The Fallible Study Bible

The Fallible · Synthetic · Study Bible

Luke7:1–10

The Faith of the Centurion

✦ Public-domain source — quoted & attributed⚙ AI synthesis — generated, verify

Luke 7:1–10 — The Faith of the Centurion. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

1

When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Epeidē eplērōsen panta autou ta rhēmata eis tas akoas tou laou eisēlthen eis Kapharnaoum

Word by word14 · parsed
ἘπειδὴEpeidēWhenG1894
√ ἐπειδή — since now, iConjunction
epeidē: since, when A temporal-causal hinge: the healing follows directly on the finished sermon.
ἐπλήρωσενeplērōsen[Jesus] had concludedG4137
√ πληρόω — to make replete, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
plēroō: to fill, fulfil, complete Aorist active. Luke's verb of fulfilment (as at Luke 4:21, where Scripture is fulfilled “in your hearing”). Here the teaching is “filled up” and the narrative moves from word spoken to word enacted.
πάνταpanta. . .G3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Plural
αὐτοῦautouHisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
ῥήματαrhēmatadiscourseG4487
√ ῥῆμα — an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),NounAccusative Neuter Plural
rhēma: an utterance The spoken sayings of the Plain sermon (Luke 6:20 to 49). Pulpit identifies it with the Sermon on the Mount; Ellicott is more cautious.
εἰςeisinG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὰςtastheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
ἀκοὰςakoashearingG189
√ ἀκοή — hearing (the act, the sense or the thing heard)NounAccusative Feminine Plural
akoē: hearing The faculty or act of hearing. The unit is built on hearing: the people hear (v. 1), the centurion hears (v. 3), Jesus hears (v. 9).
τοῦtouof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
λαοῦlaoupeopleG2992
√ λαός — a people (in generalNounGenitive Masculine Singular
laos: a people Luke's usual word for Israel as the people of God, here set in quiet contrast with ethnos (v. 5), the word the elders use for “our nation.”
εἰσῆλθενeisēlthenHe wentG1525
√ εἰσέρχομαι — to enter (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
eiserchomai: to enter Jesus enters Capernaum; in v. 6 the centurion will ask Him not to “enter” under his roof. The same verb frames the request.
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
ΚαφαρναούμKapharnaoumCapernaumG2584
√ Καπερναούμ — Capernaum (iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
Capernaum: Cambridge, “This was now His temporary home”; Pulpit, “his head-quarters.”
2

There a highly valued servant of a centurion was sick and about to die.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de tinos hos ēn autō entimos doulos Hekatontarchou echōn kakōs ēmellen teleutan

Word by word12 · parsed
δέde[There]G1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
τινοςtinosaG5100
√ τὶς — some or any person or objectInterrogative / Indefinite PronounGenitive Masculine Singular
ὃςhosvvvG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Singular
ἦνēnvvvG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
αὐτῷautōvvvG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἔντιμοςentimoshighly valuedG1784
√ ἔντιμος — valued (figuratively)AdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
entimos: valued, in honour Built on timē, honour or price. Ellicott weighs it as value rather than affection, Gill as the worth of a faithful servant. The same rare adjective names Christ the stone “chosen and precious” (1 Peter 2:4, 6), and Epaphroditus whom Paul bids the church “honour” (Philippians 2:29).
δοῦλοςdoulosservantG1401
√ δοῦλος — a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntaryNounNominative Masculine Singular
doulos: a slave Luke's narrator calls him doulos (vv. 2, 3, 10); the centurion, speaking, calls him pais, “boy” (v. 7). Maclaren and Cambridge both make much of the shift.
ἙκατοντάρχουHekatontarchouof a centurionG1543
√ ἑκατοντάρχης — the captain of one hundred menNounGenitive Masculine Singular
hekatontarchēs: captain of a hundred A rare noun (20 verses). Every centurion in the NT, Cambridge notes, is “favourably mentioned.”
ἔχωνechōnwasG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
κακῶςkakōssickG2560
√ κακῶς — badly (physically or morally)Adverb
kakōs: badly With echōn, “being ill.”
ἤμελλενēmellen[and] aboutG3195
√ μέλλω — to intend, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
mellō: to be about to Imperfect: the slave was on the threshold of death, which raises the stakes of the request.
τελευτᾶνteleutanto dieG5053
√ τελευτάω — to finish life (by implication, of G979 (βίος)), iVerbPresent Infinitive Active
teleutaō: to finish life Present infinitive. The end was underway.
3

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de akousas peri tou Iēsou apesteilen tōn Ioudaiōn presbyterous pros auton erōtōn auton hopōs elthōn diasōsē autou ton doulon

