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Translation
Berean Standard Bible
But the others said, “Leave Him alone. Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.”
American Standard Version
And the rest said, Let be; let us see whether Elijah cometh to save him.
World English Bible Messianic
The rest said, “Let him be. Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
Young's Literal Translation
but the rest said, `Let alone, let us see if Elijah doth come--about to save him.'
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In the KJVVerse 24,179 of 31,102
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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Hilary of Poitiers (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 367
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(de Trin. x. 50 &c.) From these words heretical spirits contend either that God the Word was entirely absorbed into the soul at the time it discharged the function of a soul in quickening the body; or that Christ could not have been born man, because the Divine Word dwelt in Him after the manner of a prophetical spirit. As though Jesus Christ was a man of ordinary soul and body, having His beginning then when He began to be man, and thus now deserted upon the withdrawal of the protection of God's word cries out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Or at least that the nature of the Word being transmuted into soul, Christ, who had depended in all things upon His Father's support, now deserted and left to death, mourns over this desertion, and pleads with Him departing. But amidst these impious and feeble opinions, the faith of the Church imbued with Apostolic teaching does not sever Christ that He should be considered as Son of God and not as Son of Man. The complaint of His being deserted is the weakness of the dying man; the promise of Paradise is the kingdom of the living God. You have Him complaining that He is left to death, and thus He is Man; you have Him as He is dying declaring that He reigns in Paradise; and thus He is God. Wonder not then at the humility of these words, when you know the form of a servant, and see the offence of the cross.
Vinegar is wine, which has turned sour either from neglect, or the fault of the vessel. Wine is the honour of immortality, or virtue. When this then had been turned sour in Adam, He took and drunk it at the hands of the Gentiles. It is offered to Him on a reed and a spunge; that is, He took from the bodies of the Gentiles immortality spoiled and corrupted, and transfused in Himself into a mixture of immortality that in us which was spoiled.
Or, He gave up the ghost with a loud voice, in grief that He was not carrying the sins of all men.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hom. lxxxviii.) This darkness lasted three hours, whereas an eclipse is transient, and not enduring, as they know who have studied the matter.
Or otherwise; The wonder was in this, that the darkness was over the whole earth, which had never come to pass before, save only in Egypt what time the Passover was celebrated; for the things done then were a type of these. And consider the time when this is done; at mid-day, while over the whole world it was day, that all the dwellers on the earth might perceive it. This is the sign He promised to them that asked Him, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, and there shall no sign be given it save the sign of Jonas the Prophet, (Matt. 12:39.) alluding to His cross and resurrection. And it was a much greater marvel that this should come to pass when He was fastened to the cross, than when He was walking at large on the earth. Surely here was enough to convert them, not by the greatness of the miracle alone, but because it was done not till after all these instances of their frenzy, when their passion was past, when they had uttered all that they would, and were satiated with taunts and gibes. But how did they not all marvel and conclude Him to be God? Because the human race was at that time plunged in exceeding sluggishness and vice, and this wonder was but one, and quickly past away, and none cared to search out its cause, or perhaps they attributed it to eclipse, or some other physical consequence. And on this account He shortly afterwards lifts up His voice to show that He yet lives, and Himself wrought this miracle; And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, &c.
He uttered this word of prophecy, that He might bear witness to the very last hour to the Old Testament, and that they might see that He honours the Father, and is not against God. And therefore too, He used the Hebrew tongue, that what He said might be intelligible to them.
Also for this reason He cried out with a loud voice to show that this is done by His own power. For by crying out with a loud voice when dying, He showed incontestably that He was the true God; because a man in dying can scarcely utter even a feeble sound.
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 88
This is the sign which before He had promised to give them when they asked it, saying, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas;" meaning His cross, and His death, His burial, and His resurrection. And again, declaring in another way the virtue of the cross, He said, "When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He." And what He saith is to this purport: "When ye have crucified me, and think ye have overcome me, then, above all, shall ye know my might."
