These are some of the words Christ spoke on the cross, according to Matthew 27:46. These words are subtly different than those spoken in Mark 15:34, where they are recorded as Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani. In Mark, the entire phrase is in Aramaic, while in Matthew the first two words are in Hebrew. The standard, liberal Christian explanation for this involves the idea that Mark was written first, a fact generally agreed upon today, although, according to tradition, it is Matthew that is the oldest Gospel. According to this explanation, Mark recorded the words first as being in Aramaic, and then, "some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias." (15:35). As Mark tells it, the bystanders, hearing Jesus, thought that he called for Elijah. Matthew, later rewriting the story, decided that 'Eloi' did not sound like Elijah, and so replaced it with the Hebrew 'Eli'. In Matthew, the next verse is "Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias." (27:47). The quote by Christ was thus presumably changed from the earlier version to the newer.