Aramaic: Did God FORSAKE Jesus at the cross?
Have you ever thought about this, that the God who is the source of abundant mercies, could FORSAKE Jesus when he was on the cross?
Didn't Jesus obeyed the Father's will by accepting the coming crucifixion as in Matthew 26:39?
Mat 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
My 1st question: Jesus was at the cross, and that was His most difficult time for His earthly life, and would God hold back His comfort and His presence, just when Jesus needed it the most? (Many believers also asked this question when they are going through times of difficulties).
My 2nd question: Is God setting a bad example to other parents? What kind of loving father would abandon his son or daughter, their own flesh and blood, just at the moment of great suffering?
But many are shocked when they read Matthew 27:46 KJV,
Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
What Say You
Some say, Oh, you have to accept that by "faith" without questioning.
Is that how you are supposed to understand the bible?
Are you supposed to park your brains outside and be mindless and un-knowledgeable about difficult or seemingly contradictory bible passages?
NO, of course not. God will neither give you eyes and ask you not to use them, nor give you brains and put it away.
The Real Question is: "WAS JESUS FORSAKEN"?
Important: This phrase: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani" is an original native Aramaic language that Jesus uttered.
(For those of you who needs to know, that the Aramaic writing is not in alphabets a,b,c, d etc. The gospel writers are using phonetics /
sounds to mimic the original Aramaic pronunciations.
So some translations show "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani" or "Eli! Eli! L’mah sh’vaktani" or "Eli, Eli, lemah sabachthani!" or "Iyl! Iyl! Lamana Shabaqthani" or "'el, ’el, l’mana shwaqthani", to try to retain the cry of Jesus in His native language.)
The bible verse was translated from the original ARAMAIC => HEBREW => GREEK => LATIN => OLD/NEW ENGLISH => other languages of the modern world.
In the process of translations, the meanings, intentions and context of the words are ALWAYS altered knowingly or unknowingly by the translators, so it is always wise and right to go back to the original that is Aramaic. (This applies to all the bible writings besides Mat 27:46).
Is It a Question or Declaration?
Is It a Question or Declaration?
I want you to understand that the KJV version of Mat 27:46 presents Jesus' utterance as a "question". It reads as if Jesus was questioning
God, Why? Why?, as if Jesus did not understand what was happening to him at that moment.
However, in the original Aramaic language, it is NOT a "question" BUT a "declaration".
Tanslation of the Aramaic into English puts it like this:
“’el, ’el, l’mana shwaqthani: O God! O God! To what [a purpose] You have kept me!”
or according to Lamsa traslation:
Matthew 27:46 - And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, Eli, Eli, lmana shabachthani! which means, My God, my God, for this I was kept!
Dr. Lamsa adds a footnote to the last part of Jesus’ exclamation and retranslates it as “for this was my destiny!”
IMPORTANT: This takes on a whole DIFFERENT Meaning:
That means Jesus made a crying declaration that He knows that the crucifixion was the very reason for Him to live and to die.
Isn't this consistent with the rest of the gospel writings, where Jesus already knew that He is to be crucified soon. This was the very purpose that Jesus came physically, to die crucified. He knew His purpose, and He kept to His mission. He even rebuked those who objected to His purpose and mission. Jesus was very focused on the crucifixion at the cross.
A Victorious Cry and not a Forsaken Cry
Jesus Cry was a Victorious Cry and not a Forsaken Cry. God did NOT Forsake or abandon Jesus on the cross.
Another translation from Aramaic to English puts it like this: (Rocco Errico's translation). (Rocco Errico is still living today as a foremost
authority on bible from Aramaic to modern literal English).
“O Sustainer! O Sustainer! To what [a purpose] You have left me!”
Rocco's note: The word “left” in this context does not mean “forsaken or abandoned.” It means “remaining to fulfill an end or a destiny.”
[In gospel of Mark 15:34, it records the same utterance. However the writer uses the East Aramaic dialect for God, alaha, and not ’el.]
An Ancient Commentary
Look at An Ancient Commentary dated 850 AD written on an ancient scroll and entirely in the Aramaic language entitled:
“The Testimony [or Evidence] from the Book of Commentaries of Lord Ishodad of Merv, Bishop of Hadatha, Beth Naharain [Mesoptamia]
850 C.E., Bishop of the Church of the East.”
This was a hand-written commentary explaining Jesus' words spoken when he was on the cross. The translation from Aramaic to English is
by Rocco Errico. Errico added that "The English rendering appears clumsy because I want to retain the thrust and intent of the writer. As much as possible, I give a word-for-word translation, retaining its original style of punctuation."
Errico's translation of the writings of Ishodad is as follows:
[ ...The explanation of ’el, ’el, l’mana shwaktani: Not at all was he forsaken by the Godhead. Not even during suffering nor during death
because the Godhead was always with him - in suffering and on the cross and in death and in the grave;
And very God Himself raised him in power and in glory as in the psalm of David: For You have not left my soul in sheol: And neither have You allowed Your holy one to see corruption...]
Note: Jesus was not at all forsaken by God. God was always with Jesus in suffering, on the cross, in death and in the grave.
That is the Truth:
God did not Forsake Jesus on the cross and God never forsakes anyone at anytime, never in the past, and never in the future. His Truth, His Power and His Presence is forever with us.
