5When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him, [8:6] and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering terribly." [8:7] And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." [8:8] But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not sufficient for you to come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. [8:9] For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." [8:10] When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly I say to you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. [8:11] I say to you that many will come from east and west and will recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens, [8:12] while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." [8:13] And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed in that very hour.
MAT 8:5-13
The Faith of the Centurion
In the world it was spoken into
In first-century Capernaum, a Roman centurion’s authority was both military and social. Centurions were mid-ranking officers commanding around 100 soldiers, often stationed in provincial towns like Capernaum to maintain Roman order. Their role placed them at the intersection of Roman imperial power and local Jewish life. The centurion’s use of '' (pais) for his servant could imply a close, possibly familial bond, as the term could denote a child or a beloved subordinate. His acknowledgment of Jesus’ authority ('only speak a word') reflects Roman military hierarchy, where commands were executed without question. The centurion’s humility ('I am not worthy') contrasts with Roman expectations of honor and status, yet it aligns with Jewish piety, which valued humility before God. Jesus’ response, affirming the centurion’s faith, challenges Jewish assumptions about Gentile exclusion from God’s promises, envisioning a banquet ('') where Gentiles recline alongside patriarchs. This interaction highlights the tension between Roman authority, Jewish exclusivity, and Jesus’ inclusive vision of the kingdom.
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How other translations render this
MAT 8:5
- KJV
- And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
- BSB
- When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,
- Koinōnos
- When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him,
MAT 8:6
- KJV
- And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
- BSB
- “Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”
- Koinōnos
- and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.
MAT 8:7
- KJV
- And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
- BSB
- “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.
- Koinōnos
- And he said to him, "I will come and heal him.
MAT 8:8
- KJV
- The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
- BSB
- The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
- Koinōnos
- But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not sufficient for you to come under my roof, but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.
MAT 8:9
- KJV
- For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
- BSB
- 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.”
- Koinōnos
- For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it.
MAT 8:10
- KJV
- When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
- BSB
- When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
- Koinōnos
- When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly I say to you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
MAT 8:11
- KJV
- And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
- BSB
- I say to you that many will come from the east and the west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
- Koinōnos
- I say to you that many will come from east and west and will recline at table with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the heavens,
MAT 8:12
- KJV
- But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- BSB
- But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Koinōnos
- while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAT 8:13
- KJV
- And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
- BSB
- Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! As you have believed, so will it be done for you.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.
- Koinōnos
- And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed in that very hour.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 8:6
- servant:The word translated 'servant' here often referred to a child or a young person, implying a close, personal relationship, not just a hired hand.
- being tormented.:The term used here for 'being tormented' literally meant to be tested on a touchstone, like gold, but came to signify intense suffering, often with the implication of torture or severe distress.
MAT 8:8
- I am:The word translated 'I am' in this context carries the sense of being 'sufficient' or 'worthy.' The centurion is saying he is not worthy enough for Jesus to enter his home.
MAT 8:11
- they will recline:The word translated 'they will recline' describes the common practice of dining in the ancient world, where guests would lean on couches around a low table, rather than sitting upright in chairs.