Word by word19 · parsed
δὲdeWhenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἀκούσαςakousas[the centurion] heardG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
akouō: to hear Aorist participle. The centurion never sees Jesus in Luke's account; everything turns on what he heard. Compare v. 9, where Jesus “heard” in return.
περὶperiaboutG4012
√ περί — properly, through (all over), iPreposition
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦIēsouJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
ἀπέστειλενapesteilenhe sentG649
√ ἀποστέλλω — set apart, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
apostellō: to send out The first of two sendings (cf. pempō, v. 6). Luke alone records the double embassy.
τῶνtōn[some]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
ἸουδαίωνIoudaiōnJewishG2453
√ Ἰουδαῖος — Judæan, iAdjectiveGenitive Masculine Plural
πρεσβυτέρουςpresbyterouseldersG4245
√ πρεσβύτερος — olderAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
presbyteros: elder Local Jewish leaders. Benson (v. 1) cites Grotius: “either the magistrates of the town, or the rulers of the synagogue.” Gill thinks of a local court; Cambridge of the synagogue's officers.
πρὸςprosG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτὸνautonG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἐρωτῶνerōtōnto askG2065
√ ἐρωτάω — to interrogateVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
erōtaō: to ask Present participle: asking, a request rather than a demand.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ὅπωςhopōsG3704
√ ὅπως — what(-ever) how, iConjunction
ἐλθὼνelthōnto comeG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
διασώσῃdiasōsē[and] healG1295
√ διασώζω — to save thoroughly, iVerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Singular
diasōzō: to save thoroughly The prefix dia- intensifies sōzō: to bring through danger to safety. A rare verb (8 verses), used again by Luke of a centurion at Acts 27:43. The request is for rescue from death, not mere relief.
αὐτοῦautouhisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
δοῦλονdoulonservantG1401
√ δοῦλος — a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntaryNounAccusative Masculine Singular
doulos: slave Narrator's term, repeated from v. 2.
4

They came to Jesus and pleaded with Him earnestly, “This man is worthy to have You grant this,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hoi paragenomenoi pros ton Iēsoun parekaloun auton spoudaiōs legontes hoti estin Axios parexē touto hō

Word by word16 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
οἱhoiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
παραγενόμενοιparagenomenoiThey cameG3854
√ παραγίνομαι — to become near, iVerbAorist Participle MiddleNominative Masculine Plural
paraginomai: to arrive Aorist middle participle: they came up to Him.
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
παρεκάλουνparekaloun[and] pleaded withG3870
√ παρακαλέω — to call near, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
parakaleō: to call alongside, entreat Imperfect: repeated pleading. The elders are advocates, standing in for the absent Gentile.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
σπουδαίωςspoudaiōsearnestlyG4709
√ σπουδαίως — earnestly, promptlyAdverb
spoudaiōs: earnestly Urgent haste: elsewhere of Onesiphorus searching for Paul (2 Timothy 1:17) and of speeding travellers (Titus 3:13).
λέγοντεςlegontesG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
ὅτιhotiG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
ἐστινestin[This man] isG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἌξιόςAxiosworthyG514
√ ἄξιος — deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise)AdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
axios: deserving, of equal weight The word of the balance: a thing that weighs as much as its price. The elders put the centurion's deeds on the scale. Maclaren calls this “the shallow plea of worthiness”; Gill says it “savours of their ‘pharisaic’ tenet and notion of merit.” The centurion answers with a different word (hikanos, v. 6) and with the cognate verb (axioō, v. 7).
παρέξῃparexēto have You grantG3930
√ παρέχω — to hold near, iVerbFuture Indicative Middle2nd Person Singular
parechō: to hold out, grant Future middle: “you will grant (as a favour).”
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Neuter Singular
ᾧhōG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounDative Masculine Singular
5

for he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

gar agapa hēmōn to ethnos kai autos ōkodomēsen hēmin tēn synagōgēn

Word by word11 · parsed
γὰρgarforG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
gar: for Gives the ground of the elders' “worthy.”
ἀγαπᾷagapahe lovesG25
√ ἀγαπάω — to love (in a social or moral sense)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
agapaō: to love Present tense: a settled disposition. JFB: “Having found that ‘salvation was of the Jews,’ he loved them for it.”
ἡμῶνhēmōnourG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Plural
τὸtoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Singular
ἔθνοςethnosnationG1484
√ ἔθνος — a race (as of the same habit), iNounAccusative Neuter Singular
ethnos: a nation, people Usually “the nations” over against Israel. On the elders' lips it names Israel itself, an irony a reader of Luke-Acts will feel (cf. Acts 10:22, where Cornelius is “well spoken of by the whole nation of the Jews”).
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αὐτὸςautosG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounNominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
autos: he himself Emphatic: at his own cost (Gill).
ᾠκοδόμησενōkodomēsenhas builtG3618
√ οἰκοδομέω — to be a house-builder, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
oikodomeō: to build a house Aorist: a completed benefaction. The elders' case rests on a building; the centurion's will rest on a word.
ἡμῖνhēminourG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounDative 1st Person Plural
τὴνtēnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
συναγωγὴνsynagōgēnsynagogueG4864
√ συναγωγή — an assemblage of personsNounAccusative Feminine Singular
synagōgē: an assembly The house of Israel's gathering, built by a Gentile. Ellicott and Cambridge connect it with the Capernaum ruins; see apparatus.
6

