And when some of the bystanders heard Him, they began saying, “Look! He is calling for Elijah!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.”
- KJV And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
- BSB When some of those standing nearby heard this, they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”
- NKJV Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!”
- NLT Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Some bystanders mishear 'Eloi' as a call to Elijah. Confusion surrounds even Jesus' dying words.
Overview
Jewish expectation held that Elijah would come in connection with the day of deliverance, so the cry 'Eloi' is mistaken for 'Elijah.' The misunderstanding shows how far the onlookers were from grasping what was happening. The one they thought was crying for rescue was in fact accomplishing the world's rescue.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Matt 27:47–49Some of them who stood there, when they heard it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
- Mark 9:11–13They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
- Matt 17:11–13Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 15:35 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.