Eli, Eli, Lema Sabachthani?

At the crux of the Gospel, Jesus’ cry from the cross in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34—“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”—is one of the most profound and perplexing moments in Biblical theology. Translated as “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (English Standard Version [ESV]), this utterance encapsulates the excruciating pain of separation from God the Father, a reality that theology regards as central to the atonement. This cry is not merely a historical exclamation for the Church but a theological cornerstone revealing the depth of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice. Its significance reverberates through the ages, inviting believers to grapple with the mystery of divine abandonment and the cost of reconciliation.

Today, on Good Friday 2025, we explore Jesus’ words within their scriptural context, particularly Psalm 22, and examine the Palestinian Aramaic dialect in which they were spoken. By delving into this moment's exegetical, linguistic, and theological dimensions, we uncover how it demonstrates God’s love for humanity and how the Gospel restores our relationship with Him. 

Exegetical Analysis

Scriptural Context: Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34

The Gospel of Matthew records: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Matthew 27:46, ESV). Similarly, the Gospel of Mark states: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34, ESV). These parallel accounts occur at the climax of Jesus’ crucifixion, approximately 3:00 p.m., after hours of physical torment and public ridicule.

The phrase’s immediate context reveals a scene of intense suffering. In Matthew 27:35-44 and Mark 15:29-32, Jesus endures mockery from passersby, religious leaders, and even those crucified alongside Him, who taunt, “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40, ESV). Yet, it is the cry of dereliction that marks the pinnacle of His anguish—not merely physical, but spiritual. The term “forsaken” (Greek: egkataleipō, from en [in] and kataleipō [to leave behind]) denotes abandonment or desertion, suggesting a profound rupture in Jesus’ communion with the Father.

Psalm 22: A Messianic Lament

Jesus’ words directly quote the opening of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1, ESV). Authored by King David roughly a millennium earlier, this psalm is widely recognized as messianic within Biblical scholarship due to its prophetic resonance with the crucifixion. In Jesus’ day, citing the first line of a psalm implied familiarity with the entire text, a practice rooted in Jewish scriptural literacy.

Psalm 22 vividly parallels the crucifixion narrative. Verses 6-8 describe the psalmist’s enemies mocking his trust in God: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; ‘He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him’” (Psalm 22:7-8, ESV). This mirrors the taunts in Matthew 27:43: “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him” (ESV). Likewise, Psalm 22:18—“They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (ESV)—is fulfilled in Matthew 27:35: “And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots” (ESV). These connections affirm Matthew’s intent to present Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Yet Psalm 22 is not solely a lament; it transitions to dependence and praise. Verses 19-21 plead, “But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!” (ESV), while verses 22-31 proclaim God’s deliverance: “Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation” (Psalm 22:30, ESV). By invoking this psalm, Jesus expresses the depths of despair and an unshakable trust in God’s redemptive plan.

Aramaic: The Language of the Cry

The phrase “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Matthew) or “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (Mark) is transliterated from Aramaic into Greek, reflecting Jesus’ native tongue. Aramaic, a Semitic language akin to Hebrew, was first-century Judea and Galilee vernacular, particularly among common people like Jesus and His disciples. The Palestinian dialect, distinct from Imperial Aramaic, featured regional phonetic and lexical traits, such as gutturals' softening and lema (why) over Hebrew lammah.

• Eli/Eloi: From Aramaic ʾēlāhī (my God), derived from the Semitic root ʾēl (god). The variation (Eli in Matthew, Eloi in Mark) reflects dialectal pronunciation or scribal transcription differences.

• Lema: Meaning “why,” a characteristic interrogative in Western Aramaic.

• Sabachthani: From šĕbaqtanī (you have forsaken me), rooted in the verb šĕbaq (to leave or abandon), conjugated in the second person singular perfect with a first person suffix.