So Jesus went with them. But when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends with the message: “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Ho Iēsous eporeueto syn autois de ēdē autou ou makran apechontos apo tēs oikias ho hekatontarchēs epempsen philous legōn autō Kyrie mē skyllou gar eimi ou hikanos hina eiselthēs hypo mou tēn stegēn

Word by word34 · parsed
δὲdeSoG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὉHoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ἐπορεύετοeporeuetowentG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbImperfect Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
poreuomai: to go, journey Imperfect middle: Jesus is already on the way when the message reaches Him. He does not refuse the request of the first embassy.
σὺνsynwithG4862
√ σύν — with or together (but much closer than G3326 (μετά) or G3844 (παρά)), iPreposition
αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἤδηēdēwhenG2235
√ ἤδη — even nowAdverb
ēdē: already, now “Already not far”: the house is nearly reached.
αὐτοῦautouHeG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
οὐouvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
μακρὰνmakranvvvG3112
√ μακράν — at a distance (literally or figuratively)AdjectiveAccusative Feminine Singular
ἀπέχοντοςapechontoswas not farG568
√ ἀπέχω — (actively) to have out, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveGenitive Masculine Singular
ἀπὸapofromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
τῆςtēstheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
οἰκίαςoikiashouseG3614
√ οἰκία — properly, residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Feminine Singular
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἑκατοντάρχηςhekatontarchēscenturionG1543
√ ἑκατοντάρχης — the captain of one hundred menNounNominative Masculine Singular
ἔπεμψενepempsensentG3992
√ πέμπω — to dispatch (from the subjective view or point of departure, whereas (as a stronger form of ) refers rather to the objective point or terminus ad quem, and G4724 (στέλλω) denotes properly, the orderly motion involved), especially on a temporary errandVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
pempō: to send The second sending (cf. apostellō, v. 3).
φίλουςphilousfriendsG5384
√ φίλος — actively, fond, iAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
philos: friend Not officials now but friends: the centurion's own circle speaks his words in the first person.
λέγωνlegōnwith the messageG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
αὐτῷautō. . .G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ΚύριεKyrieLordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
kyrios: lord, master Vocative. Cambridge: the word “in itself may mean no more than ‘Sir,’” but “on his lips the word would have a more exalted significance.” In the Greek OT it renders the divine name.
μὴmē{do} notG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
σκύλλουskylloutrouble YourselfG4660
√ σκύλλω — to flay, iVerbPresent Imperative Middle or Passive2nd Person Singular
skyllō: to flay, harass Rare (4 verses). At Matthew 9:36 the crowds are “harassed” like sheep without a shepherd; at Mark 5:35 and Luke 8:49 messengers say not to “trouble” the Teacher because the child is dead. Here the centurion uses it from humility, not despair.
γὰρgarforG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
εἰμιeimiI amG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
οὐounotG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
ἱκανόςhikanosworthyG2425
√ ἱκανός — competent (as if coming in season), iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
hikanos: sufficient, competent The centurion's word for himself: not “sufficient” to receive Him. The same adjective comes from John the Baptist's mouth (“I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandals,” Luke 3:16) and from Paul (“not fit to be called an apostle,” 1 Corinthians 15:9). Paul's answer, with the cognate noun hikanotēs, is that “our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
ἵναhinato haveG2443
√ ἵνα — compare G3588 (ὁ))Conjunction
εἰσέλθῃςeiselthēsYou comeG1525
√ εἰσέρχομαι — to enter (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Subjunctive Active2nd Person Singular
eiserchomai: to enter Aorist subjunctive. The verb that brought Jesus into Capernaum (v. 1) is now declined for the house.
ὑπὸhypounderG5259
√ ὑπό — under, iPreposition
μουmoumyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
τὴνtēnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
στέγηνstegēnroofG4721
√ στέγη — a roofNounAccusative Feminine Singular
stegē: a roof Very rare (3 verses: here, Matthew 8:8, Mark 2:4). In Mark 2:4 men tear open a roof to bring a paralytic to Jesus; here a man begs Jesus not to come under his. Gill links the hesitation to Jewish scruples about entering a Gentile house.
7

