Jesus’s words “why have you forsaken me” quote Psalm 22:1 and express anguish. Christians read them in different ways, including as a sign he shared human suffering.
Where it comes from
Jesus’s cry “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34) quotes Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic.
Interpretations
- Real anguish: Jesus felt abandoned as he bore sin.
- A psalm quote: Psalm 22 ends in trust and praise.
- Fulfilling prophecy.
Christian views
Differ across denominations.
Note
The words are among the Seven Last Words of Jesus.
Source and context
The phrase “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” appears in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, spoken by Jesus on the cross, in Aramaic as “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani” in Mark. It is a quotation of Psalm 22:1. Luke and John do not record this cry; Luke 23:46 has Jesus say “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” and John 19:30 has “It is finished.”
- Psalm 22 begins with despair and ends with trust and praise, and many scholars and preachers note this arc.
- Some interpret the cry as real abandonment, as Jesus bearing sin, a view held in some Reformed traditions.
- Others read it as quoting the whole psalm, pointing to its hopeful ending.
- Some in the Eastern Orthodox tradition stress the unity of the Trinity and the humanity of Jesus in suffering.
Scholarly note
Biblical scholars generally treat the cry as one of the most historically likely sayings because the early church would be unlikely to invent it. Interpretations differ by denomination and theologian, so the question is a matter of faith and scholarship, not settled fact. Commentaries such as those by Raymond Brown and N.T. Wright discuss the debate.
Source and context
The words “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” are recorded in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, quoting the opening of Psalm 22. In Mark the Aramaic form “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani” is given.
Scholarly note
Interpretations differ: some see it as expressing real anguish, others as citing the psalm, which ends in hope and vindication. Christian theology often connects it with Jesus bearing human suffering. Jewish readers see Psalm 22 as a prayer of an afflicted person.
Gospel and psalm connections
Psalm 22 begins with these words and continues with themes of suffering and ends with praise and trust in God. Many scholars note the psalm’s details, such as pierced hands and feet and dividing clothes, parallel the crucifixion narratives. The Gospel of Mark has the cry as Jesus’s only words from the cross, and Luke and John record other sayings.
Interpretive traditions
Some theologians see the cry as real abandonment. Others read the quotation as invoking the whole psalm. Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions emphasize the unity of Christ’s divine and human natures. Bart Ehrman and N. T. Wright have written differing views on the meaning.
Based on data from the Encyclopaedia Britannica and biblical scholarship
