Mark 15:34 kjv
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 15:34 nkjv
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Mark 15:34 niv
And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
Mark 15:34 esv
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 nlt
Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
Mark 15 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 22:1 | My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from saving | Original prophetic cry. |
| Matt 27:46 | About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli | Parallel account in Matthew. |
| Isa 53:6 | All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own | Christ bears the sin of all. |
| Isa 53:10 | Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When | God's sovereign plan for atonement. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become | Christ's sin-bearing identity. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse | Christ becoming a curse for us. |
| Heb 5:7 | Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and | Jesus' intense suffering and loud cries. |
| Ps 69:19-20 | You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; My adversaries are all | Echoes the shame and suffering. |
| Phil 2:8 | And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became | Christ's ultimate obedience unto death. |
| Rom 8:32 | He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all | The Father's willingness to give His Son. |
| Ps 22:6-8 | But I am a worm and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. | Prophetic descriptions of mocking. |
| Deut 21:23 | for he who is hanged is accursed of God—that you may not defile your land | Association with being cursed. |
| John 19:30 | So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And | The completion of His atoning work. |
| Luke 23:46 | And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into | Another final cry from the cross (trust). |
| Isa 59:2 | But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have | Sin causes separation from God. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having | Christ bearing our sins physically. |
| Col 2:14 | having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us | The cancellation of sin's record by the cross. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still | God's profound love in Christ's death. |
| Eph 2:16 | and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross | Reconciliation through Christ's sacrifice. |
| Lam 3:17-18 | You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And | Expression of utter desolation. |
| Matt 26:39 | He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My | Foreboding of the cup of suffering. |
| Ps 22:24 | For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor | God did not ignore the cry. |
| Rev 5:9 | You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were | Christ's worthiness through His sacrifice. |
Mark 15 verses
Mark 15 34 Meaning
Mark 15:34 captures Jesus' most agonizing cry from the cross, spoken at the "ninth hour" (3 PM). It is a direct quote from Psalm 22:1, uttered in Aramaic. This cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?", signifies the moment Christ, the sinless Son of God, fully bore the sins of humanity. In this unique and unfathomable separation, the intimate communion between the Father and the Son was, for the purpose of atonement, temporarily broken, demonstrating the true cost and depth of redemption for a fallen world.
Mark 15 34 Context
Mark 15:34 is situated at the climax of Jesus' crucifixion narrative. After hours of immense physical suffering, including scourging, mocking, and the painful process of crucifixion, a supernatural darkness covered the land "from the sixth hour until the ninth hour" (noon to 3 PM). This three-hour period of darkness, preceding Jesus' cry, signaled a divine event and spiritual warfare. Jesus had endured the mockery of the religious leaders and soldiers, and now, at the ninth hour, as the darkness began to lift, He uttered this profound cry. This verse highlights the deep spiritual agony of Jesus as He bore the full weight of humanity's sin, becoming a curse for us, facing the horror of divine judgment and temporary separation from the Father on our behalf.
Mark 15 34 Word analysis
And at the ninth hour: Refers to approximately 3:00 PM in Jewish reckoning (noon to 3 PM was the period of darkness). This specific time marks the point when the Passover lambs were being slain in the Temple, prophetically aligning Jesus as the ultimate Passover Lamb. It is also the traditional time for the evening sacrifice, further emphasizing Jesus' final sacrificial offering.
Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Demonstrates immense physical strength despite hours of agony and blood loss, underscoring the spiritual nature of this particular cry. It was not a whisper of a dying man but a powerful declaration, heard by those near the cross. This contrasts with common assumptions that one near death would speak softly, emphasizing the unique nature of this cry.
saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?": These words are Aramaic, the common language spoken by Jesus and the people of Judea. Mark specifically records them in Aramaic and then provides the Greek translation.
- Eloi (Ἐλοΐ): The Aramaic form for "My God," specifically with the possessive pronoun attached. Matthew's account uses "Eli" (Ἠλί), which is a transliteration of the Hebrew 'Eli (אֵלִי) also meaning "My God." The slight difference between "Eloi" and "Eli" may reflect Mark's direct source or dialectal variations, both point to an intimate and personal address to God even in this moment of deep distress. It emphasizes that despite the feeling of abandonment, Jesus still addresses God as "My God."