That is why I did not consider myself worthy to come to You. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

dio oude ēxiōsa emauton elthein pros se alla eipe logō kai mou ho pais iathētō

Word by word15 · parsed
διὸdioThat is whyG1352
√ διό — through which thing, iConjunction
dio: therefore Draws the conclusion from v. 6: not fit to host, therefore not fit to come.
οὐδὲoudevvvG3761
√ οὐδέ — not however, iAdverb
ἠξίωσαēxiōsaI did not consider myself worthyG515
√ ἀξιόω — to deem entitled or fitVerbAorist Indicative Active1st Person Singular
axioō: to deem worthy Aorist. The cognate of axios: where the elders said “worthy,” he says “I did not reckon myself worthy.” Ellicott: “he had not dared even to approach Him.”
ἐμαυτὸνemauton. . .G1683
√ ἐμαυτοῦ — of myself so likewise the dative case , and accusative casePersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 1st Person Singular
ἐλθεῖνeltheinto comeG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Infinitive Active
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
σὲseYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative 2nd Person Singular
ἀλλὰallaBut [just]G235
√ ἀλλά — properly, other things, iConjunction
εἰπὲeipesayG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
epō: to speak Aorist imperative, a request voiced as a command: speak once.
λόγῳlogō[the] wordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounDative Masculine Singular
logos: a word Dative of instrument. The centurion asks for the very thing Jesus has just “filled up” in His teaching (v. 1): a word that does what it says. Psalm 107:20 says of the LORD, “He sent forth His word and healed them”; no voice in the brief cites that verse here, and the link is offered as ⚙ reflection.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
μουmoumyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
παῖςpaisservantG3816
√ παῖς — a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy), a girl, and (genitive case) a childNounNominative Masculine Singular
pais: boy, child Matthew uses pais throughout; Luke reserves it for the centurion's own speech.
ἰαθήτωiathētōwill be healedG2390
√ ἰάομαι — to cure (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Imperative Passive3rd Person Singular
iaomai: to cure Aorist imperative passive, “let him be healed” (Cambridge prefers this reading). The divine passive leaves the healer unnamed but unmistakable.
8

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

gar egō kai eimi anthrōpos tassomenos hypo exousian echōn stratiōtas hyp’ emauton kai legō toutō Poreuthēti kai poreuetai kai allō Erchou kai erchetai kai tō mou doulō Poiēson touto kai poiei

Word by word31 · parsed
γὰρgarForG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
ἐγὼegōIG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounNominative 1st Person Singular
καὶkai[myself]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
kai: also “I too”: the hinge of the analogy.
εἰμιeimiamG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
ἄνθρωπόςanthrōposa manG444
√ ἄνθρωπος — from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι))NounNominative Masculine Singular
τασσόμενοςtassomenosvvvG5021
√ τάσσω — to arrange in an orderly manner, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Singular
tassō: to arrange in order Present middle/passive: ranked, stationed. The order runs upward (he is under) and downward (soldiers under him). Paul uses the same verb of the governing authorities as “appointed” by God (Romans 13:1): the centurion's chain of command is itself an ordered gift, and he reasons from it to a higher order.
ὑπὸhypounderG5259
√ ὑπό — under, iPreposition
ἐξουσίανexousianauthorityG1849
√ ἐξουσία — privilege, iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
exousia: authority, right Luke's word for Jesus' authority over unclean spirits (Luke 4:36) and to forgive sins (Luke 5:24). Cambridge: the centurion “inferred that Jesus … had at His command thousands of the ‘Heavenly Army.’” Pulpit: “how much more thou, who hast no one above thee.” Gill reads it as “a diminution of his office”: even a subordinate commands.
ἔχωνechōnwithG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
στρατιώταςstratiōtassoldiersG4757
√ στρατιώτης — a camper-out, iNounAccusative Masculine Plural
stratiōtēs: soldier Plural: the hundred under him.
ὑπ’hyp’underG5259
√ ὑπό — under, iPreposition
ἐμαυτὸνemautonmeG1683
√ ἐμαυτοῦ — of myself so likewise the dative case , and accusative casePersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 1st Person Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
λέγωlegōI tellG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
legō: to say Present: habitual command.
τούτῳtoutō[one]G3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounDative Masculine Singular
ΠορεύθητιPoreuthētito goG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbAorist Imperative Passive2nd Person Singular
poreuomai: to go Aorist imperative, then present indicative “he goes”: word and act fold together.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πορεύεταιporeuetaihe goesG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἄλλῳallōanotherG243
√ ἄλλος — "else," iAdjectiveDative Masculine Singular
ἜρχουErchouto comeG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbPresent Imperative Middle or Passive2nd Person Singular
erchomai: to come Present imperative, then “he comes.”
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἔρχεταιerchetaihe comesG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
καὶkai[I tell]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τῷtō. . .G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Singular
μουmoumyG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
δούλῳdoulōservantG1401
√ δοῦλος — a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntaryNounDative Masculine Singular
ΠοίησονPoiēsonto doG4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
poieō: to do Aorist imperative “Do,” answered by present “he does.” Three commands, three obediences: the centurion asks Jesus to treat disease as a soldier under orders.
τοῦτοtouto[something]G3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Neuter Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ποιεῖpoieihe does [it]G4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
9

