Editing Language of Jesus (section)

==={{anchor|EliEli}}Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani (Ἠλί, Ἠλί, λεμὰ σαβαχθανί)===
{{Main|Eli Eli Lama Sabachthani?}}

This phrase, one of the [[Sayings of Jesus on the cross|seven sayings of Jesus on the cross]], is given in two versions: in the [[Gospel of Matthew]], it is transliterated in Greek as Ἠλί, Ἠλί, λεμὰ σαβαχθανί;  in the [[Gospel of Mark]], it is given as Ἐλωΐ, Ἐλωΐ, λαμὰ σαβαχθανί. The differences between the two are the use, in Mark, of ''elōi'' rather than ''ēli'', and of ''lama'' rather than ''lema''.

Overall, both versions can be said to be in [[Aramaic]], rather than in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], because of the verb {{Script/Hebrew|שבק}} (''šbq'') "abandon", which exists only in Aramaic.<ref name="Greenspahn, Frederick E 2003. P.252">Greenspahn, Frederick E. 2003. An introduction to Aramaic. P.25</ref><ref name="critexeg2">Davies, William D. and Dale C. Allison. 1997. Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. Volume III. P.624</ref> The Biblical Hebrew counterpart to this word, {{Script/Hebrew|עזב}} (''‘zb'') is seen in the second verse of the [[Old Testament]]'s [[Psalm 22]], which the saying appears to quote. Thus, Jesus is not quoting the canonical Hebrew version (''ēlī ēlī lāmā ‘azabtānī''), which the psalm claims was of [[David|King David]], but rather the version in an Aramaic [[Targum]] (translation of the Bible). Surviving Aramaic Targums do use the verb ''šbq'' in their translations of the Psalm 22.<ref>[http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/index.htm The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419164259/http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/index.htm|date=2010-04-19}}
* [http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/get_a_chapter?file=81002&sub=022&cset=H Targum Psalms 22] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413144121/http://cal1.cn.huc.edu/get_a_chapter?file=81002&sub=022&cset=H|date=2014-04-13}} Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion</ref>

The word used in the Gospel of Mark for "my god", Ἐλωΐ, corresponds to the Aramaic form אלהי, ''[[Elahi|elāhī]]''. The one used in Matthew, Ἠλί, fits in better with the אלי of the original Hebrew Psalm, as has been pointed out in the literature; however, it may also be Aramaic because this form is attested abundantly in Aramaic as well.<ref name="critexeg2" /><ref>Williams P.J. 2004. The linguistic background to Jesus' Dereliction Cry. The New Testament in its first century setting (ed. Williams P.J., Andre D. Clarke et al.) p. 7-8.</ref>

In the next verse, in both accounts, some who hear Jesus' cry imagine that he is calling for help from [[Elijah]] (''Ēlīyā'' in Aramaic).

Almost all ancient Greek manuscripts show signs of trying to normalize the two slightly different versions of Jesus's saying, presented in Mark and Matthew. For instance, the peculiar [[Codex Bezae]] renders both versions with ηλι ηλι λαμα ζαφθανι (''ēli ēli lama zaphthani''). The Alexandrian, Western and Caesarean textual families all reflect harmonization of the texts between Matthew and Mark. Only the Byzantine textual tradition preserves a distinction.

The Aramaic word form ''šəḇaqtanī'' is based on the verb ''šǝḇaq''/''šāḇaq'', 'to allow, to permit, to forgive, and to forsake', with the perfect aspect ending ''-t'' (second person singular: 'you'), and the object suffix ''-anī'' (first person singular: 'me').

The most likely rendition of the phrase in its original Aramaic, as said by Jesus, would have been "אלי, אלי, למה שבקתני", [[Transliteration|transliterated]] as ''Eli, Eli, ləmā šəḇaqtanī.''

In Hebrew, the saying would be "{{Script/Hebrew|אֵלִי אֵלִי, לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי}}" (''ēlī ēlī, lāmā ‘azabtānī'' in [[Biblical Hebrew]], ''eli eli lama azavtani'' in [[Modern Hebrew]] pronunciation), while the [[Syriac language|Syriac-Aramaic]] phrase according to the [[Peshitta]] would be {{langx|syr|ܐܝܠܝ ܐܝܠܝ ܠܡܐ ܫܒܩܬܢܝ|translit=ʔēl ʔēl lǝmā šǝḇaqtān}} (Matthew 27:46) or {{langx|syr|ܐܠܗܝ ܐܠܗܝ ܠܡܢܐ ܫܒܩܬܢܝ|translit=ʾalāh ʾalāh lǝmānā šǝḇaqtān}} (Mark 15:34).

This saying is taken by some as an abandonment of the Son by the Father. Another interpretation holds that at the moment when Jesus took upon himself the sins of humanity, the Father had to turn away from the Son because the Father is "of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong" ([[ESV]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Habakkuk 1:13 |url=https://biblehub.com/habakkuk/1-13.htm |access-date=12 September 2021 |publisher=Bible Hub}}</ref> Other theologians understand the cry as that of one who was truly human and who felt forsaken. Put to death by his foes, very largely deserted by his friends, he may have also felt deserted by God.<ref>{{cite book |last=Conner |first=W. T. |title=The Cross in the New Testament |date=1954 |publisher=Broadman Press |location=Nashville, TN |page=34 |oclc=2882455}}</ref>

Others see these words in the context of Psalm 22 and suggest that Jesus recited these words, perhaps even the whole psalm, "that he might show himself to be the very Being to whom the words refer; so that the Jewish scribes and people might examine and see the cause why he would not descend from the cross; namely, because this very psalm showed that it was appointed that he should suffer these things."<ref>{{cite web |title=Pulpit Commentary – Mark 15:34 |url=http://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/15.htm |access-date=12 September 2021 |publisher=Bible Hub}}</ref>