: let us see whether Elias will come take him down; and if not, we may conclude that he also hath abandoned him."
IV. Christ did again cry with a loud voice, and so gave up the ghost, Mar 15:37. He was now commending his soul into his Father's hand; and though God is not moved with any bodily exercise, yet this loud voice signified the great strength and ardency of affection wherewith he did it; to teach us, in every thing wherein we have to do with God, to put forth our utmost vigour, and to perform all the duties of religion, particularly that of self-resignation, with our whole heart and whole soul; and then, though speech fails, that we cannot cry with a loud voice, as Christ did, yet if God be the strength of the heart, that will not fail. Christ was really and truly dead, for he gave up the ghost; his human soul departed to the world of spirits, and left his body a breathless clod of clay.
V. Just at that instant that Christ died upon mount Calvary, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom, Mar 15:38. This bespoke a great deal, 1. Of the terror of the unbelieving Jews; for it was a presage of the utter destruction of their church and nation, which followed not long after; it was like the cutting asunder of the staff of beauty (for this veil was exceedingly splendid and glorious, Exo 26:31), and that was done at the same time when they gave for his price thirty pieces of silver (Zac 11:10, Zac 11:12), to break the covenant which he had made with that people. Now it was time to cry, Ichabod, The glory is departed from Israel. Some think that the story which Josephus relates, of the temple door opening of its own accord, with that voice, Let us depart hence, some years before the destruction of Jerusalem, is the same with this; but that is not probable: however, this had the same signification, according to that (Hos 5:14), I will tear, and go away. 2. It bespeaks a great deal of comfort to all believing Christians, for it signifies the consecrating and laying open to us of a new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
VI. The centurion who commanded the detachment which had the oversight of the execution was convinced, and confessed that this Jesus was the Son of God, Mar 15:39. One thing that satisfied him, was, that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost: that one who was ready to give up the ghost, should be able to cry out so, was very surprising. Of all the sad spectacles of this kind he never observed the like; and that one who had strength to cry so loud, should yet immediately give up the ghost, this also made him wonder; and he said, to the honour of Christ, and the shame of those that abused him, Truly this man was the Son of God. But what reason had he to say so? I answer, 1. He had reason to say that he suffered unjustly, and had a great deal of wrong done him. Note, He suffered for saying that he was the Son of God; and it was true, he did say so, so that if he suffered unjustly, as it was plain by all the circumstances of his suffering that he did, then what he said was true, and he was indeed the Son of God. 2. He had reason to say that he was a favourite of heaven, and one for whom the almighty power was particularly engaged, seeing how Heaven did him honour at his death, and frowned upon his persecutors. "Surely," thinks he, "this must be some divine person, highly beloved of God." This he expresses by such words as denote his eternal generation as God, and his special designation to the office of Mediator, though he meant not so. Our Lord Jesus, even in the depth of his sufferings and humiliation, was the Son of God, and was declared to be so with power.
VII. There were some of his friends, the good women especially, that attended him (Mar 15:40, Mar 15:41); There were women looking on afar off: the men durst not be seen at all, the mob was so very outrageous; Currenti cede furori - Give way to the raging torrent, they thought, was good counsel now. The women durst not come near, but stood at a distance, overwhelmed with grief. Some of these women are here named. Mary Magdalene was one; she had been his patient, and owed all her comfort to his power and goodness, which rescued her out of the possession of seven devils, in gratitude for which she thought she could never do enough for him. Mary also was there, the mother of James the little, Jacobus parvus, so the word is; probably, he was so called because he was, like Zaccheus, little of stature. This Mary was the wife of Cleophas or Alpheus, sister to the virgin Mary. These women had followed Christ from Galilee, though they were not required to attend the feast, as the males were; but it is probably that they came, in expectation that his temporal kingdom would now shortly be set up, and big with hopes of preferment for themselves, and their relations under him. It is plain that the mother of Zebedee's children was so (Mat 20:21); and now to see him upon a cross, whom they thought to have seen upon a throne, could not but be a great disappointment to them. Note, Those that follow Christ, in expectation of great things in this world by him, and by the profession of his religion, may probably live to see themselves sadly disappointed.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 33–41. Public domain.
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Pseudo-Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
At the ninth hour, the tenth piece of money which had been lost is found, by the overturning of the house.
Here he points out a similitude for the Jews; a sponge on a reed, weak, dry, fit for burning; they fill it with vinegar, that is, with wickedness and guile.
