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Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabachthani


Question: When Jesus was dying on the cross, He cried out, "Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabachthani" which translated means, "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46) Why did His Father forsake Him and why are the original Aramaic words recorded in Scripture? Why didn't Matthew just record the meaning of the words?

Answer: Many Bible scholars believe that when Jesus cried out these words, He bore the sins of the world in His body and that His Father had to turn His face away during that time. Others think that His Father didn't turn His face away, but placed the sins of the world on Jesus at that time.

Why include the original Aramaic words? If you take out the Aramaic words, it would read, "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, 'My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me?' And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it began saying, "This man is calling for Elijah." (v.47)

Without the original language inserted, people would read the verse and ask, "Huh? Why did the people watching Jesus die think He was calling for Elijah?" By inserting the original language, "Eli, Eli, Lama, Sabachthani" we can read it and say, "Oh...that's why they thought He was calling for Elijah."



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