Matthew 27:47

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

{G1161} Some of them {G5100} that stood {G2476} there {G1563}, when they heard {G191} that, said {G3004}{G3754}, This {G3778} man calleth for {G5455} Elias {G2243}.

Complete Jewish Bible

On hearing this, some of the bystanders said, "He's calling for Eliyahu."

Berean Standard Bible

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

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 27:47 captures a poignant moment during Jesus' crucifixion where some onlookers, hearing His cry of dereliction, tragically misunderstand it as a call for the prophet Elijah. This verse highlights the profound spiritual and linguistic disconnect between Jesus' ultimate sacrifice and the limited comprehension, or even deliberate mockery, of those witnessing His final agony on the cross. It underscores the atmosphere of misunderstanding and rejection surrounding the Messiah's death.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is immediately preceded by Jesus' profound cry from the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" ("My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?") as recorded in [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction"). This cry, likely uttered in Aramaic, is the direct catalyst for the reaction described in verse 47. The scene is set on Golgotha, amidst the jeering crowds, Roman soldiers, and Jewish leaders who have been mocking Jesus throughout His crucifixion (e.g., [Matthew 27:39-44](/matthew/27-39-44 "Matthew 27:39-44 - Mockery at the Cross")). The misunderstanding serves to intensify the dramatic irony and the isolation of Jesus in His final moments.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** First-century Judea was a melting pot of languages, with Aramaic being the common spoken language among Jews, while Greek was the lingua franca of the Roman Empire and widely understood. Hebrew was primarily the language of scripture and religious discourse. Jesus' cry "Eli, Eli" (Aramaic for "My God, My God") bore a phonetic resemblance to "Elias" (the Greek form of the Hebrew prophet Elijah). Jewish eschatological expectations, rooted in passages like [Malachi 4:5](/malachi/4-5 "Malachi 4:5 - Prophecy of Elijah's Return"), widely anticipated Elijah's return before the coming of the Messiah or the Day of the Lord. Thus, some in the crowd, whether genuinely mistaken or intentionally mocking, interpreted Jesus' cry through this lens of prophetic expectation, perhaps hoping for a miraculous intervention or further ridiculing His claims to be the Messiah.

* **Key Themes:** Matthew 27:47 contributes significantly to several key themes within the broader narrative of Jesus' passion and the Gospel of Matthew. The most prominent is the **profound misunderstanding of Jesus' identity and mission**, a theme present throughout His ministry, where His words and actions were often misconstrued by both disciples and opponents (e.g., [Matthew 16:21-23](/matthew/16-21-23 "Matthew 16:21-23 - Peter's Misunderstanding")). This verse also emphasizes the **rejection and mockery Jesus endured**, culminating in His ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling prophecies of a suffering servant (e.g., [Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - Despised and Rejected")). Furthermore, it subtly touches upon **Jewish messianic expectations**, particularly the role of Elijah, highlighting how these expectations were often misapplied or distorted in relation to Jesus, the true Messiah, who did not conform to their preconceived notions of a conquering king but rather a suffering servant as described in [Isaiah 53](/isaiah/53 "Isaiah 53 - The Suffering Servant").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **heard (Greek, _akoúō'_):** This primary verb signifies to perceive by ear, to listen, or to understand. In this context, it highlights the auditory reception of Jesus' cry, but the subsequent reaction reveals a failure to truly comprehend its spiritual depth or linguistic origin. The act of "hearing" is present, but "understanding" is absent, leading to misinterpretation.
* **calleth for (Greek, _phōnéō'_):** Derived from the word for "voice" or "sound," this verb means to emit a sound, to address in words, or to call by name. Here, it describes the crowd's perception that Jesus was audibly summoning Elijah, implying an appeal for help or intervention from the prophet, rather than a direct address to God the Father.
* **Elias (Greek, _Hēlías'_):** This is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew prophet Elijah. The phonetic similarity between Jesus' Aramaic cry "Eli" (My God) and "Elias" is the crux of the misunderstanding. The crowd's immediate leap to Elijah reflects their ingrained Jewish eschatological expectations concerning the prophet's return, demonstrating how their cultural and religious framework shaped their interpretation of Jesus' words.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Some of them that stood there,"**: This phrase identifies a subset of the diverse crowd present at the crucifixion. It indicates that not everyone reacted this way, and suggests a group within the larger assembly, perhaps those less familiar with Aramaic or more inclined to mock. The "standing there" implies a direct observation of the unfolding events, making their misinterpretation all the more striking.
* **"when they heard [that],"**: This clause specifies the trigger for their reaction: the auditory perception of Jesus' cry from the cross. It emphasizes that their response was immediate and directly related to what they heard, setting the stage for the linguistic and theological misunderstanding that follows.
* **"said, This [man] calleth for Elias."**: This is the core of the verse, revealing the crowd's interpretation. Their statement demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of Jesus' Aramaic cry "Eli, Eli" (My God, My God) as a summons to the prophet Elijah. This misinterpretation could stem from genuine linguistic confusion, or it could be a deliberate act of mockery, playing on popular Jewish expectations of Elijah's return before the Messiah, thereby further ridiculing Jesus' claims to divinity or messiahship.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 27:47 powerfully employs **Dramatic Irony**, where the audience (readers) understands Jesus' profound cry of dereliction to God the Father, while the characters within the narrative (the onlookers) tragically misunderstand it as a call for Elijah. This creates a stark **Contrast** between Jesus' ultimate spiritual agony and the crowd's superficial, perhaps even mocking, interpretation. The phonetic similarity between "Eli" and "Elias" functions as a form of **Paronomasia** (a play on words), which facilitates the misunderstanding, highlighting the linguistic barrier that contributes to the theological misapprehension. This misinterpretation also serves as a subtle **Foreshadowing** of the ongoing rejection of Jesus' true identity by many, even in the face of overwhelming evidence, underscoring the spiritual blindness that prevents recognition of the Messiah.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the tragic human capacity for misunderstanding divine truth, especially when filtered through preconceived notions or a lack of spiritual discernment. Jesus' cry was a deep theological statement of His substitutionary atonement, bearing the weight of humanity's sin and experiencing separation from the Father on the cross. Yet, those who heard Him reduced this moment of cosmic significance to a mere invocation of a prophet, completely missing the profound spiritual depth and redemptive purpose of His suffering. This highlights the chasm between human expectation and God's surprising, often counter-intuitive, plan of salvation.

