Mark 15:34
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At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
My God, my God, etc. - See on Mat 27:46 (note).
Open source ↗And Jesus cried with a loud voice,.... A second time, and said the words which are in Luk 23:46 and in Joh 19:30 and gave up the ghost. The Syriac version renders it, "and finished": his life, his days, his race, his ministry, and the work which was given him to do; See Gill on Mat 27:50.
Open source ↗What we read of the sufferings of Christ, in the foregoing chapter, was but the prologue or introduction; here we have the completing of them. We left him condemned by the chief priests; but they could only show their teeth, they could not bite. Here we have him, I. Arraigned and accused before Pilate the Roman governor (Mar 15:1-5). II. Cried out against by the common people, at the instigation of the priests (Mar 15:6-14). III. Condemned to be crucified immediately (Mar 15:15). IV. Bantered and abused, as a mock-king, by the Roman soldiers (Mar 15:16-19). V. Led out to the place of execution with all possible ignominy and disgrace (Mar 15:20-24). VI. Nailed to the cross between two thieves (Mar 15:25-28). VII. Reviled and abused by all that passed by (Mar 15:29-32). VIII. Forsaken for a time by his father (Mar 15:33-36). IX. Dying, and rending the veil (Mar 15:37, Mar 15:38). X. Attested and witnessed to by the centurion and others (Mar 15:39-41). XI. Buried in the sepulchre of Joseph of Arimathea (Mar 15:42-47).
Open source ↗15:34 Eloi, Eloi . . . why have you abandoned me: Jesus’ loud cry is reported in its original Aramaic and then translated for Greek readers. • “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Jesus quotes Ps 22:1. This saying is best interpreted in light of Mark 14:27; Ps 22; Isa 53:10; 2 Cor 5:21; and Gal 3:13. The divine purpose in Jesus’ becoming a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) was now being realized.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation.
The poor and needy seek water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for there is no one to rescue him.”
I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?”
while I was still praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.
One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”