Article CTD043 addresses the alleged contradiction between Matthew (“Eli, Eli…”) and Mark (“Eloï, Eloï…”) regarding Jesus’ cry on the cross. Linguistic analysis shows that Jesus spoke Aramaic (as evidenced by “sabachthani” in both texts) and that the difference between “Eli” (the Hebrew form) and “Eloï” (the Aramaic form) simply reflects each evangelist’s adaptation to his readership. There is no contradiction.
You can consult:
According to the website islamland.com (contradiction No. 74), the Gospels contradict each other regarding the language Jesus used when he cried out on the cross:
Does this difference constitute a contradiction?
À l'époque de Jésus, la Palestine était un carrefour linguistique. L'araméen constituait la langue vernaculaire du peuple juif, l'hébreu demeurait la langue liturgique utilisée dans les synagogues et le Temple, tandis que le grec servait aux échanges commerciaux et administratifs sous l'Empire .
Several passages in the Bible attest to the fact that Jesus was fluent in these different languages:
The statement made by Jesus consists of two parts:
| Element | Matthew | Mark | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| "My God" | Eli (אֵלִי) | Eloï (אֱלָהִי) | Hebrew / Aramaic |
| "Why have you forsaken me?" | lama sabachthani | lama sabachthani | Aramaic |
The verb “sabachthani” comes from the Aramaic root š-b-q (to abandon). In Biblical Hebrew, the text uses Psalms 22.1 the verb “azav” (עָזַב), which would result in “lama azavtani.” The presence of “sabachthani” in both Gospels confirms that Jesus was speaking Aramaic.
The only difference between the two accounts concerns the rendering of the phrase “my God”:
Matthieu, écrivant pour un public juif (Matthew 1.1 ; Matthew 5.17-18), emploie la forme hébraïsante « Eli », plus directement liée au texte scripturaire et plus familière à ses lecteurs. Marc, s'adressant à un public (Mark 15.39), transcrit fidèlement la prononciation araméenne entendue : « Eloï ».
This difference, therefore, stems from an effort to adapt to the readership, not from a contradiction in the facts.
In saying these words, Jesus quotes the first verse of Psalms 22.1, a messianic psalm that describes the sufferings of the persecuted righteous one. This psalm contains many elements that were fulfilled at the crucifixion:
Psalm 22 does not end in despair, but in a proclamation of victory and universal praise (Psalms 22.22-31). By quoting this psalm, Jesus identifies himself with the suffering righteous one of Scripture and proclaims, even in the midst of agony, God’s ultimate triumph. This quotation also fulfills the prophecy that the Messiah would be “counted among the transgressors” while bearing the sins of many (Isaiah 53.12).
The accounts of Matthew and Mark do not contradict each other. They both record the same words spoken by Jesus in Aramaic, with a slight variation in the rendering of the phrase “my God”: Matthew uses the Hebraized form “Eli,” while Mark uses the Aramaic form “Eloï.”
This difference attests to the richness of the Gospel accounts and to each evangelist’s adaptation to his audience, without altering the meaning or contradicting the facts. Together, the two Gospels attest that Jesus, at the moment of his death, fulfilled the Scriptures by identifying himself with the suffering righteous one of Psalm 22.
