Matthew 27:46 kjv
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 27:46 nkjv
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Matthew 27:46 niv
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
Matthew 27:46 esv
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 nlt
At about three o'clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"
Matthew 27 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 22:1 | My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? | The direct source of Jesus' cry on the cross. |
| Mark 15:34 | And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”... | Parallel account in Mark's Gospel. |
| Isa 53:4-6 | Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... but he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities... | Prophecy of the Suffering Servant bearing sin and punishment. |
| Isa 53:10-11 | Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him... by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. | God's intentional plan for His servant to bear sin. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Jesus became the embodiment of sin, experiencing the Father's wrath. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... | Jesus taking on the curse for humanity. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. | Jesus bore the full weight of human sin. |
| Rom 3:25 | whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. | Jesus' sacrifice as atonement for sin. |
| Heb 2:9 | But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. | Jesus experienced death fully, including its spiritual dimension. |
| Phil 2:8 | And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Jesus' complete obedience, even through ultimate suffering. |
| John 10:30 | I and the Father are one. | Highlights the deep unity between Father and Son, making the "forsaken" experience all the more profound. |
| John 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Jesus' eternal divine nature, underscoring the temporary yet horrific separation. |
| Col 2:14 | by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands... nails it to the cross. | The cosmic legal work of cancelling sin's debt. |
| Rom 5:9 | Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. | Jesus bore the wrath that we deserved. |
| Heb 9:22 | Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | Necessity of Jesus' atoning blood for sin. |
| Luke 23:46 | Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. | Illustrates Jesus' voluntary handing over of His spirit. |
| John 19:30 | When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. | Indicates the completion of His redemptive work. |
| Psa 22:3 | Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. | Context of Ps 22 shows God's continued holiness even as He appears to abandon. |
| Psa 22:24 | For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. | The Psalm ends in trust and vindication, implying temporary nature of the forsaking. |
| 1 John 2:2 | He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. | Clarifies Jesus' work as turning away God's wrath by sacrifice. |
| Eph 1:7 | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses... | Redemption achieved through Jesus' blood sacrifice. |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | knowing that you were ransomed... with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. | The sacrificial Lamb of God provides redemption. |
Matthew 27 verses
Matthew 27 46 Meaning
Matthew 27:46 records Jesus’ profound cry from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" This declaration, quoting Psalm 22:1, signifies the deepest point of Jesus’ substitutionary suffering. It reveals a unique and horrific experience of spiritual separation from the Father, as Jesus, pure and sinless, fully bore the collective sin of humanity and endured the Father’s righteous wrath against that sin. This was not a cry of despair or lack of faith, but a lament describing the very real agony of God turning away from His Son due to the imputation of human sin upon Jesus. It marked the moment of ultimate cosmic isolation endured for human redemption.
Matthew 27 46 Context
Matthew 27:46 is a pivotal moment in the crucifixion narrative, following intense mockery, physical torment, and the supernatural darkness that covered the land from noon until the ninth hour (v. 45). The surrounding verses describe the Roman soldiers, chief priests, scribes, and elders ridiculing Jesus, daring Him to save Himself if He was the Son of God (vv. 40-44). In this atmosphere of profound human rejection and divine judgment, Jesus’ cry shatters the silence. It immediately precedes His death, signifying the completion of His redemptive work on the cross, not just as a physical act but as a cosmic and theological event. Historically, crucifixions were meant to be drawn-out, public humiliations, ensuring slow, agonizing death. The darkness, followed by Jesus' powerful cry, sets this death apart as uniquely significant, demonstrating divine involvement and a spiritual battle far beyond a simple execution.
Matthew 27 46 Word analysis
- About the ninth hour: (Greek: hōra ennatē, "ninth hour"). This corresponds to 3:00 PM. In Jewish time, the ninth hour was significant, being a time for daily sacrifice in the Temple (though Paschal sacrifices varied). This exact timing emphasizes the pre-ordained nature of His death and occurs after three hours of inexplicable darkness (Matt 27:45), signifying God's presence in judgment.
- Jesus: (Greek: Iēsous, "Jesus", meaning "Yahweh saves" or "the Lord is salvation"). The one prophesied, now enacting His ultimate redemptive mission.
- cried out with a loud voice: (Greek: kraza megalē phōnē, "shouted with a great voice"). This is not a weak whisper of a dying man but a forceful, deliberate utterance, demonstrating His conscious and voluntary yielding of His life, rather than succumbing against His will. It underlines the intensity of His spiritual anguish and the profound weight He carried.
- saying: Introducing the specific words.
- Eli, Eli: (Aramaic/Hebrew: ʾĒlī ʾĒlī, "My God, My God"). An emphatic and intimate address. While Hebrew (as in Ps 22:1, ʾĒlî ʾĒlî), the usage in this context is likely Aramaic, common spoken language of Judea. The repetition signifies profound emotional distress and intensity of the address to the Father, expressing intimacy even in abandonment.
- lema sabachthani?: (Aramaic: lema shĕvaqtānī?, "why have You forsaken Me?"). The word sabachthani is Aramaic, meaning "you have abandoned" or "you have left." It’s from the verb root shabaq, distinct from the Hebrew 'azav (עָזַב) used in Ps 22:1, yet conveys the same meaning of profound abandonment. The question "why" is not one of ignorance or doubt in God's power or character, but a cry of agonizing experience and theological wonder, seeking understanding for an unprecedented event—the Father turning away from His Son.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?": This phrase is directly quoted from Psalm 22:1. It carries immense theological weight. For Jesus, who was eternally united with the Father (John 10:30), to experience "forsakenness" means undergoing a unique, agonizing spiritual separation. This was not a breach in the Trinity's essence but a functional withdrawal of fellowship by the Father as Jesus bore the world's sin. As the sin-bearer (2 Cor 5:21), Jesus experienced the divine judgment that humanity deserved, necessitating the Father's holy turning away from sin. It signifies the point of ultimate dereliction and propitiation. It demonstrates the depth of suffering required for atonement and the justice of God being satisfied through vicarious suffering.
Matthew 27 46 Bonus section
The crowd's misunderstanding of Jesus’ Aramaic cry as a call to Elijah (Matt 27:47-49) highlights the deep theological chasm between popular Jewish expectations and the reality of the Messiah’s suffering. They were anticipating a powerful deliverer like Elijah, who would descend with fire from heaven, not a "cursed" one hanging on a tree. This further emphasizes the unique nature of Jesus’ redemptive work as fulfilling prophecies beyond their immediate understanding. The Aramaic rendering also confirms the historicity of the event, grounding the divine cry in the human linguistic context of Jesus. This cry is distinct from Jesus’ later words ("It is finished," "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit") which indicate victory and completion; here, He grapples with the specific anguish of divine abandonment due to sin.
Matthew 27 46 Commentary
Matthew 27:46 is the theological heart of the crucifixion, transcending mere physical agony. Jesus’ cry, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?", articulates the unique and most severe aspect of His suffering: the experience of being estranged from the Father. This estrangement occurred not due to any personal sin of Jesus, but because He was "made to be sin" (2 Cor 5:21), enduring the righteous wrath of God against humanity's rebellion. In this unprecedented moment, the infinite holiness of the Father, who cannot countenance sin, turned away from the Son who became the bearer of all sin. It was here, in this agonizing spiritual dereliction, that the deepest payment for sin was made, satisfying divine justice and providing reconciliation for humanity. It underlines the true horror of sin's separation from God and the incomprehensible cost of redemption, testifying to the completeness of Christ's substitutionary work on the cross.