When Jesus heard this, He marveled at the centurion. Turning to the crowd following Him, He said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de ho Akousas tauta Iēsous ethaumasen auton kai strapheis tō ochlō akolouthounti autō eipen Legō hymin oude en tō Israēl heuron tosautēn pistin

Word by word23 · parsed
δὲde[When]G1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὁhovvvG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἈκούσαςAkousas[Jesus] heardG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
akouō: to hear Aorist participle. The centurion heard about Jesus (v. 3); now Jesus hears the centurion's words through others.
ταῦταtauta[this]G3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἸησοῦςIēsous[He]G2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ἐθαύμασενethaumasenmarveled atG2296
√ θαυμάζω — to wonderVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
thaumazō: to wonder Aorist. Pulpit (citing Augustine): “Who had inspired that faith but he who now admires it?” The wonder is real; it is also, Augustine adds, held up for us to imitate.
αὐτόνauton[the centurion]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
στραφεὶςstrapheisTurningG4762
√ στρέφω — to twist, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Singular
strephō: to turn Aorist passive participle: Jesus turns to address the following crowd, making the Gentile's faith a public lesson.
τῷtōto theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Singular
ὄχλῳochlōcrowdG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounDative Masculine Singular
ἀκολουθοῦντιakolouthountifollowingG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveDative Masculine Singular
akoloutheō: to follow Present participle: the crowd is following Him, yet the commended faith is found in a man who stayed home.
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ΛέγωLegōI tellG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
ὑμῖνhyminyouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Plural
οὐδὲoudenot evenG3761
√ οὐδέ — not however, iAdverb
oude: not even The scalar negative: Israel was the place one would most expect such faith.
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τῷtōG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Singular
ἸσραὴλIsraēlIsraelG2474
√ Ἰσραήλ — Israel (iNounDative Masculine Singular
Israēl The covenant people. Augustine (in Cambridge and Pulpit): He found “in the oleaster what He had not found in the olive,” anticipating Paul's olive tree (Romans 11:17).
εὗρονheuronhave I foundG2147
√ εὑρίσκω — to find (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active1st Person Singular
heuriskō: to find Aorist: the language of search, as of the Shepherd who seeks until He finds (Luke 15:4).
τοσαύτηνtosautēnsuch greatG5118
√ τοσοῦτος — apparently from G3588 (ὁ) and G3739 (ὅς)) and G3778 (οὗτος) (including its variations)Demonstrative PronounAccusative Feminine Singular
πίστινpistinfaithG4102
√ πίστις — persuasion, iNounAccusative Feminine Singular
pistis: faith, persuasion The only place in Luke where Jesus praises the greatness of someone's pistis. Its content here is concrete: trust that Jesus' word has authority over sickness at a distance. The v. 1 entry labelled JFB (apparently Poole's text; see apparatus) judges that he believed Jesus clothed with divine power, without clear evidence that he confessed Him the eternal Son.
10

And when the messengers returned to the house, they found the servant in good health.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai hoi pemphthentes hypostrepsantes eis ton oikon heuron ton doulon hygiainonta

Word by word11 · parsed
καὶkaiAnd [when]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἱhoitheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
πεμφθέντεςpemphthentesmessengersG3992
√ πέμπω — to dispatch (from the subjective view or point of departure, whereas (as a stronger form of ) refers rather to the objective point or terminus ad quem, and G4724 (στέλλω) denotes properly, the orderly motion involved), especially on a temporary errandVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
pempō: to send Aorist passive participle: the sent ones.
ὑποστρέψαντεςhypostrepsantesreturnedG5290
√ ὑποστρέφω — to turn under (behind), iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
hypostrephō: to return Aorist participle: a favourite Lukan verb of return.
εἰςeistoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
οἶκονoikonhouseG3624
√ οἶκος — a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
εὗρονheuronthey foundG2147
√ εὑρίσκω — to find (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
heuriskō: to find Aorist. The healing is narrated only as discovered fact: no word of command is recorded. Luke lets the result speak.
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
δοῦλονdoulonservantG1401
√ δοῦλος — a slave (literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntaryNounAccusative Masculine Singular
doulos: slave The narrator's term again; the precious slave (v. 2) is now well.
ὑγιαίνονταhygiainontain good healthG5198
√ ὑγιαίνω — to have sound health, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveAccusative Masculine Singular
hygiainō: to be in health Present participle: not recovering but healthy. Cambridge notes Luke 15:27 (the prodigal received back “safe and sound”) and the Pastorals' “sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:13). The word for a healed body becomes, in Paul, the word for healthy teaching.

