The Seven Last Words from the Cross (Matthew 27:46; Luke 23:34, 43, 46; John 19:26–30)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 88 (on Matthew 27:46) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110/npnf110.iii.LXXXIV.html

On the cry "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" and why the Lord uttered it to His last breath:

He saith, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" ... that unto His last breath they might see that He honors His Father, and is no adversary of God. Wherefore also He uttered a certain cry from the prophet, ... even to His last hour bearing witness to the Old Testament, and not simply a cry from the prophet, but also in Hebrew, so as to be plain and intelligible to them, and by all things He shows how He is of one mind with Him that begat Him.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 12 (on John 19:28–30) Source: trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_12_book12.htm

On "I thirst," and the flesh He truly and willingly bore:

When the iniquity of the Jews had fully wrought the impious crime against Christ, and when there was nothing left wanting to the perfect satisfaction of their savage cruelty, the flesh, at the last extremity, felt a natural craving, for it was parched by the various acts of outrage, and felt thirst. ... It would have been easy for the Word, the Almighty God, to have released His Flesh from this torment; but, just as He willingly underwent His other sufferings, so He bore this also ... of His own Will.

On "It is finished," and the descent to the spirits in hell:

Therefore rightly did He exclaim, It is finished, the hour already summoning Him to preach to the spirits in hell. ... that He might be Lord both of the living and the dead; and for our sake encountered death itself, and underwent the common lot of all humanity, that is, according to the flesh, though being as God by Nature Life, that He might despoil hell, and render return to life possible to human nature; being thus proved the firstfruits of them that are asleep, and the firstborn from the dead, according to the Scriptures.

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Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–254)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 27:46) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvii.html

(Some of Origen's later speculations were condemned in 553; the passage below bears on the plain sense of the cry and is quoted with that caution.)

On what it means that Christ is "forsaken of God":

But it must be asked, What means this, that Christ is forsaken of God? Some, unable to explain how Christ could be forsaken of God, say that this was spoken out of humility. But you will be able clearly to comprehend His meaning if you make a comparison of the glory which He had with the Father with the shame which He despised when He endured the cross.

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 22 (on Psalm 22:1) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 8. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf108/npnf108.ii.XXII.html

On the cry as the words of the old man, spoken in the person Christ bore:

"The words of my sins." For these are not the words of righteousness, but of my sins. For it is the old man nailed to the Cross that speaks, ignorant even of the reason why God hath forsaken him: or else it may be thus, The words of my sins are far from my salvation.

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St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 27:46) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvii.html

On the cry as the opening of the twenty-first Psalm, spoken of the Saviour and not of David:

He employed the beginning of the twenty-first Psalm. ... That clause in the middle of the verse, "Look upon me," is superfluous; for the Hebrew has only 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani,' that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" It is impiety therefore to think that this Psalm was spoken in the character of David or Esther or Mardocheus, when passages taken out of it by the Evangelist are understood of the Saviour; as, "They parted my garments among them," and, "They pierced my hands."

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St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

On the Trinity, Book 10 (on Matthew 27:46) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvii.html

On the complaint of dereliction and the promise of Paradise, that show Him Man and God:

The complaint of His being deserted is the weakness of the dying man; the promise of Paradise is the kingdom of the living God. You have Him complaining that He is left to death, and thus He is Man; you have Him as He is dying declaring that He reigns in Paradise; and thus He is God. Wonder not then at the humility of these words, when you know the form of a servant, and see the offence of the cross.