Though the flesh was weak, yet the heavenly voice, which said, Open me the gates of righteousness, (Ps. 117:19) waxed strong. Wherefore there follows: And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. We who are of the earth die with a very low voice, or with no voice at all; but He who descended from heaven breathed His last with a loud voice.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.7.56
As human he doubts. He experiences amazement. It is not his divinity that doubts, but his human soul. He had no difficulty being amazed because he had taken humanity fully to himself. In taking upon himself a human soul, he also took upon himself the affections of a soul. As God he was not distressed, but as a human he was capable of being distressed. It was not as God he died, but as man. It was in human voice that he cried: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” As human, therefore, he speaks on the cross, bearing with him our terrors. For amid dangers it is a very human response to think ourself abandoned. As human, therefore, he is distressed, weeps, and is crucified.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
LETTER 140, TO HONORATUS 5
In his most compassionate humanity and through his servant form we may now learn what is to be despised in this life and what is to be hoped for in eternity. In that very passion in which his proud enemies seemed most triumphant, he took on the speech of our infirmity, in which “our sinful nature was crucified with him” that the body of sin might be destroyed, and said: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” … Thus the Psalm begins, which was sung so long ago, in prophecy of his passion and the revelation of the grace which he brought to raise up his faithful and set them free.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
LETTER 140, TO HONORATUS 6
Out of the voice of the psalmist, which our Lord then transferred to himself, in the voice of this infirmity of ours, he spoke these words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He is doubtless forsaken in the sense that his plea was not directly granted. Jesus appropriated the psalmist’s voice to himself, the voice of human weakness. The benefits of the old covenant had to be refused in order that we might learn to pray and hope for the benefits of the new covenant. Among those goods of the old covenant which belonged to the old Adam there is a special appetite for the prolonging of this temporal life. But this appetite itself is not interminable, for we all know that the day of death will come. Yet all of us, or nearly all, strive to postpone it, even those who believe that their life after death will be a happier one. Such force has the sweet partnership of flesh and soul.
Bede (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 735
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ubi sup.) This most glorious light took away its rays from the world, lest it should see the Lord hanging, and lest the blasphemers should have the benefit of its light. Wherefore it goes on: And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
(ubi sup.) For when Adam sinned, it is also written that he heard the voice of the Lord, walking in paradise, in the cool after mid-day; (Gen. 3:8.) and in that hour when the first Adam by sinning brought death into the world, in that same hour the second Adam by dying destroyed death. And we must observe, that our Lord was crucified, when the sun was going away from the centre of the world; but at sunrise He celebrated the mysteries of His resurrection; because He died for our sins, but rose again for our justification. Nor need you wonder at the lowliness of His words, at the complaints as of one forsaken, when you look on the offence of the cross, knowing the form of a servant. For as hunger, and thirst, and fatigue were not things proper to the Divinity, but bodily affections; so His saying, Why hast thou forsaken me? was proper to a bodily voice, for the body is never naturally wont to wish to be separated from the life which is joined to it. For although our Saviour Himself said this, He really showed the weakness of His body; He spoke therefore as man, bearing about with Him my feelings, for when placed in danger we fancy that we are deserted by God.
(ubi sup.) These however I suppose were Roman soldiers who did not understand the peculiarity of the Hebrew tongue, but, from His calling Eloi, thought that Elias was called by Him. But if the Jews are understood to have said this, they must be supposed to do this, as accusing Him of folly in calling for the aid of Elias. It goes on: And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone: let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. John shows more fully the reason why the vinegar was given to the Lord to drink, saying, that Jesus said, I thirst, (John 19:28.) that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. They however applied a sponge full of vinegar to His mouth.
BedeAD 735
On the Gospel of Mark
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: "Heloi, Heloi, lama sabachthani?" which is interpreted, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" He used the beginning of the twenty-second psalm. That which is read in the middle of the verse: "Look upon me," is superfluous. For in Hebrew it is read, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Do not marvel at the humility of the words, the complaints of the forsaken, when, knowing the form of a servant, you see the scandal of the cross. For just as to hunger, and to thirst, and to be fatigued were not proper to divinity, but bodily passions, so also what is said, "Why have you forsaken me?" was proper to the bodily voice, because it is natural for the body not to wish to be deprived of the life joined to it. For although the Savior himself said this, he properly showed the fragility of the body, remaining the power and wisdom of God. Therefore, as a man, he speaks, carrying my emotions, that in perils we think we are forsaken by God; as a man he is troubled, as a man he weeps, as a man he is crucified.
Theophylact of Ohrid (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1107
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
If this had been the time for an eclipse, some one might have said that this that happened was natural, but it was the fourteenth moon, when no eclipse can take place. There follows: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani.