For after the crucifixion, the city was destroyed, and the Jewish state came to an end, they fell away from their polity and their freedom, the gospel flourished, the word was spread abroad to the ends of the world; both sea and land, both the inhabited earth and the desert perpetually proclaim its power. These things then He meaneth, and those which took place at the very time of the crucifixion. For indeed it was much more marvellous that these things should be done, when He was nailed to the cross, than when He was walking on earth. And not in this respect only was the wonder, but because from heaven also was that done which they had sought, and it was over all the world, which had never before happened, but in Egypt only, when the passover was to be fulfilled. For indeed those events were a type of these.
And observe when it took place. At midday, that all that dwell on the earth may know it, when it was day all over the world; which was enough to convert them, not by the greatness of the miracle only, but also by its taking place in due season. For after all their insulting, and their lawless derision, this is done, when they had let go their anger, when they had ceased mocking, when they were satiated with their jeerings, and had spoken all that they were minded; then He shows the darkness, in order that at least so (having vented their anger) they may profit by the miracle. For this was more marvellous than to come down from the cross, that being on the cross He should work these things. For whether they thought He Himself had done it, they ought to have believed and to have feared; or whether not He, but the Father, yet thereby ought they to have been moved to compunction, for that darkness was a token of His anger at their crime. For that it was not an eclipse, but both wrath and indignation, is not hence alone manifest, but also by the time, for it continued three hours, but an eclipse takes place in one moment of time, and they know it, who have seen this; and indeed it hath taken place even in our generation.
And how, you may say, did not all marvel, and account Him to be God? Because the race of man was then held in a state of great carelessness and vice. And this miracle was but one, and when it had taken place, immediately passed away; and no one was concerned to inquire into the cause of it, and great was the prejudice and the habit of ungodliness. And they knew not what was the cause of that which took place, and they thought perhaps this happened so, in the way of an eclipse or some natural effect. And why dost thou marvel about them that are without, that knew nothing, neither inquired by reason of great indifference, when even those that were in Judaea itself, after so many miracles, yet continued using Him despitefully, although He plainly showed them that He Himself wrought this thing.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
He employed the beginning of the twenty-first Psalm. (Ps. 22:1. Vulg.) That clause in the middle of the verse, Look upon me, is superfluous; for the Hebrew has only 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,' that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is impiety therefore to think that this Psalm was spoken in the character of David or Esther or Mardocheus, when passages taken out of it by the Evangelist are understood of the Saviour; as, They parted my garments among them, and, They pierced my hands.
It follows, Some of them that stood by, &c.; some, not all; whom I suppose to have been Roman soldiers, ignorant of Hebrew, but from the words Eli, Eli, thought that He called upon Elias. But if we prefer to suppose them Jews, they do it after their usual manner, that they may accuse the Lord of weakness in thus invoking Elias.
It was a mark of Divine power in Him thus to dismiss the Spirit as Himself had said, No man can take my life from me, but I lay it down and take it again. (John 10:18.) For by the ghost in this place we understand the soul; so called either because it is that which makes the body quick or spiritual, or because the substance of the soul itself is spirit, according to that which is written, Thou takest away their breath, and they die. (Ps. 104:29.)
Vigilius of Thapsus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 484
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Vigil. cont. Felicianum. 14.) Far be from the faithful any suspicion that Christ experienced our death in such sort that life (as far as it can) ceased to live. Had this been so, how could aught have been said to live during that three days, if the Fountain of Life itself was dried up? Therefore Christ's Godhead experienced death through its partaking of humanity or of human feeling, which it had voluntarily taken on it; but it lost not the properties of its nature by which it gives life to all things. For when we die, without doubt the loss of life by the body is not the destruction of the soul, but the soul quitting the body loses not its own properties, but only lets go what it had quickened, and as far as in it lays produces the death of somewhat else, but itself defies death. To speak now of the Saviour's soul; it might depart without being itself destroyed from His body for this three days' space, even by the common laws of death, and without taking into account the indwelling Godhead, and His singular righteousness. For I believe that the Son of God died not in punishment of unrighteousness which He had not at all, but according to the law of that nature which He took upon Him for the redemption of the human race.
