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Christian Documents Index.

The Seven Last Words of Christ

Each of the four gospels provides a description of Jesus' crucifixion, and in each of them he says a few words. In total there are seven utterances, which have often been set to music. Today they are frequently sung in religious services on Good Friday, the day of commemorating Jesus' crucifixion.

There is no way to be absolutely certain of the order in which these words were spoken (or even whether they were spoken at all). However the following ordering is usual.

1 Dimitte illis non enim sciunt quid faciunt. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
(in response to the jeering of the crowd
父阿、赦免他們.因為他們所作的、他們不曉得。 (Luke 路加福音 23:34)
2 Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in paradiso. Verily, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(replying to one of the two thieves crucified with him)
我實在告訴你、今日你要同我在樂園裡了。 (Luke 路加福音 23:43)
3 Mulier ecce filius tuus … ecce mater tua. Woman, behold thy son! [Son] behold thy mother!
(Jesus assigns John "the beloved disciple" —not necessarily one of the twelve— to take care of his mother.)
母親、〔原文作婦人〕看你的兒子。 … 看你的母親。 (John 約翰福音19:26f.)
4 Deus meus, Deus meus, ut quid dereliquisti me?* My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?* 我的神、我的神、為甚麼離棄我。 (Matthew 馬太福音 27:46 & Mark 馬可福音 15:34)*
5 Sitio. I thirst.
(He is offered a sponge of vinegar in response.)**
我渴了。 (John 約翰福 19:28)
6 Pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. 父阿、我將我的靈魂交在你手裡。 (Luke 路加福音 23:46)
7 Consummatum est. It is finished. 成了。 (John 約翰福 19:30)
* This is the opening line of the 22nd Psalm of David, and Jesus quotes it in Aramaic ("Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?"). The two gospels disagree trivially in how the Aramaic is transcribed, but both provide the Aramaic followed by a translation. It is likely that Matthew's account followed Mark in this.
** This may be a reference to Psalm 69:21, which is interpreted by some Christians as foreshadowing the crucifixion. It reads in part, "… and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink."

 

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