Matthew 8:5

Healing the Centurion’s Servant

8:5 When he entered Capernaum, ¹  a centurion ²  came to him asking for help: ³ 

Matthew 8:10-11

8:10 When ⁴  Jesus heard this he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “I tell you the truth, ⁵  I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel! 8:11 I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet ⁶  with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ⁷  in the kingdom of heaven,

[8:5]  ¹ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

[8:5]  ² sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like the apostle Paul did.

[8:5]  ³ sn While in Matthew’s account the centurion came to him asking for help, Luke’s account (7:1-10) mentions that the centurion sent some Jewish elders as emissaries on his behalf.

[8:10]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:10]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[8:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “and recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away. The word “banquet” has been supplied to clarify for the modern reader the festive nature of the imagery. The banquet imagery is a way to describe the fellowship and celebration of being among the people of God at the end.

[8:11]  ⁷ tn Grk “and Isaac and Jacob,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.