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?

MATTHEW 27:46KJV
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Matthew 27:46 (KJV)

What does Matthew 27:46 mean?

Matthew 27:46 records Jesus crying out to God while he is dying on the cross. His question expresses the anguish of feeling abandoned, yet he addresses God directly as “my God.”

The cry comes about the ninth hour, roughly three in the afternoon. Jesus’ words echo the opening of Psalm 22, a song that begins with a sufferer calling to God in distress.

The Greek behind Matthew 27:46

  • “forsaken” — ἐγκαταλείπω (enkataleipō): This word carries the sense of leaving someone behind or abandoning them. Jesus’ question gives voice to the experience of being left alone in suffering.
  • “Eli” — ἠλί (ēli): This is a form of the word for “my God,” written in Greek letters. Matthew records Jesus’ words before giving their meaning in Greek.

Why Matthew 27:46 matters

  • Jesus’ cry is also a line from Israel’s songs of prayer. Psalm 22 begins with the same question and goes on to speak of distress, calls for help, and praise to God.
  • The crowd’s response shows that some heard Jesus differently. In the following verse, some bystanders think he is calling for Elijah, a prophet known from Israel’s Scriptures.

Where else these words appear

“lama” Greek G2982 · used in 2 verses

  • Mark 15:34 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?

“sabachthani” Greek G4518 · used in 2 verses

  • Mark 15:34 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?

“cried” Greek G310 · used in 3 verses

  • Mark 15:8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
  • Luke 9:38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

“why” Greek G2444 · used in 6 verses

  • Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
  • Luke 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
  • Acts 7:26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?