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. Words finished, a word heard — Luke 7:1 to 3

Luke opens with a verb of fullness: Jesus ἐπλήρωσεν (“filled up”) His ῥήματα “into the hearings” of the people. Ellicott corrects the old “audience” to “in the ears.” The scene that follows is a drama of hearing. A Gentile officer, whose slave is ἔντιμος (“precious”; Ellicott, “the dearness of value”) and on the point of death, has “heard about Jesus” (Cambridge, Pulpit). He sends elders, without the article, as Ellicott and Cambridge stress: some of the town's leaders, not the whole body. Ellicott names him “like Cornelius, at least half a proselyte.” The verb of the request is διασώζω, “bring safely through,” rescue from death. Pulpit reads the embassy as tact: the elders could plead “with more grace than himself.” Gill reads it as humility: the centurion judged himself “very unworthy and unfit to go himself.”

ii. Two verdicts: worthy, not fit — Luke 7:4 to 7a

The elders plead continuously (parekaloun, imperfect) and earnestly: “Ἄξιός is he.” Their ground is twofold: he loves “our ethnos” and “he himself” built “the synagogue” (Cambridge, Ellicott). Barnes finds their plea fair: “it was not improper to show him a kindness.” JFB calls it “a testimony most precious.” Gill hears in it the “notion of merit.” Maclaren sets the two verdicts side by side: “The elders said, ‘He is worthy’; he said, ‘I am not worthy,’” and observes that the Greek is sharper than the English, for the centurion's word is ἱκανός, “not fit.” Then in v. 7 the centurion takes up the elders' own root (ἠξίωσα, “I did not deem myself worthy”) and turns it against himself. Augustine, quoted by Pulpit and in Latin by Cambridge, draws the paradox: “By saying that he was unworthy, he showed himself worthy” of Christ's entering “within his heart.” Gill adds the social barrier: a Jew entering “the house of an uncircumcised Gentile.” Jesus, meanwhile, “was going” (imperfect): He had not waited to weigh the elders' case.

iii. A man under authority — Luke 7:7b to 8

The request is minimal: εἰπὲ λόγῳ, “say with a word,” and “let my pais be healed” (Cambridge prefers the imperative reading; the BSB follows the future). Pulpit: “He had risen above the need of an outward sign … The word the Master would speak would be enough.” The reasoning is military. He is τασσόμενος, “set in rank,” under ἐξουσία, with soldiers under him: “Go,” and he goes. Gill: “not an amplification, but a diminution of his office”; even a subordinate commands. Pulpit draws the conclusion: “how much more thou, who hast no one above thee.” Cambridge (following Farrar) imagines the “Heavenly Army” at Jesus' bidding. The text itself claims less: only that Jesus' word carries authority that disease must obey.

iv. The marvel and the finding — Luke 7:9 to 10

Jesus ἐθαύμασεν. Cambridge notes that the only other recorded astonishment of Jesus is “at unbelief” (Mark 6:6). Augustine, through Pulpit: “Who had inspired that faith but he who now admires it?” He turns to the following crowd: “not even in Israel such faith have I found.” Augustine again: He found “in the oleaster what He had not found in the olive” (Cambridge, Pulpit). Ellicott observes that Luke, unlike Matthew, omits the saying about many coming from east and west. The healing itself is never narrated. The sent ones return and “found” the slave ὑγιαίνοντα, “healthy,” Luke's medical word (Ellicott, Cambridge). Jesus found faith; they found health. Henry: “The cure soon wrought and perfect.”

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Read by Scripture alone, the passage sets two measures of a man against each other and lets Jesus' action decide between them. The elders weigh the centurion by his deeds (axios); the centurion weighs himself before Jesus and finds himself “not fit” (hikanos). Jesus does not rebuke the elders, and He goes with them; but what He praises is neither the synagogue nor the love of the nation. He praises pistis, and the faith He praises is a confident reliance on His word alone. The grounds of the healing are therefore located in Christ's authority, not in the petitioner's worth, which accords with the wider witness that sufficiency is from God (2 Corinthians 3:5) and that the nations are brought in by faith (Luke 2:32; Romans 11:17 to 20). This tool offers that reading as fallible, to be tested against the text: in particular, Luke does not here say whether the centurion's faith grasped Jesus' deity, and the reading should not claim more than the analogy of authority the centurion himself draws.

