Now, when the centurion
That was over the band of soldiers, that mocked Christ in
Pilate's hall, and who was particularly over the guard of
soldiers, set about the cross of Christ:
and they that were with him, watching Jesus:
the soldiers that were with him, who were set to watch the cross
of Christ, lest he should come down, or any should take him down
from thence; (See Gill on Matthew
27:36).
Saw the earthquake, and those things that were
done;
as besides that, the darkening of the sun, the rending of the
rocks, and particularly heard with what a loud voice Christ
spoke, and then at once expired:
they feared greatly;
not with a true godly fear, but with a fear of punishment; lest
divine vengeance should light on them, for their concern in this
matter:
saying, truly this was the Son of God;
which they concluded, not from any mediatorial performances,
which they were utter strangers to, but from effects of divine
power; and which to them showed him to be a divine person, what
he said he was, and the Jews charged him with blasphemy, on
account of, and condemned him for, as these soldiers might have
seen and heard.
