One Cry or Two? Mark’s Composition of Mark 15:34-37

Abstract

Mark 15:34-37 describes the moment of Jesus’ death. The scene is prepared with v. 33 where we read that darkness falls over the earth. In vv. 34-37 Jesus cries out just before he dies and his cry incites people standing near the cross to mock him. One much discussed feature in this passage is the double mention of Jesus’ cry: once in v. 34 (ἐ ό ὁ Ἰ ῦ ῇ ά ῃ, “Jesus cried out β ησεν ησο ς φων μεγ λ with a loud voice”) and a second time in v. 37 (ὁ ὲ Ἰ ῦ ἀ ὶ ὴ ά δ ησο ς φε ς φων ν μεγ λην ἐ έ , “Then Jesus gave a loud cry”). ξ πνευσεν 1) In v. 34 the cry is a quotation of the first half of Psalm 22:2a (NRS Psa 22:1a; LXX Psa 21:2a) Ελωι ελωι λεμα , while the second cry in v. 37 is a wordless shout. A much debated σαβαχθανι exegetical question is: did Mark intend two separate utterings or only one, with v. 37 resuming or repeating v. 34? Opinions are divided, but most modern Bible translations reflect the view that Jesus cries out twice.2) With the translations in