Luca 7:5

5 perché ama la nostra nazione, ed è lui che ci ha edificata la sinagoga.

Luca 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 7:5

For he loveth our nation
The Jewish nation, which was Christ's nation, as well as theirs, he being a Jew; see ( John 18:35 ) . This they mention as an argument to induce him to have a regard to the centurion, though he was a Gentile; since he was a friend of the Jews, and well affected and disposed to them, which was very rare: it was not common for the Gentiles to love the Jews, any more than the Jews the Gentiles; there was an hatred, yea, an enmity between them; but this man, very likely, was a proselyte to their religion, as the following instance seems to show:

and he hath built us a synagogue;
at his own private charge, and by the assistance of his soldiers under him, whom he might employ in this work: sometimes a single person built a synagogue at his own expense, and gave it to the citizens; of which the Jews say, ^F15

``if a man builds an house, and afterwards devotes it to a synagogue, it is as a synagogue.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Piske Harosh Megilia, c. 4. art. 1.

Luca 7:5 In-Context

3 e il centurione, avendo udito parlar di Gesù, gli mandò degli anziani de’ giudei per pregarlo che venisse a salvare il suo servitore.

4 Ed essi, presentatisi a Gesù, lo pregavano istantemente, dicendo: Egli è degno che tu gli conceda questo;

5 perché ama la nostra nazione, ed è lui che ci ha edificata la sinagoga.

6 E Gesù s’incamminò con loro; e ormai non si trovava più molto lontano dalla casa, quando il centurione mandò degli amici a dirgli: Signore, non ti dare questo incomodo, perch’io non son degno che tu entri sotto il mio tetto;

7 e perciò non mi son neppure reputato degno di venire da te; ma dillo con una parola, e sia guarito il mio servitore.