Matthew 27:46 · Bible study
Matthew 27:46 Commentary: The Cry of Dereliction
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus' cry 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' has deep theological meaning.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1, expressing both utter abandonment and persistent trust in God.
- Key words: ἀνεβόησεν (cried out), a loud, sudden cry; ἐγκατέλιπες (forsaken), to abandon utterly.
- Main debate: Whether Jesus was objectively forsaken by the Father or only felt abandoned.
- Theological theme: Substitutionary atonement, Christ bears the penalty of sin, including separation from God.
- Best use: Pastoral ministry to those in despair, Jesus enters the depth of human desolation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
KJV King James Version 1769
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?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a great voice, saying, `Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?' that is, `My God, my God, why didst Thou forsake me?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
but about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? That is, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cerca de la hora de nona, Jesús exclamó con grande voz, diciendo: Eli, Eli, ¿ lama sabachtani? Esto es: Dios mío, Dios mío, ¿ por qué me has desamparado?
E perto da hora nona, Jesus gritou em alta voz: Eli, Eli, lemá sabactâni?, Isto é: Deus meu, Deus meu, porque me desamparaste?
Et vers la neuvième heure, Jésus s’écria d’ une voix forte: Éli, Éli, lama sabachthani? c’est-à-dire: Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, pourquoi m’as-tu abandonné?
Und um die neunte Stunde schrie Jesus laut und sprach: Eli, Eli, lama asabthani? das heißt: Mein Gott, mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen?
En omtrent de negende ure riep Jezus met een grote stem zeggende: ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI! dat is: Mijn God! Mijn God! Waarom hebt Gij Mij verlaten!
E verso l’ora nona Gesù gridò con gran voce: Elì, Elì, lamà sabactanì? cioè: Dio mio, Dio mio, perché mi hai abbandonato?
A około dziewiątej godziny zawołał Jezus głosem wielkim, mówiąc: Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachtani! to jest, Boże mój! Boże mój! czemuś mię opuścił?
а около девятого часа возопил Иисус громким голосом: Или, Или! лама савахфани? то есть: Боже Мой, Боже Мой! для чего Ты Меня оставил?
約在 申初，耶穌 大 聲 喊著 說：「以利！以利！拉馬 撒巴各大尼？」就是說：「我的 神！我的 神！為甚麼 離棄 我？」
And about the ninth hour Jesus gave a loud cry, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why are you turned away from me?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 27:46
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Scholars from Wesleyan, Reformed, and Anglican traditions agree that this cry quotes Psalm 22:1 and represents the climax of Jesus’ suffering. Clarke repudiates the notion that divinity departed; Barnes suggests the cry reflects the intensity of physical pain and the assault of darkness. Calvin argues that Christ endured the horror of standing before God’s judgment as sin‑bearer. The Cambridge Bible calls it 'an expression of utter loneliness and desolation' yet notes that the repeated address 'My God' indicates persistent trust. Gill points to the ninth‑hour timing, linking the cry to the evening sacrifice. Wesley describes 'a most distressing sense' of God’s withdrawal. All concur this is a real cry, not theatrical, and that Jesus enters fully into the experience of separation from God on behalf of sinners.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Actual divine abandonment: Christ bore the penalty of sin, which includes separation from God; Calvin, older orthodoxy.
- Subjective feeling of abandonment: The union of natures remained, but the human soul of Christ experienced a withdrawal of consolations; Clarke, Wesley, many modern commentators.
- Liturgical citation of Psalm 22: Jesus quoted the psalm to show he fulfills it, and the psalm ends in victory; some patristic and contemporary interpretations.
What is clear: Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1, addressing God as 'My God', indicating both anguish and trust in the midst of his crucifixion.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'forsaken' | Jesus experienced a real, intense separation from the sense of God's presence. | Reformed tradition (Calvin) sees this as the judicial desertion of the sin‑bearer; Wesley and Clarke insist the divinity never departed, so it was a withdrawal of consolations only. |
| Use of Psalm 22 | The cry directly quotes Psalm 22:1, and surrounding events echo the psalm (casting lots, mockery). | Some view the cry as a pure citation showing Jesus meditated on the whole psalm, which ends in victory; others see it as a literal expression of current anguish predicted by the psalm. |
| Language of the cry | A mix of Hebrew ('Eli') and Aramaic ('sabachthani'), typical of first‑century Judea. | Matthew preserves a Hebrew form, Mark an Aramaic form; the exact pronunciation is uncertain but the meaning is clear. |
| Relation to the atonement | This cry is central to understanding the depth of Christ's suffering for sin. | Protestant orthodoxy often highlights penal substitution at this moment; Catholic theology emphasizes the voluntary offering and the unity of the Trinity, not a real rift. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The crucifixion takes place at Golgotha, outside Jerusalem’s walls. Around noon, a supernatural darkness falls over the land, not an eclipse (Passover coincides with full moon) but a sign of judgment (cf. Amos 8:9). Three hours pass. At the ninth hour (3 PM), the time of the evening temple sacrifice, Jesus cries out. Vincent, citing Edersheim, notes that this was also the moment priests blew trumpets to announce the Sabbath. The crowd misunderstands his words: they think he calls for Elijah, as 'Eli' sounds like the prophet’s name (v.47). This fits the Jewish expectation that Elijah would come before the Messiah. The language, 'Eli, Eli' is more Hebrew, 'sabachthani' is Aramaic, reflects the vernacular Jesus spoke. Soldiers offer him sour wine on a sponge, a common refreshment for the crucified (cf. John 19:28, 30). The scene includes mocking rulers, passersby wagging heads, and taunting thieves. Matthew frames this as the fourth of the traditional seven words from the cross, the only cry of dereliction recorded in both Matthew and Mark. Jesus had been silent during the darkness; now he breaks into this shattering exclamation.