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Pseudo Chrys. in Hom. de Cruce et Latr. ubi sup.) Creation could not bear the outrage offered to the Creator; whence the sun withdrew his beams, that he might not look upon the crime of these impious men.
(Hom. vi. in Pass. [vol. iii. p. 733.]) Thus the Source of living water is made to drink vinegar, the Giver of honey is fed with gall; Forgiveness is scourged, Acquittance is condemned, Majesty is mocked, Virtue ridiculed, the Bestower of showers is repaid with spitting.
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 532
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(ad Polycarp. Ep. 7.) When we were together at Heliopolis, we both observed such an interference of the moon with the sun quite unexpectedly, for it was not the season of their conjunction; and then from the ninth hour until evening, beyond the power of nature, continuing in a direct line between us and the sun. And this obscuration we saw begin from the east, and so pass to the extreme of the sun's orb, and again return back the same way, being thus the very reverse of an ordinary eclipse.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or otherwise; The Jews as degenerating from the wine of the Patriarchs and Prophets were vinegar; they had deceitful hearts, like to the winding holes and hollows in spunge. By the reed, Sacred Scripture is denoted, which was fulfilled in this action; for as we call that which the tongue utters, the Hebrew tongue, or the Greek tongue, for example; so the writing, or letters which the seed produces, we may call a reed.
John Damascene (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 749
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(de Fid. Orth. iii. 27.) Although He died as man, and His holy soul was separated from His unstained body, yet His Godhead remained inseparate from either body or soul. Yet was not the one Person divided into two; for as both body and soul had from the beginning an existence in the Person of the Word, so also had they in death. For neither soul nor body had ever a Person of their own, besides the Person of the Word.
Rabanus Maurus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 856
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, The Saviour said this as bearing about with Him our feelings, who when placed in dangers think ourselves forsaken by God. Human nature was forsaken by God because of its sins, and the Son of God becoming our Advocate laments the misery of those whose guilt He took upon Himf; there in showing how they who sin ought to mourn, when He who never sinned did thus mourn.
The soldiers misunderstanding the sound of the Lord's words, foolishly looked for the coming of Elias. But God, whom the Saviour thus invoked in the Hebrew tongue, He had ever inseparably with Him.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
. The darkness which occurred was not according to the natural order of events, as when a solar eclipse occurs in nature. For there is never a solar eclipse on the fourteenth day of the lunar cycle; rather, solar eclipses occur when there is a so-called "new moon." The day of the crucifixion was certainly the fourteenth day of the lunar cycle, as that is when the Jews celebrate the Passover. Therefore the incident was beyond nature. The darkness was universal, not partial as was the darkness in Egypt, to show that the whole of creation mourned the Passion of the Creator, and that the light had been taken from the Jews. Let those Jews who were asking for a sign from heaven now see the sun darkened. On the sixth day, when man had been created, and at the sixth hour, when he had eaten of the tree (for that is the hour of eating), the Lord, refashioning man and healing his sin, on the sixth day and at the sixth hour was stretched out on the tree. Jesus speaks prophetically in the Hebrew tongue to show that He does not contend with the Old Testament. He said, "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Ps. 21:1). to show that He was truly man, and not just in appearance. For man avidly desires life and has a physical appetite for it. Just as Christ agonized and was sorely troubled before the cross, showing the fear that is ours by nature, so now He says, "Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" displaying our natural thirst for life. For He was truly man and like us in all respects, but without sins. Some have understood it in this manner: the Saviour spoke on behalf of the Jews and said, "Why hast Thou forsaken the Jewish race, O Father, that it should commit such a sin and be handed over to destruction?" For as Christ was one of the Jews, He said "forsaken Me," meaning, "Why hast Thou forsaken My kinsmen, My people, that they should bring such a great evil upon themselves?" The multitude did not understand His cry, being uncouth and ignorant of the prophets, and thought that He was calling upon Elijah. For not all the Jews knew the prophets, just as now not all Christians, perhaps, know the Gospel. They gave Him vinegar to drink so that He might die more quickly, before Elijah could come to help Him. This is why the others say, "Let be, let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him;" that is, "Do not make Him die, for we want to know if Elijah will help Him."
