Eloi
“My God”
Summary
Eloi is the Aramaic word for 'my God,' spoken by Jesus on the cross in Mark's account of the crucifixion. It represents the opening word of Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic rather than Hebrew, reflecting the spoken language of first-century Palestine.
☩The Cry from the Cross
At the ninth hour (3 PM), Jesus cried out 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' (Mark 15:34), which Mark translates as 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' This is a quotation from Psalm 22:1, spoken in Aramaic rather than the Hebrew of the original psalm. Matthew's parallel account (Matt 27:46) renders the first word in the Hebrew form 'Eli' (ἠλί), which more closely reflects the Hebrew original. Some bystanders, hearing either form, mistakenly thought Jesus was calling for Elijah.
☩Linguistic Distinction
Eloi represents the Aramaic form (אֱלָהִי, Elahi), while Eli represents the Hebrew form (אֵלִי, Eli)—both meaning 'my God.' By the first century, Aramaic had become the common spoken language of Palestinian Jews, though Hebrew remained the language of Scripture and formal worship. Mark's use of 'Eloi' likely preserves Jesus's actual pronunciation, while Matthew's 'Eli' may reflect the Hebrew scriptural source. The Septuagint renders Psalm 22:1 as 'ho theos mou' (ὁ θεός μου, 'my God').
Related Verses1 mention
Mark· 1 verse
References
- 1.George Morrish, "Eloi," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 2.Unknown source, "Eloi."