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?

MARK 15:34KJV
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Mark 15:34 (KJV)

What does Mark 15:34 mean?

Mark 15:34 describes Jesus, while dying on the cross, crying out loudly in Aramaic, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” This moment shows Jesus expressing deep anguish and a sense of abandonment as he suffers.

In this verse, Jesus is speaking to God the Father during his crucifixion, surrounded by onlookers. The words he uses are a direct quote from Psalm 22:1, connecting his suffering to the ancient prayers of Israel. This cry highlights both the real pain Jesus experienced and the fulfillment of scripture in his final moments.

The Hebrew / Aramaic / Greek behind Mark 15:34

  • Ἐλωΐ (Eloi) and σαβαχθανί (sabachthani) are Aramaic words. “Eloi” means “my God,” and “sabachthani” means “you have forsaken me.” Mark preserves these original words to show the rawness and authenticity of Jesus’ cry.
  • ἐκραύγασεν (G994, “cried”) and φωνῇ μεγάλῃ (G3173, G5456, “with a loud voice”) emphasize that Jesus spoke these words loudly and publicly, not in a whisper, making his anguish unmistakable to all who heard.

Why Mark 15:34 matters

  • Mark 15:34 clears up the idea that Jesus’ suffering was only physical by showing his emotional and spiritual agony as well.
  • This verse connects Jesus’ experience directly to Psalm 22, helping readers see the continuity between Jesus’ life and the Hebrew scriptures.
  • Mark’s choice to include Jesus’ words in Aramaic underlines the historical reality of the event and invites readers to feel the intensity of the moment.

Where else these words appear

“lama” Greek G2982 · used in 2 verses

  • Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

“sabachthani” Greek G4518 · used in 2 verses

  • Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

“interpreted” Greek G3177 · used in 7 verses

  • Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
  • Mark 15:22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.
  • Acts 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas,(which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

“forsaken” Greek G1459 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
  • Romans 9:29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
  • 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.