Glossa Ordinaria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 1274
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(non occ.) God is said to have forsaken Him in death because He exposed Him to the power of His persecutors; He withdrew His protection, but did not break the union.
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
Matthew 27:49 captures a profoundly ironic and tragic moment during Jesus' crucifixion, immediately following His cry, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" While Jesus was expressing deep spiritual anguish to God the Father, some onlookers deliberately or mistakenly misinterpreted His Aramaic cry for "My God" as a call to the prophet Elijah. This verse records the cynical response of "the rest" of the crowd, who, in their hardened hearts and spiritual blindness, mockingly suggested they should wait to see if Elijah would indeed appear to rescue Jesus from the cross.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse is situated at the climax of Matthew's Gospel, within the detailed narrative of Jesus' crucifixion. It immediately follows Jesus' loud cry from the cross, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew 27:46), which some bystanders misinterpreted as a call for Elijah. The preceding verses describe the darkness over the land (Matthew 27:45) and the intense suffering of Jesus, surrounded by mocking religious leaders, soldiers, and passersby (Matthew 27:39-44). The crowd's reaction in Matthew 27:49 serves as a final, bitter crescendo of human rejection and misunderstanding of Jesus' identity and mission, just before His death. It highlights the profound spiritual blindness that characterized many of those witnessing the divine act of redemption.
Historical & Cultural Context: First-century Jewish society held a strong expectation for the return of the prophet Elijah, rooted in Old Testament prophecy, particularly Malachi 4:5. This prophecy stated that Elijah would return "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." This expectation led to various popular beliefs, including the idea that Elijah would appear to help those in distress or to announce the Messiah. The onlookers at the cross, hearing "Eli" (My God), either genuinely, though mistakenly, associated it with "Elias" (Elijah) due to phonetic similarity, or, more likely, seized upon the opportunity for further ridicule. The atmosphere was one of intense public spectacle and religious tension, with Roman authorities overseeing the execution and Jewish leaders actively participating in the mockery, reinforcing the prevailing sentiment of disdain for Jesus.
Key Themes: The verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Matthew's Gospel and the passion narrative. Foremost is the theme of Profound Misunderstanding and Rejection of the Messiah. Jesus, the Son of God, is performing the ultimate act of salvation, yet His divine suffering is met with cynical scorn and disbelief, illustrating the spiritual blindness of those who rejected Him. This ties into the theme of Humanity's Rebellion Against God's Plan, as the crowd's words demonstrate their inability or unwillingness to grasp the true nature of Jesus' mission, preferring to mock rather than to believe. Furthermore, it highlights the Fulfillment of Prophecy, albeit in an ironic way, as Jesus' suffering and rejection align with Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah, even as the crowd's expectation of Elijah's intervention reflects a misapplication of prophetic understanding. The scene underscores the Depth of Jesus' Suffering, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually, as He endures ultimate humiliation and misunderstanding even in His final moments. This contrasts sharply with the divine purpose of His death, which is to give his life as a ransom for many.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 27:49 is rich with Irony. The crowd mockingly challenges Jesus, asking if Elijah will "save" Him, completely unaware that Jesus is, at that very moment, enacting the ultimate salvation for humanity through His death. Their cynical demand for a physical rescue from the cross stands in stark Dramatic Contrast to the spiritual salvation Jesus is accomplishing. The scene also employs Misunderstanding, as Jesus' cry to "My God" is deliberately or mistakenly twisted into a call for "Elias," highlighting the spiritual deafness of the onlookers to the profound theological truth unfolding before them. This Verbal Irony underscores the chasm between human perception and divine reality.