Textual Notes
The wording of the cry differs slightly between Matthew and Mark: Matthew writes Ηλι, Ηλι, λαμα σαβαχθανι (Eli); Mark writes Ελωι, Ελωι, λαμμα σαβαχθανι (Eloi, closer to Aramaic). Clarke notes a Hebrew manuscript that reads 'shechachthani' (forgotten me) instead of 'azabthani' (forsaken me), which is closer to the evangelists’ 'sabachthani'. This variant does not change the essential meaning. The consulted sources mention no other significant textual variants.
Reception History
This cry has been central to Christian reflection on the atonement. Early church fathers interpreted it as Christ’s identification with fallen humanity. Medieval mystics meditated on the depth of divine love revealed in such desolation. During the Reformation, Calvin and others emphasized substitution: Christ bore the very wrath deserved by sinners. In modern theology, the cry is read as God’s solidarity with the abandoned. The consistent thread remains that no experience of despair lies outside Christ’s reach.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Cry as Scripture: Jesus prays Psalm 22:1, he is the sufferer the psalm describes, and he trusts God even when quoting words of lament.
- The Cry as Experience: Real abandonment felt, not pretended, Jesus bears the penalty of sin, including the sense of separation from the Father.
- The Cry as Trust: “My God” repeated, even in dereliction, faith holds. He does not stop calling God his God.
Five-point outline
- Timing: The ninth hour, the hour of sacrifice, links Christ’s death to atonement.
- Language: Aramaic/Hebrew, real human words from a real human throat.
- Misunderstanding: The crowd thinks he calls Elijah, an ironic echo of the mockery in verse 43.
- Silence: After three hours of darkness, the cry breaks forth, it is not despair but a release.
- Victory: This cry leads to the final cry and death (vv.50), not defeat but the completion of the Father’s will.
Illustration hooks
- A child lost in a busy market, calling for a parent, the parent is nearby, but the child feels alone. Jesus felt that distance, though the Father was never absent.
- A soldier in battle whose comrades fall, he continues fighting even when he feels abandoned, trusting his commander. Jesus trusts God even when forsaken.
- The experience of a severe medical diagnosis, the feeling that God is far away, even while believers hold to faith. This cry gives voice to that anguish.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Did the Father truly abandon Jesus, or was it only a feeling? (This touches the core of the atonement.)
- What does this cry teach us about the cost of sin?
- How can we trust God when we feel forsaken, following Jesus’ example?
Leading a Discussion
This verse shows Jesus at his lowest point, but even in his cry, he quotes Scripture and addresses God as 'My God'. This tension between anguish and trust is key for our faith. Use these questions to guide your group’s conversation.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 22. What parallels do you notice between the psalm and Matthew 27?
- Why do you think Matthew preserves the Aramaic words instead of giving only the translation?
- What does the supernatural darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour add to the scene?
- How do the mockers in verse 43 echo Psalm 22:8? What does their taunt reveal?
- In what sense was Jesus 'forsaken'? Discuss the different views: objective abandonment vs. subjective feeling.
- Why does Jesus still call God 'My God'? What does that show about faith in crisis?
- How does this cry help you understand the depth of Jesus’ suffering for you?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Psalms 22:1 | For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? |
| Psalms 71:11 | saying, “God has forsaken him. Pursue and take him, for no one will rescue him.” |
| Isaiah 53:10 | Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and Yahweh’s pleasure will prosper in his hand. |
| Lamentations 1:12 | “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look, and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which is brought on me, with which Yahweh has afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. |
| Mark 15:34 | At the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” |
| Luke 23:46 | Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last. |
| John 19:28 | After this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty!” |
| John 19:30 | When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that Jesus' cry of being forsaken does not mean God actually abandoned Him, since He was still the beloved Son. Instead, the cry reflects intense accumulated suffering: bodily agony, Satan's assault, and the withholding of comforting divine consolations. Most importantly, it expresses His substitutionary suffering, bearing the curse and penalty of our sin.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists Christ's cry of forsakenness was genuine soul-agony, not a role or pretence. He argues Christ endured not only physical pain but the far worse horror of standing guilty before God as Judge, bearing the punishment due to sinners, and overcame through the Spirit's power.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that only Matthew and Mark record Jesus' cry of loneliness from Psalm 22. The commentator stresses the repetition "My God! My God!" as deeply pathetic, and quotes Canon Perowne to say this cry was not an expression of God's wrath but a witness to Jesus' confidence in His Father's love even in utter desolation.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that Christ’s cry of abandonment does not mean the Father actually left him. Rather, he was deprived of the felt awareness of God’s favor, yet still held to faith by calling him “My God.” This distinction shows his true humanity bearing the weight of sin without losing trust.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the ninth hour held a specific ceremonial meaning in Jewish temple practice. At that time, about 3 PM on Friday, the first of three trumpet blasts announced the approaching Sabbath, marking a transition in the temple service as new priestly courses arrived.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that Jesus's cry combines trust in God with an intense awareness of being abandoned by His presence. For those three hours Christ suffered something from God the Father that words cannot express, as the powers of darkness were let loose against Him and the full weight of the world's sins struck His soul.