Matthew 27:47

47 Some of the people standing there heard him and said, "He is calling for Elijah!"

Matthew 27:47 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 27:47

Some of them that stood there
Near the cross, looking on, and mocking at him,

when they heard that;
the words, "Eli, Eli", spoken by Christ,

said, this man calleth for Elias.
These could not be the Roman soldiers that said so, who had no notion of Elias; rather the Hellenistic Jews, who not so well understanding the Hebrew language, hearing the above words, and having some notion of the prophet Elias, fancied he was calling for him; though it seems most likely to be the Jews, who either through the nearness of the sound of the words, and mistake of them, and not near enough to hear and distinguish them, really thought he called for that prophet; or rather wilfully mistook him, with an intent to banter and ridicule him.

Matthew 27:47 In-Context

45 At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours.

46 At about three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, ["Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?"] which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?"

47 Some of the people standing there heard him and said, "He is calling for Elijah!"

48 One of them ran up at once, took a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, put it on the end of a stick, and tried to make him drink it.

49 But the others said, "Wait, let us see if Elijah is coming to save him!"