Psalm 22.2: Eli, Eli, lamah azavtani (Hebrew)
NA25 (Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland; sorry I don't have a more recent edition): eli, eli, lema sabakthani (mostly Aramaic)
D in Mt. 27.46: heli heli lama zaptani / elei, elei, lama zaphthani (Hebrew)
D (Codex Bezae) is the only support for Hebrew.
Salkinson: Gives the words in Aramaic and then glosses them in Hebrew.
Delitzsch: Gives the words in Aramaic, though he keeps "eli," and then glosses them in Hebrew.
Shaprut's Hebrew Matthew: "said in the holy language" then gives the words in Hebrew.
The only ancient NT witness that supports Hebrew for Jesus' last words is D (5th-6th Century).
D (Codex Bezae) presents a text of the Western type, closely allied with the Old Syriac and the Old Latin. The Western text type probably originated in Antioch, and then spread across North Africa, eventually reaching Italy. It is the oldest NT text type.
As usual, Shaprut's Hebrew Matthew is supported by the Western text type, from which it was probably translated.
According to our theory, the earliest layer of Matthew, Matthew I, consisted mostly of sayings and was written in Hebrew. But this passage is narrative (so probably from Mark), and would have been part of Matthew III, which had been translated into Greek and then expanded. This passage is also part of the Triple Tradition (some version of it is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Is there support for Hebrew in the corresponding verse in Mark (Mk. 15.34)? Yes. Both D and B (Codex Vaticanus, 4th Century, Alexandrian text type, and considered to be the best of the extant manuscripts) give the verb in its Hebrew form, not its Aramaic form.
Early Church historians, including Irenaeus, tell us that the Gospel of Mark had its origin in a series of public speeches given by Peter, and written down by Mark. The last words of Jesus are a quotation from Psalm 22.2, which is, of course, in Hebrew. Rabbi Yeshua was literate in Hebrew, and of course would have quoted it in the original. But Peter was a fisherman, and would have substituted the language that he knew best, which was Galilean Aramaic. But the story, also part of Mark's narrative, about someone thinking that Jesus was calling on Elijah, is more believable if Jesus' last words began with "eli, eli" (Hebrew), rather than "elohi, elohi" (Aramaic).
So how do Jesus' last words appear in Luke? That, too, is interesting, Lk. 23.44-49 gives the last words of Jesus, not as a quotation from Psalm 22, in either Hebrew or Aramaic, but as "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Luke has, following Paul's instructions, edited the Markan narrative to make it less "Jewish" and more acceptable to the new, Gentile Christians.
(to be continued)
