Some of those standing there, when they heard it, said, “He is calling Elijah.”
The people standing around the cross, not understanding Jesus’ Aramaic words (“Eli, Eli” meaning “my God”), thought that he was calling the prophet Elijah. This mistaken interpretation shows the spiritual blindness with which a person can hear divine truth yet not grasp its meaning. To them it seemed like a simple request for prophetic help, while Jesus’ word was directed to the Father as a prayer of faith and complete obedience.