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse powerfully illustrates the profound spiritual blindness and hardened hearts of those who witnessed Jesus' ultimate sacrifice. Their cynical challenge, "let us see whether Elias will come to save him," reveals a complete failure to grasp Jesus' divine identity and the redemptive purpose of His suffering. Instead of recognizing the Son of God offering Himself as a ransom for sin, they reduce the sacred moment to a spectacle, seeking a sign or a miraculous intervention that aligns with their distorted expectations of a Messiah. This rejection underscores humanity's propensity to misunderstand or deliberately scorn divine truth, even when it is most clearly manifested. The crowd's words serve as a stark reminder of the ultimate irony: they mockingly question if Jesus can be saved, while He is actively saving them and all humanity through His atoning death.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 27:49 serves as a poignant mirror, inviting us to examine our own hearts and how we respond to God's truth, especially when it challenges our preconceived notions or demands a response of faith. The crowd's cynicism and misunderstanding highlight the danger of spiritual blindness – the inability or unwillingness to perceive divine reality. We are called to cultivate humility and an open heart, seeking genuine understanding of God's Word rather than relying on superficial interpretations or dismissive skepticism. This verse deepens our appreciation for the immense suffering of Christ, not only physically but also in enduring profound rejection and mockery from those He came to save. It compels us to consider how often we, too, might misunderstand or trivialize the depths of His sacrifice. Ultimately, it challenges us to move beyond mere intellectual assent to a transformative encounter with the crucified Christ, recognizing that His "weakness" on the cross was, in fact, the ultimate demonstration of God's power to save.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did some bystanders think Jesus was calling for Elijah?
Answer: The confusion arose from the phonetic similarity between Jesus' Aramaic cry "Eli" (אֵלִי), meaning "My God," and the Greek name "Elias" (Ἠλίας), which is the Greek form of the Hebrew prophet Elijah. In first-century Judaism, there was a strong expectation, based on prophecies like Malachi 4:5, that Elijah would return before the Messiah or the "great and dreadful day of the Lord." Some onlookers likely genuinely, though mistakenly, heard "Elias" when Jesus cried "Eli," while others may have deliberately twisted His words for further mockery and ridicule, playing on the popular belief to challenge Jesus' claims to be the Messiah.
What is the significance of the crowd's challenge, "Let us see whether Elias will come to save him?"
Answer: This challenge is deeply significant for several reasons. First, it underscores the profound misunderstanding and spiritual blindness of the crowd. They failed to grasp the divine nature of Jesus' cry to His Father and the redemptive purpose of His suffering. Second, it highlights their cynicism and mockery. Their words are not born of genuine hope for Elijah's intervention but rather a sarcastic dare, questioning Jesus' power and messianic claims. Third, it creates a profound irony: they speak of "saving" Jesus from the cross, completely unaware that Jesus is, at that very moment, enacting the ultimate salvation for humanity through His atoning death. Their challenge, therefore, inadvertently points to the very salvation Jesus was accomplishing, albeit in a way they could not comprehend.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 27:49, with its stark portrayal of human misunderstanding and mockery, finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the very act of salvation that the crowd so cynically questioned. While they mockingly challenged whether Elijah would "come to save him," Jesus was, in fact, fulfilling His divine mission to be the ultimate Savior. He did not need Elijah to save Him from the cross, for the cross itself was the means by which He would "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). The "saving" they scoffed at was not a physical rescue from suffering, but a spiritual rescue from eternal condemnation, a salvation achieved through His voluntary sacrifice as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His death, far from being a defeat requiring external intervention, was the victorious act of cosmic redemption, demonstrating the unparalleled love of God (Romans 5:8). The crowd's blindness to the true nature of His "saving" power foreshadows the ongoing spiritual blindness of those who reject Him, yet it also magnifies the grace of God who, through this very act of apparent weakness, accomplished the greatest act of power and salvation for all who believe (1 Corinthians 1:18).