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how would jesus' jewish listeners have understood his quoting of psalm 22 from the cross?

PlainDeeperStudy

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Matthew 27:46

“About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

This verse from Matthew's Gospel describes Jesus' cry from the cross, quoting the opening line of Psalm 22. He is in the midst of his crucifixion, an execution method used by the Roman Empire, and his Jewish listeners would have been familiar with the Psalms as their sacred scriptures.

What does it mean to voice deep despair in a way that points to a larger story of hope and eventual vindication?

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Read alongside it

  • Psalm 22:1-2

    The full opening of the psalm Jesus quotes, expressing deep distress.

  • Psalm 22:23-24

    Later verses in Psalm 22 that express praise and assurance of God's presence, despite earlier lament.

  • Mark 15:34

    Another Gospel account of Jesus' cry from the cross, also quoting Psalm 22.

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