And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls Elias.
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Mark 9:11-13 And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? …
Matthew 17:11-13 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things…
Matthew 27:47-49 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias…
they said, “Behold, He is calling Elijah.”
The mention of Elijah is rooted in Jewish eschatological expectations. Elijah, a prophet who did not die but was taken to heaven (2 Kings 2:11), was believed to return before the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5). The bystanders' statement reflects a common belief that Elijah would come to rescue the righteous in times of distress. This misunderstanding of Jesus' cry is ironic, as it points to the people's hope for deliverance while they fail to recognize Jesus as the true Messiah. The reference to Elijah also connects to the broader theme of prophetic fulfillment in the Gospels, where Jesus is seen as the culmination of the Law and the Prophets.
• The scene surrounds the cross (Mark 15:24–32), crowded with Roman soldiers, religious leaders, and ordinary passers-by.
• These witnesses have already mocked Jesus (Mark 15:29–31); their hearts are hard, fulfilling Psalm 22:7–8.
• Their nearness means they can hear every word, yet spiritual blindness keeps them from grasping its meaning (Isaiah 6:9–10).
• “This” refers to Jesus’ loud cry, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”—“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34, quoting Psalm 22:1).
• The shout demonstrates both real anguish and steadfast trust in the Father (Luke 23:46).
• The crowd hears the sound but not the heart; they overlook the prophetic fulfilment unfolding before their eyes (Psalm 22:16–18).
• Immediate chatter breaks out, showing a mixture of curiosity, mockery, and superstition (Luke 23:35–36).
• No one turns to Scripture for clarity; instead they lean on rumor and folklore, missing the plain testimony of the Son of God (John 5:39–40).
• Their spoken response mirrors earlier taunts to “come down from the cross” (Mark 15:30), revealing their demand for a sign rather than faith (Matthew 12:38–40).
• Elijah was expected to return before “the great and awesome day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5–6).
• Some Jews believed Elijah could rescue the righteous in distress, much like his dramatic appearance for the widow’s son (1 Kings 17:17–24) or his fiery ascent (2 Kings 2:11).
• Jesus’ Aramaic “Eloi” sounds similar to “Elijah,” giving the crowd an excuse to ridicule while pretending interest.
• Ironically, Jesus had already taught that John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Mark 9:11–13; Luke 1:17), and the true rescue Elijah prefigured is now happening through the cross (Colossians 1:20).
• Their misunderstanding underscores how close one can be to divine truth and still miss it without faith (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Mark 15:35 reveals a crowd close enough to hear Jesus’ cry yet too spiritually deaf to understand it. They turn His anguished call to the Father into a misguided expectation of Elijah, reflecting superstition, mockery, and unbelief. While they look for a dramatic external rescue, the real deliverance is occurring through Christ’s willing sacrifice, perfectly fulfilling Scripture and securing salvation for all who believe.
Verse 35. - Notwithstanding the supernatural darkness, there were those who lingered about the cross. Indeed, the darkness would add greatly to the awfulness of the place. It was out of that darkness that the voice of Jesus was heard; and inasmuch as Elias, or Elijah, was believed to hold some relation to the Messiah, it was natural for some of those who stood by to understand the words to mean that our Lord was actually calling for Elias.