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?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Even in this moment of deepest agony, Jesus claims God as "My God," not abandoning his relationship even as he feels abandoned. This precious claim underscores that even when experiencing profound spiritual desolation, the Father's love and connection remain, though the feeling of closeness may be withdrawn.
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?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As the sky darkens and Jesus hangs on the cross, the mocking and taunting from those below continues even in his final moments. This cry from Jesus, quoting the opening of Psalm 22, is the peak of his agony, not just physical but spiritual, as he experiences a profound sense of abandonment. Immediately following this utterance, some bystanders misunderstand him, thinking he's calling for Elijah, while others offer him vinegar, highlighting the confusion and cruelty surrounding his crucifixion.
Jesus' loudest cry wasn't from physical pain, but from a deeper agony. What does this cry reveal about the true cost of our salvation?
At the ninth hour, the darkest point of the crucifixion, Jesus utters a cry that echoes through history. He cries out, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This isn't a cry of defeat, but of immense spiritual suffering.
Bearing Our Sins
Theologians understand this cry as Jesus fully taking on the weight of humanity's sin. Sin separates us from God, and in this moment, Jesus experiences that separation as if it were his own. He is not expressing doubt in God's love, but the profound, alienating reality of bearing the penalty for our rebellion.
A Glimmer of Hope
Notice that Jesus begins by calling God, “My God.” Even in this moment of apparent abandonment, he clings to his relationship with the Father. This isn't a cry of despair leading to hopelessness, but a lament that trusts in God's ultimate faithfulness, echoing the beginning of Psalm 22, which speaks of suffering but ultimately triumph.
Why did Jesus cry out in Aramaic, not Hebrew or Greek? What does this choice reveal about his connection to ordinary people?
Mark records Jesus' cry in Aramaic, the common language of the people in Judea during that time. While Matthew records it closer to the original Hebrew of Psalm 22, Mark's version, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani,' is a more direct reflection of what was likely heard.
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Speaking in the Vernacular
This linguistic choice highlights Jesus' deep connection with the everyday people around him. He wasn't speaking in a formal religious language that only a few would understand, but in the tongue that resonated with the crowds, the soldiers, and the disciples.
An Audible, Relatable Agony
By using Aramaic, Jesus' final, profound cry was made accessible. It wasn't just a theological statement for scholars; it was a raw, audible expression of suffering in a language people understood. This emphasizes that his sacrifice was not abstract, but a very real, visceral event experienced by a man who lived and spoke among us.
Understand the original words
egkataleipō · Aramaic/Greek Verb
A verb meaning to abandon, leave, or desert. Jesus’ cry reflects the profound reality of His experience of separation from the Father while bearing the weight of human sin.
Jesus' cry from the cross is not just a personal lament but a powerful re-appropriation of ancient Scripture, drawing on the prophetic words of David in Psalm 22 to express the depth of his suffering and fulfill God's redemptive plan.
c. 1000 BC
David Composes Psalm 22
King David, facing intense suffering and a sense of abandonment, writes Psalm 22, which begins with the cry 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' This psalm becomes a prophetic lament anticipating the suffering of the Messiah.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested, tried, and sentenced to crucifixion by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
c. 30 AD, mid-afternoon
Darkness Over the Land
From the sixth hour (noon) until the ninth hour (3 PM), a supernatural darkness covers the land of Judea, a sign of God's judgment and sorrow.
c. 30 AD, 3 PM— this verse
Jesus Cries Out
At the ninth hour, Jesus cries out in Aramaic, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?', quoting the beginning of Psalm 22 and expressing his profound sense of abandonment, even as he bears the sins of humanity.
c. 30 AD, 3 PM
Temple Veil Rends
Immediately after Jesus' death cry, the thick veil in the Jerusalem Temple, separating the Holy of Holies, is torn in two from top to bottom, symbolizing the broken barrier between God and humanity.
c. 30 AD, 3 PM
Centurion's Confession
Witnessing the events surrounding Jesus' death, including his final cry and the rending of the temple veil, the Roman centurion declares, 'Truly this man was the Son of God.'
This passage is the direct source of Jesus' cry, showing how His suffering was foretold in the Old Testament Psalms, expressing a profound sense of abandonment.
Matthew 27:46This parallel account in Matthew provides the same cry and interpretation, reinforcing the significance of this moment and the textual evidence from the Gospels.
Isaiah 53:10This prophecy speaks of the 'offspring of a life made an offering for sin,' highlighting the sacrificial nature of Jesus' suffering and death, which included bearing the sins that led to this cry of forsakenness.
Hebrews 5:7This passage describes Jesus offering 'prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears' to the one who was able to save Him from death, directly correlating with the 'loud voice' of Jesus' cry on the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:21This verse explains that 'He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,' shedding light on the theological understanding of why Jesus, though sinless, would cry out from a place of perceived abandonment, as He bore the weight of humanity's sin.
cambridgeMark 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?"
34 . And at the ninth hour ] the hour of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Jesus cried with a loud voice ] He now gives utterance to the words of the first verse of the xxiind Psalm, in which, in the bitterness of his soul, David had complained of the desertion of his God, and said, “Eloï! Eloï! lama sabachthani?” T…
wesleyMark 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?"
15:34 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me - Thereby claiming God as his God; and yet lamenting his Father's withdrawing the tokens of his love, and treating him as an enemy, while he bare our sins.
Even in this moment of deepest agony, Jesus claims God as "My God," not abandoning his relationship even as he feels abandoned. This precious claim underscores that even when experiencing profound spiritual desolation, the Father's love and connection remain, though the feeling of closeness may be withdrawn.
As the sky darkens and Jesus hangs on the cross, the mocking and taunting from those below continues even in his final moments. This cry from Jesus, quoting the opening of Psalm 22, is the peak of his agony, not just physical but spiritual, as he experiences a profound sense of abandonment. Immediately following this utterance, some bystanders misunderstand him, thinking he's calling for Elijah, while others offer him vinegar, highlighting the confusion and cruelty surrounding his crucifixion.
As the sky darkens and Jesus hangs on the cross, the mocking and taunting from those below continues even in his final moments. This cry from Jesus, quoting the opening of Psalm 22, is the peak of his agony, not just physical but spiritual, as he experiences a profound sense of abandonment. Immediately following this utterance, some bystanders misunderstand him, thinking he's calling for Elijah, while others offer him vinegar, highlighting the confusion and cruelty surrounding his crucifixion.
"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?”" — Even in this moment of deepest agony, Jesus claims God as "My God," not abandoning his relationship even as he feels abandoned. This precious claim underscores that even when experiencing profound sp…
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Last reviewed October 2026