Matthew 27 47

Matthew 27:47 kjv

Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

Matthew 27:47 nkjv

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!"

Matthew 27:47 niv

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."

Matthew 27:47 esv

And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, "This man is calling Elijah."

Matthew 27:47 nlt

Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.

Matthew 27 verses

Matthew 27 47 Meaning

Matthew 27:47 describes the reaction of some onlookers to Jesus' cry from the cross, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?). Mistaking or deliberately misinterpreting His Aramaic plea, these bystanders declared, "This man is calling Elijah." This reveals a misunderstanding of Jesus' divine suffering, either due to linguistic confusion, spiritual blindness, or intentional mockery rooted in a common expectation that Elijah would appear in times of crisis or before the Messiah.

Matthew 27 47 Context

Matthew 27:47 occurs during Jesus' crucifixion. Prior to this verse, Jesus has been scourged, mocked by soldiers, and led to Golgotha, where He is crucified between two criminals. Various groups, including chief priests, scribes, elders, and passing crowds, have been deriding Him (Mt 27:39-44). From the sixth to the ninth hour (noon to 3 PM), darkness covered the land, culminating in Jesus' cry from Psalm 22:1 at the ninth hour. Verse 47 records the immediate response of some of the many bystanders, highlighting a pivotal moment of spiritual obtuseness and continued taunting. This specific interaction underscores the spiritual disconnect between the dying Messiah's cry of desolation and the worldly expectations or dismissive attitudes of those observing.

Matthew 27 47 Word analysis

• Τινὲς (Tines): "Some." Not all, but a specific subset of the bystanders. This indicates varying reactions among the crowd.
• δὲ (de): "And" or "but." A conjunction marking a slight shift or continuation in the narrative.
• τῶν ἐκεῖ ἑστηκότων (tōn ekei hestēkotōn): "of those standing there." Literally "the ones there standing." Describes the bystanders as observers, distinct from the active participants in the crucifixion. Hestēkotōn (from histēmi, to stand) highlights their position as static observers of the unfolding event.
• ἀκούσαντες (akousantes): "having heard," or "when they heard." From akouō (to hear). Crucial, as their response directly follows their hearing of Jesus' loud cry. This emphasizes that their misinterpretation was based on sound.
• ἔλεγον (elegon): "they were saying," or "they kept saying." Imperfect tense, suggesting an ongoing or repeated utterance, indicating this was perhaps a spreading comment among them.
• ὅτι (hoti): "that." Introduces what they said.
• Ἠλίαν (Ēlian): "Elijah." The accustive form of Ēlias, referring to the prophet Elijah. The acoustic similarity between Jesus' Aramaic cry "Eli" (אלי, 'My God') and "Elijah" (אליה, 'Eliyahu' or Greek Ἠλίας) is key here. This reveals either a genuine mishearing, or, more likely given the context of mockery, a deliberate, cynical twisting of His words.
• φωνεῖ (phōnei): "he calls," or "he is calling." From phōneō (to make a sound, to speak, to call out). Present tense, "he is now calling."
• οὗτος (houtos): "this man." A demonstrative pronoun often used by opponents to refer to Jesus with a hint of disdain or dismissiveness. It underscores their dehumanizing and unbelieving attitude towards Him.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When some of the bystanders heard it": This phrase introduces the reaction of a specific group, implying not everyone reacted this way, yet enough did to warrant recording. Their role as "bystanders" highlights their observational, rather than participatory, status, though their words quickly shift them from mere observation to active engagement in the mockery. Their hearing is the catalyst, suggesting an acoustic misinterpretation, whether intentional or not.
• "they said, 'This man is calling Elijah.'": This reveals their interpretive statement. The combination of "they said" (elegon – imperfect tense, indicating repeated or ongoing utterance) and the pronoun "this man" (houtos, often used contemptuously) points to a collective, possibly mocking, assertion. Their specific conclusion, "calling Elijah," directly contradicts the meaning of Jesus' Aramaic cry and underscores their spiritual failure to comprehend the depth of His suffering or His identity as Messiah, instead clinging to a popular but misapplied expectation of prophetic intervention.

Matthew 27 47 Bonus section

The misinterpretation of Jesus' cry by the bystanders highlights a persistent human tendency to reduce divine or deeply spiritual truths to manageable, earthly, or even superstitious expectations. Instead of acknowledging the Son of God taking on the full weight of humanity's sin and experiencing spiritual separation from the Father as the ultimate sacrifice, their minds jump to a legend (Elijah's miraculous return). This serves as a powerful biblical illustration of how unbelief leads to mishearing, misunderstanding, and often, mocking. The fact that Matthew emphasizes "some" of the bystanders heard and said this also implies that not everyone did, hinting at diverse reactions within the crowd, some possibly remaining in silent contemplation, while others joined the ridicule. The failure to recognize the Christ even in His moment of greatest agony is a central theme underscored by this seemingly small detail.

Matthew 27 47 Commentary

Matthew 27:47 encapsulates a poignant moment of misunderstanding and mockery at the foot of the cross. Jesus' cry, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" directly from Psalm 22:1, was a deep theological expression of divine abandonment, an entering into the darkest depths of human suffering and sin. However, some bystanders either genuinely misheard "Eli" as "Elijah," due to the similar sounds and the general noise of the crucifixion, or, more probable given the previous mockery (Mt 27:39-44), they deliberately twisted His words to further ridicule Him. The expectation that Elijah might return to intervene in moments of national crisis or before the Messiah's coming was strong, and calling out to Elijah for rescue would have been seen as a pathetic, superstitious hope for external help from a mere prophet. Their statement "This man is calling Elijah" simultaneously dismisses Jesus' true cry as something common or even superstitious, highlights their spiritual inability to grasp the prophetic fulfillment unfolding before them, and underscores the ultimate irony: the very Christ who fulfills the prophecies is not recognized, but His cries are twisted into fulfilling the misinterpretations of the blind. This passage serves as a stark reminder of how profound spiritual truth can be completely distorted by unbelief or by clinging to worldly, superficial expectations.