This Aramaic utterance, preserved in the Greek text, underscores its authenticity as Jesus’ spoken words, unfiltered by translation until the Gospel writers provide the gloss. Its retention signals its emotional weight and historical fidelity, inviting hearers to encounter the raw humanity of the moment (Dalman, 1902).

Theological Discussion

The Pain of Divine Separation

Theology interprets Jesus’ cry as evidence of His bearing the full weight of human sin, resulting in a momentary yet real separation from the Father. The Bible declares, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV). Sin, an affront to God’s holiness, necessitates wrath (Romans 1:18), and God’s justice demands its penalty be paid (Romans 6:23). As the spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19), Jesus alone could serve as the perfect substitute.

On the cross, Jesus experiences what theologians call the penal substitutionary atonement. Evangelical scholar Wayne Grudem (1994) explains, “Christ’s death was ‘penal’ in that He bore a penalty when He died… ‘substitutionary’ in that He was a substitute for us” (p. 568). This substitution culminates in the cry of dereliction as the Father turns away from the sin-laden Son. Habakkuk 1:13 affirms God’s purity: “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong” (ESV). Thus, Jesus endures the ultimate torment—separation from the eternal fellowship He had always known (John 1:1-2).

This separation is not a dissolution of the Trinity but a relational rupture within the Godhead’s experience; a mystery evangelical theology embraces without fully resolving. As John Stott (1986) asserts, “The Father did not cease to love the Son… but He withdrew His protective presence” (p. 81). The cry reveals the cost of our redemption: Jesus suffers the abandonment we deserved, fulfilling Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… he was pierced for our transgressions” (ESV).

Aramaic and Incarnational Theology

That Jesus cries out in Aramaic, the language of His people, amplifies the Biblical emphasis on the incarnation. The Gospel of John proclaims, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14, ESV). By speaking the Palestinian dialect, Jesus identifies fully with humanity, bridging the divine-human divide. This choice reflects His earthly ministry, where He taught in parables accessible to fishermen and farmers, not in the elite Hebrew of scribes or the Greek of philosophers.

Mark’s Gospel, focusing on Jesus’ humanity, underscores this vulnerability. Mark 15:34’s “Eloi” cry precedes the centurion’s confession: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39, ESV). The Aramaic voice humanizes the divine, revealing a Savior who suffers as we do yet triumphs as only God can. Matthew, emphasizing Jesus’ messianic kingship, ties the cry to Psalm 22, affirming His role as the Davidic fulfillment who reigns through sacrifice.

Implications for Believers

Jesus’ cry has profound implications for the Church. The torn temple veil (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38) signifies the removal of barriers between God and humanity, directly resulting from His sacrifice. Hebrews 10:19-20 declares, “We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (ESV). No longer mediated by priests or sacrifices (Hebrews 7:27), our access to God is secured by Christ’s once-for-all atonement.

Moreover, Psalm 22’s shift from lament to hope mirrors the believer’s journey. Though Jesus felt forsaken, His trust in God’s deliverance (Psalm 22:24) prefigures the resurrection, assuring us that “neither death nor life… will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, ESV). Evangelical theology thus calls believers to cling to this promise amid suffering, trusting in the God who redeems.

Conclusion

Jesus’ cry, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”—uttered in the Palestinian Aramaic of His day—encapsulates the theological paradox of the cross: divine abandonment for human reconciliation. Rooted in Psalm 22, it reveals the depth of His suffering as He bore our sin, experiencing separation from the Father to restore us to Him. The Aramaic voice underscores His incarnational solidarity with humanity, while the Gospel accounts affirm His messianic identity and atoning work.

For the Church, this moment is the fulcrum of the Gospel, demonstrating God’s love and justice in perfect harmony. It challenges believers to marvel at the cost of salvation and to live in the confidence of Christ’s victory. As theology upholds, Jesus’ cry is not the end but the prelude to resurrection, inviting us into a relationship with God made possible through His sacrifice. In this terrible beauty, we find the heart of the Christian faith.