The elders said he was worthy; he said he was not fit; Jesus said nothing about worth and marvelled at faith.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The same centurion in Matthew: one event, two tellings verbal / quotation: confirmed

Matthew 8:5 to 13 tells this healing with the centurion speaking to Jesus himself; Luke records two embassies. Benson (citing a Jewish proverb that a man's messenger is as the man himself) and Cambridge (qui facit per alium facit per se) both harmonize the accounts by the agent principle. Ellicott judges Luke's “more true to nature,” since the centurion would not leave his dying slave. The shared vocabulary is real and distinctive: the rare noun ἑκατοντάρχης, the roof (στέγη) and entering, the word, and healing. Cambridge infers from the differences that “neither Evangelist had seen the narrative of the other”; that is his judgment, not a datum.

Matthew 8:5 · Matthew 8:8 · Matthew 8:13

basis: Verifier: Matthew 8:8 shares G1543 ἑκατοντάρχης (in 20 vv) and G1525 εἰσέρχομαι (in 184 vv); Matthew 8:5 shares G2584 Καπερναούμ (in 16 vv); Matthew 8:13 shares G2390 ἰάομαι (in 26 vv). A Synoptic parallel of the same event, not one Gospel quoting the other.

“Do not trouble the Teacher”: the flaying verb verbal / quotation: confirmed

The centurion's μὴ σκύλλου (“do not be troubled”) uses a rare verb that Cambridge calls classical slang (“Bother not”). Ellicott points to Mark 5:35, where messengers tell Jairus, “Why trouble the Teacher any further?” Luke 8:49 repeats it. The contrast is pointed: in Jairus' house the word is spoken in despair, because the child is dead; here it is spoken in faith, because a word at a distance will suffice. In both, Jesus is not in fact troubled from His purpose. At Matthew 9:36 the same verb describes the crowds “harassed” like sheep without a shepherd.

Luke 8:49 · Mark 5:35 · Matthew 9:36

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G4660 σκύλλω (in 4 vv) with Luke 8:49, Mark 5:35 and Matthew 9:36; a rare-word verbal link, not a quotation.

Under the roof and through the roof structural / thematic: confirmed

⚙ The noun στέγη (“roof”) appears in only three NT verses: this one, its Matthean parallel, and Mark 2:4, where four men dig through a roof to lower a paralytic before Jesus. One faith breaks open a roof to bring the sick man to Jesus' presence; the other forbids Jesus to come under a roof, trusting His absent word. Both are commended, and in both the healing word is spoken. This pairing is the tool's observation; no voice in the brief draws it.

Mark 2:4

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G4721 στέγη (in 3 vv) with Mark 2:4; a rare shared word within contrasting healing scenes. The thematic contrast is ⚙ synthesis, not a claim of allusion.

Luke's centurions structural / thematic: confirmed

Cambridge observes that “all the centurions in the N.T. are favourably mentioned,” citing Luke 23:47 and Acts 27:43; Pulpit adds Cornelius and the centurion at the cross. Ellicott calls this man “like Cornelius, at least half a proselyte.” The echoes run through Luke-Acts: Cornelius is “well spoken of by the whole nation (ethnos) of the Jews” (Acts 10:22), as this centurion “loves our ethnos”; the centurion at the cross confesses Jesus “righteous” (Luke 23:47); and at Acts 27:43 a centurion wishes to “bring Paul safely through” (διασώζω), the very verb of v. 3. The Gentile officer is a recurring witness in Luke's two volumes.

Acts 10:22 · Luke 23:47 · Acts 27:43

basis: Verifier: Acts 27:43 shares G1543 ἑκατοντάρχης (in 20 vv) and G1295 διασώζω (in 8 vv); pair check Luke 7:5 / Acts 10:22 shares G1484 ἔθνος (in 151 vv) only; Luke 23:47 cited by Cambridge, not Verifier-scored. A recurring character type, not a quotation.

“Precious”: the slave, the stone, the honoured guest structural / thematic: confirmed

The rare adjective ἔντιμος marks the slave as “precious” (Ellicott: “the dearness of value”). Luke uses it again of the “more distinguished” guest at a feast (Luke 14:8); Paul, of men like Epaphroditus to be held “in honour” (Philippians 2:29); and Peter, of Christ the living stone, “chosen and precious” to God (1 Peter 2:4, 6, quoting Isaiah 28:16). The lexical link is real; any theological weight placed on it beyond the shared word is the tool's reflection.

Luke 14:8 · Philippians 2:29 · 1 Peter 2:4 · 1 Peter 2:6

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G1784 ἔντιμος (in 5 vv) with Luke 14:8, Philippians 2:29, 1 Peter 2:4 and 2:6; a rare shared word, no allusion claimed.

Naaman the Syrian and a cure at a distance typological

⚙ In His Nazareth sermon Jesus had already named a Gentile commander healed while Israel's lepers were not: “none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). The pattern of 2 Kings 5 recurs here: a foreign military officer; Israelites who speak on his behalf (the captive girl, the king's letter); a cure accomplished without the prophet's touch or even his coming out; and a contrast with Israel. Naaman expected Elisha to come and wave his hand (2 Kings 5:11); the centurion expressly asks Jesus not to come. No voice in the brief draws this parallel; it is offered as a figural reading to be tested. Because the link runs Greek to Hebrew, no shared Strong's lexeme can be computed; it cannot be tiered verbal.