- lama (λαμὰ): Aramaic for "why." It's a question seeking understanding of a situation, not a question expressing doubt in God's existence or character.
- sabachthani (σαβαχθανί): Aramaic verb shabaq, meaning "to leave," "to forsake," "to abandon," "to let go." It carries the connotation of a complete and deliberate abandonment. The suffix "-tha-ni" denotes "You (singular) have forsaken Me."
which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?": This translation makes clear the profound meaning of the Aramaic cry.
- "My God, My God": Repeats the intensely personal address from "Eloi, Eloi." Despite the dereliction, the relationship of Son to Father persists even amidst the functional separation required by bearing sin. It signifies unwavering identification with God even in unimaginable pain.
- "why have You forsaken Me?": This is the theological core. It expresses the unprecedented moment where Jesus, bearing the sins of the world (2 Cor 5:21), experienced the judicial wrath of God and the severance of fellowship, something alien to the very nature of the triune God. It was not a physical or relational separation in terms of the unity of the Trinity, but a unique and necessary spiritual abandonment for the atonement. It reveals the cost of sin for both the Holy God and His Son, highlighting the immense love that paid this price.
Words-group analysis:
- "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" / "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?": This whole phrase is a direct quotation from Psalm 22:1. By quoting this Psalm, Jesus not only articulates His present agony but also signifies the fulfillment of this entire prophetic psalm, which describes a righteous sufferer, mocked and abused, yet ultimately vindicated and praising God. It highlights His identity as the Messiah, who must suffer before reigning. The question "why" does not suggest ignorance, but expresses the profound horror of experiencing the consequence of sin, which is separation from God (Isa 59:2), something utterly alien to the Holy Son of God. It underlines the completeness of His substitutionary sacrifice.
Mark 15 34 Bonus section
- The profound suffering described in Mark 15:34 distinguishes Christ's death from that of any martyr or ordinary man. It was not merely physical pain, but the unique experience of being alienated from God, which for the Holy Son, was an eternal hell experienced in time.
- Some interpretations suggest that by quoting Psalm 22:1, Jesus intended for His listeners (who were familiar with the Psalms) to recall the entire Psalm, which begins with lament but ends in triumphant praise and vindication. Thus, even in His deepest agony, there's an implicit declaration of His ultimate victory and glorification.
- This cry serves as a crucial theological point, affirming both Christ's full humanity (He genuinely felt the agony of abandonment) and His divinity (He, uniquely, could bear all human sin and endure such a separation from God without succumbing to sin or losing His identity as God's Son).
- The three hours of darkness preceding the cry signify the judgment falling upon the land, mirroring the plagues of Egypt and Old Testament prophecies of a day of God's wrath, indicating that this was indeed a cosmic event of divine judgment being poured out on Christ.
Mark 15 34 Commentary
Mark 15:34 records the most agonizing expression of Christ's suffering on the cross. The "ninth hour" cry, amid the supernatural darkness, signifies the culmination of Jesus' redemptive work as the sin-bearer. At this moment, the Father, in His absolute holiness, turned His face away from the Son who had been made sin (2 Cor 5:21), experiencing the judicial wrath and judgment reserved for humanity's transgressions. This temporary, yet profound, relational abandonment was not a break in the unity of the Trinity, but a necessary separation due to the nature of sin being imputed to Christ. He willingly took upon Himself the spiritual alienation and curse (Gal 3:13) that sin inflicts, demonstrating God's justice in punishing sin and His boundless love in providing salvation through this unparalleled sacrifice. Jesus' cry is the only moment He refers to God as "My God" rather than "Father" during His Passion, reflecting the depth of His identification with humanity under judgment. This act assures believers that those who trust in Christ will never be forsaken by God, for Christ has already experienced the ultimate forsaking on their behalf (Heb 13:5).