Or, He speaks this as man crucified by God for me, for we men have been forsaken by the Father, but He never has. For hear what He says; I am not alone, because the Father is with me. (John 16:32) Though He may also have said this as being a Jew, according to the flesh, as though He had said, Why hast thou forsaken the Jewish people, so that they have crucified Thy Son? For as we sometimes say, God has put on me, that is, my human nature, so here also we must understand thou hast forsaken me, to mean my nature, or the Jewish people. It goes on: And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
He who both rules over death and commands it dies with power, as its Lord. But what this voice was is declared by Luke: Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. For Christ would have us understand by this, that from that time the souls of the saints go up into the hands of God. (v. note u, p. 217) For at first the souls of all were held in hell, till He came, who preached the opening of the prison to the captives.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Mark 15:34 records the most agonizing cry of Jesus from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This profound utterance, made at the ninth hour (approximately 3 PM) after three hours of supernatural darkness, reveals the unique and unfathomable spiritual suffering of Christ. As the sin-bearer for humanity, Jesus experienced a profound, albeit temporary, separation from the Father, enduring the full weight of divine wrath against sin to accomplish the redemption of the world.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Mark 15:34 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound theological and emotional weight. The use of Aramaic Transliteration ("Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?") followed immediately by its Greek Interpretation ("My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?") serves to authenticate the event, lending an immediate and visceral sense of reality to Jesus' cry. It also demonstrates Mark's pastoral care for his Gentile audience, ensuring they grasp the profound meaning of this pivotal moment. The verse is a direct Quotation from Psalm 22:1, which is a powerful literary and theological device. By quoting the opening line of this messianic psalm, Jesus not only fulfills prophecy but also implicitly points to the entire psalm, which begins with lament but ends with a declaration of God's faithfulness and ultimate triumph, providing a broader context of hope beyond the immediate agony. The scene also utilizes Pathos, evoking deep sympathy and understanding of the immense suffering Christ endured, not just physically but spiritually. The Contrast between the preceding supernatural darkness and this cry of spiritual darkness highlights the unique nature of Jesus' suffering as the sin-bearer.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 15:34 stands as a theological cornerstone, revealing the horrific cost of sin and the astonishing depth of God's love. Jesus' cry of abandonment signifies the moment He fully bore the world's sin, experiencing the just wrath of a holy God. This was not a relational break within the Trinity, but a unique, functional separation as the Father, who is "of purer eyes than to behold evil" (Habakkuk 1:13), turned away from the Son who had become sin itself for humanity. This vicarious suffering is the heart of the atonement, where the sinless Son endured the penalty of spiritual death and alienation that humanity deserved, thereby reconciling us to God. It underscores the gravity of sin, which demands such a divine sacrifice, and simultaneously magnifies the boundless love of God who would allow His Son to endure such agony for our salvation.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 15:34 offers profound insights for believers today, inviting us to contemplate the immense cost of our redemption and the depth of God's love. Jesus' cry of abandonment, though unique to His role as sin-bearer, resonates with the deepest human experiences of loneliness, despair, and feeling forsaken. It assures us that in our darkest moments, Christ understands our pain, having plumbed the depths of isolation. This verse powerfully reminds us of the gravity of sin and its true consequence: separation from a holy God. Yet, it also provides the ultimate assurance: because Jesus was forsaken, we who believe in Him will never be. His cry of alienation is our cry of adoption, guaranteeing our eternal fellowship with God. It calls us to a deeper appreciation for our salvation, motivating us to live lives worthy of such a sacrifice, marked by gratitude, humility, and a fervent desire to share this profound truth with others.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Jesus cry out in Aramaic instead of Hebrew or Greek?
Answer: Jesus likely cried out in Aramaic because it was the common, everyday language spoken by Jews in Judea and Galilee during the first century. While Hebrew was the language of the Scriptures and Greek was widely used for commerce and administration, Aramaic would have been Jesus' native tongue and the language most familiar to the crowds present. Mark, writing for a largely Gentile audience, immediately provides the Greek interpretation of Jesus' words, demonstrating his commitment to making the profound meaning accessible to his readers. The use of Aramaic adds a raw, authentic, and immediate quality to Jesus' agonizing cry, emphasizing the deep human experience of His suffering while simultaneously fulfilling the ancient prophecy of Psalm 22:1.
Did God truly abandon Jesus on the cross?
Answer: This is one of the most profound and challenging theological questions arising from this verse. Theologically, the cry "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" signifies a unique and temporary spiritual separation, not a relational break in the eternal Trinity. As Jesus, the sinless Son, bore the full weight of humanity's sin, He became "sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21). In that moment, the holy Father, who cannot look upon sin (Habakkuk 1:13), turned away from the Son as He experienced the full outpouring of divine wrath against sin. This was a functional abandonment, a necessary act for atonement, where Jesus endured the spiritual death and alienation from God that humanity deserved. It was a profound, agonizing experience for Jesus, but it was not a cessation of the Father-Son relationship in essence. Instead, it was the ultimate act of substitutionary atonement, ensuring that those who believe in Him will never experience such divine abandonment.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 15:34, with its raw cry of abandonment, stands as the poignant epicenter of Christ's redemptive work. In this moment, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, fully entered into the ultimate consequence of sin: separation from God. He was not merely suffering physically; He was enduring the spiritual alienation and divine wrath that humanity deserved. This cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?", reveals the unfathomable depth of His love and obedience, as He became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we might become the righteousness of God. His experience of being forsaken ensures that those who trust in Him will never be abandoned by God; indeed, we are adopted as sons and daughters (Galatians 4:4-7). The very abandonment Jesus experienced on the cross is the guarantee of our eternal security, for He took our place, bearing the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) so that we might receive the blessing. His cry of ultimate desolation foreshadows His ultimate triumph, as the One who descended into the depths of human suffering and divine judgment now reigns in glory, offering reconciliation and eternal life to all who believe (Colossians 1:19-20). He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, demonstrating His profound empathy for our human condition (Hebrews 4:15) and securing our eternal fellowship with the Father, ensuring that we will never be snatched from His hand (John 10:28-29).