* [Psalm 22:1](/psalm/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?")
* [Isaiah 53:3](/isaiah/53-3 "Isaiah 53:3 - Despised and Rejected")
* [John 1:10-11](/john/1-10-11 "John 1:10-11 - He Came to His Own, and His Own Received Him Not")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 27:47 serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of diligent and humble engagement with God's Word, seeking to understand its true meaning rather than imposing our own expectations or misinterpretations upon it. Just as Jesus faced profound misunderstanding even in His deepest agony, believers may also encounter situations where their words, intentions, or faith are misconstrued or mocked by the world. This verse encourages us to cultivate spiritual discernment, to listen not just with our ears but with our hearts, and to persevere in truth even when misunderstood. It deepens our appreciation for the immense and multifaceted suffering of Christ, which included not only physical torment but also the profound emotional and spiritual isolation of being rejected and ridiculed by the very people He came to save. His willingness to endure such indignity for our sake is a testament to His immeasurable love and commitment to our salvation.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How might our own preconceived notions or cultural biases prevent us from truly understanding God's Word or His work in the world today?**
* **In what ways might we, like the crowd, inadvertently or intentionally misinterpret the cries or actions of others, especially those in pain or distress?**
* **How does Jesus' endurance of misunderstanding and mockery on the cross deepen your appreciation for His sacrifice and His love for humanity?**

### FAQ

**Why did the onlookers confuse "Eli" with "Elias"?**

Answer: The confusion stems from a phonetic similarity between Jesus' Aramaic cry "Eli, Eli" (meaning "My God, My God") and the Greek name for the prophet Elijah, "Elias." While Jesus was directly addressing God the Father, those who heard Him, particularly those less familiar with Aramaic or more inclined to mockery, mistook His anguished cry for an invocation of the prophet Elijah, whose return was a significant expectation in Jewish eschatology (as seen in [Malachi 4:5](/malachi/4-5 "Malachi 4:5 - Prophecy of Elijah's Return")).

**What was the significance of the crowd thinking Jesus was calling for Elijah?**

Answer: The Jewish people held a strong expectation, based on prophetic tradition, that Elijah would return before the coming of the Messiah or the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. When some in the crowd heard "Elias," they might have genuinely wondered if Jesus was calling for this anticipated prophet to rescue Him or validate His claims. Alternatively, it could have been a further act of mockery, challenging Jesus to prove His messianic claims by summoning a miraculous deliverer like Elijah, thereby fulfilling their own distorted expectations of what the Messiah should be (compare [Matthew 16:13-14](/matthew/16-13-14 "Matthew 16:13-14 - Who Do People Say That I Am?")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 27:47, though portraying a moment of profound misunderstanding, ultimately points to the Christ-centered fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. Jesus' cry, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" (from [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction")), was not a desperate plea for Elijah's intervention, but the ultimate expression of His substitutionary atonement. In that moment, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, truly became sin for us, experiencing the divine abandonment that our sins deserved, so that we might never be forsaken (as articulated in [2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")). The crowd's mistaken call for Elijah, while ironic, underscores the spiritual blindness that prevented many from recognizing the true Messiah. Unlike Elijah, who was taken up to heaven (as recounted in [2 Kings 2:11](/2_kings/2-11 "2 Kings 2:11 - Elijah Taken to Heaven")), Jesus' path was one of suffering and death, not miraculous escape, fulfilling the prophecies of a suffering servant (see [Isaiah 53:4-6](/isaiah/53-4-6 "Isaiah 53:4-6 - He Was Pierced for Our Transgressions")). His cry was the culmination of His mission to reconcile humanity to God, a mission that required Him to bear the full weight of sin and separation, ultimately triumphing over death through His resurrection (as celebrated in [Romans 4:25](/romans/4-25 "Romans 4:25 - Raised for Our Justification")). Thus, even in their misunderstanding, the onlookers inadvertently highlighted the unique, unparalleled nature of Jesus' sacrifice, far surpassing any prophetic intervention.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

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

And some of them that stood by, when they heard [it], said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

Mark 15:36

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.

Matthew 11:14

And if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come.