Luke 4:27 · 2 Kings 5:1 · 2 Kings 5:11

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew): no shared Strong's numbers possible. Within Luke, pair check Luke 7:9 / Luke 4:27 shares only G2474 Ἰσραήλ (in 66 vv). The Naaman correspondence is a pattern-level reading (⚙, novel in this brief, though commonly drawn in later scholarship).

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The Word whose saying is doing ancient/widely-held

⚙ The centurion asks Jesus to do what only the Creator's word does: speak, and it is so. His analogy of command (“Go, and he goes”) places sickness under Jesus' authority as soldiers are under his. Pulpit, following Bishop Wordsworth and Chrysostom, draws the christological conclusion: Christ “is the Source of blessings, which he could not be unless he were God.” The Psalter says of the LORD, “He sent forth His word and healed them” (Psalm 107:20), and John names the Son as the Word through whom all things were made (John 1:3); in John 4:50 the same Lord heals at a distance with a word, a healing Cambridge thinks the centurion had heard of, while insisting the two miracles are distinct. Luke's chapter opens with Jesus having “filled up” His words; it closes with a body made whole by one of them. The reading of this miracle as a sign of Christ's divine authority is the widely-held church reading; the specific Psalm 107 echo is the tool's addition.

Psalm 107:20 · John 1:3 · John 4:50

From the wild olive: the nations' faith ancient/widely-held

Augustine's line, preserved by both Cambridge and Pulpit, that the Lord found “in the oleaster what He had not found in the olive,” reads this centurion as the firstfruits of the Gentiles grafted in by faith (Romans 11:17). Geneva sees “the example of the centurion” as a warning that Christ “will go to the Gentiles.” Luke has prepared this from the start: Simeon's “light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32), and Jesus' saying that many “will come from east and west” to recline in the kingdom (Luke 13:29; given here by Matthew 8:11, as Ellicott notes). This is the ancient and widely-held reading.

Luke 2:32 · Luke 13:29 · Matthew 8:11 · Romans 11:17

Not fit, yet entered: the Lord who comes under the roof ancient/widely-held

The centurion says he is not hikanos for Jesus to enter under his roof. Augustine (via Pulpit) answers that in saying so he became worthy of Christ's entering “not within his walls, but within his heart.” ⚙ Luke later shows the same Lord inviting Himself under the roof of a man the crowd judged unworthy (“today I must stay at your house,” Luke 19:5), and Jesus promises that He and the Father will come and make their home with the one who keeps His word (John 14:23). The core reading is Augustine's and ancient; the Zacchaeus pairing is the tool's.

Luke 19:5 · John 14:23

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (c. 1905)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text. In v. 7 the interlinear parses ἰαθήτω (aorist imperative passive, “let him be healed”); BSB and KJV render a future (“will / shall be healed”). Cambridge: “Perhaps the better reading is let him be healed.” In v. 10 the KJV words “that had been sick” are absent from the Greek used here; Cambridge and Pulpit both say they should be omitted. Gill notes a variant in v. 4 (“for whom thou shouldst do this”).

Synoptic relation. Matthew 8:5 to 13 has the centurion speak in person; Luke has two embassies. Benson and Cambridge harmonize by the agent principle; Cambridge infers independent sources. Ellicott regards the shared sermon-then-healing sequence as possibly accidental, while Pulpit identifies Luke's sermon with the Sermon on the Mount. These are commentators' judgments.

Sources. The brief's voice feed contains alignment problems, and the tool has avoided citing affected entries: the entry labelled JFB under v. 1 contains Poole's text (it cross-refers “See Poole on Matthew 8:5”) and is not quoted as JFB; the Barnes entries for vv. 5 to 10 and the JFB entries for vv. 6 to 10 repeat their notes on vv. 4 and 5; Barnes under v. 3 repeats his v. 2 note; Poole's entries are cross-references only, so Poole is not cited. Henry's single note covers vv. 1 to 10 and is cited at vv. 2 and 9. Cambridge's “Luke 8:6” (v. 2) evidently means Matthew 8:6, and its “Matthew 9:30” for skyllō (v. 6) likely means Matthew 9:36, where the Verifier finds the verb. The Capernaum synagogue identification (Ellicott, Cambridge) and Cambridge's Talmud and “Parnasim” remarks are 19th-century judgments not verified here.

⚙ Synthesis. The Mark 2:4 roof pairing, the Naaman typology, the Psalm 107:20 echo and the Zacchaeus pairing are the tool's own and are labelled as such.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)