Mark 15:33–37

Context

This section of the passion narrative in the Gospel of Mark covers the period from Jesus' crucifixion on the cross to his death. By Jewish reckoning, "the sixth hour" corresponds to about noon and "the ninth hour" to about 3:00 p.m. After three hours of darkness, Jesus cries out the words of Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic, the everyday language of Jews at the time. Mark adds a Greek translation of the saying. The Greek text of Mark renders the address as "Eloi," which is closer to the Aramaic, while the parallel passage in Matthew 27:46 has "Eli."

Those standing nearby take the cry to be a call for Elijah. The background is understood to be the contemporary Jewish expectation that Elijah would come to the aid of the righteous in distress. One person soaks a sponge in sour wine ("vinegar" in the KJV), puts it on a reed, and offers it to Jesus. Sour wine was an inexpensive drink consumed by soldiers and laborers. After Jesus cries out with a loud voice and breathes his last, the following verses (38–39) record that the veil of the temple is torn in two and that a centurion confesses Jesus to be the Son of God.

Interpretation

• Reading in light of the whole of Psalm 22: This reading notes that quoting the first line of a psalm could serve to evoke the entire psalm. Psalm 22 begins in lament and ends in trust and praise. On this reading, Jesus' cry is not one of despair but a prayer of trust directed toward God.
• Substitutionary reading: The Reformed tradition reads this scene as the sinless Jesus bearing the sins of humanity in their stead and actually experiencing the wrath of God and abandonment. This reading is directly connected to the doctrine of the atonement. John Calvin and Question 44 of the Heidelberg Catechism interpret the Apostles' Creed's confession that Christ "descended into hell (Hades)" as referring to this spiritual anguish endured on the cross.
• Reading focused on the humanity and suffering of Jesus: This reading emphasizes that Jesus, as a true human being, endured suffering and the silence of God to the very end. Jürgen Moltmann and others have interpreted this scene as a portrayal of God standing in solidarity with those who suffer.
• Cautious reading informed by the Trinity: Since the patristic era, many theologians have read this verse in light of the doctrine of the Trinity, which holds that the unity of the Father and the Son cannot be broken. They explain the "forsaking" not as an ontological rupture but as an experience the Son underwent in his human nature.

Debates and Issues

• Of the sayings from the cross, Mark and Matthew record only this cry. Luke reports "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46), and John reports "It is finished" (John 19:30). How to read these differing emphases together is a long-standing question.
• It has been pointed out that the midday darkness is difficult to explain as a solar eclipse, because Passover falls near the full moon, when a solar eclipse cannot occur. Many regard it as a supernatural sign, and some connect it with the prophecy of Amos 8:9, "I will cause the sun to go down at noon."
• Some manuscripts (including Codex Bezae) are reported to read something close to "why hast thou reproached me?" in place of "why hast thou forsaken me?" Most translations follow the majority of manuscripts.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently read during Holy Week, especially in Good Friday services. In sermon series on the Seven Last Words, which treat the seven sayings from the cross in order, it is commonly preached as the fourth saying.

Related Passages

• Psalm 22:1
• Matthew 27:45–50
• John 19:28–30
• 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Hebrews 5:7–9