Matthew 8:5

5 When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an army officer came to him, begging for help.

Matthew 8:5 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 8:5

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum
Was returned from his journey through Galilee, to the place where he before dwelt, and is called his own city, ( Matthew 9:1 )

there came unto him a centurion,
a Roman officer, (ham rv) , "a commander of an hundred men", as the Hebrew Gospel by Munster reads it: though the number of men under a "centurion" was more, according to some accounts.

``A band (it is said F7) made two centuries, each of which consisted of an hundred and twenty eight soldiers; for a doubled century made a band, whose governor was called an ordinary "centurion".''

Such an one was Cornelius, a centurion of a band, ( Acts 10:1 ) . The other person that was healed was a Jew. The next instance of Christ's power and goodness is the servant of a Gentile; he came to do good both to Jews and Gentiles;

beseeching him,
not in person, but by his messengers; see ( Luke 7:3 ) and the Jews F8 say, (wtwmk Mda lv wxwlvv) , "that a man's messenger is as himself".


FOOTNOTES:

F7 Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 6. c. 13.
F8 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 34. 2.

Matthew 8:5 In-Context

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, "I will. Be healed!" And immediately the man was healed from his disease.
4 Then Jesus said to him, "Don't tell anyone about this. But go and show yourself to the priestn and offer the gift Moses commandedn for people who are made well. This will show the people what I have done."
5 When Jesus entered the city of Capernaum, an army officer came to him, begging for help.
6 The officer said, "Lord, my servant is at home in bed. He can't move his body and is in much pain."
7 Jesus said to the officer, "I will go and heal him."
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.