Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 8:9
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.]
9. my servant ] Rather, slave. Observe the centurion’s orders, his soldiers come and go, i. e. march when he bids them. His slave he orders to do this, i. e. perform any servile work.
Mark this as the first contact of Jesus with slavery. With such relations between master and slave as these slavery would soon pass away.
It was no express enactment of Christ, but the Spirit of Christ, which this centurion had caught, that abolished slavery.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I am a man … – He had full confidence in the ability of Jesus to heal his servant, and requested him simply to give the command. This request he presented in a manner appropriate to a soldier. I am a man, says he, under authority. That is, I am subject to the commands of others, and know how to obey. I have also under me soldiers who are accustomed to obedience. I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes. I am prepared, therefore, to believe that your commands will be obeyed. As these obey me, so do diseases, storms, and seas obey you. If men obey me, who am an inferior officer, subject to another, how much more shall diseases obey you – the original source of power having control over all things! He asked, therefore, simply that Christ would give commandment, and he felt assured he would be obeyed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. For I am a man under authority] That is, under the authority of others. This verse has given considerable embarrassment to commentators and critics. I believe the paraphrase given above to be the true meaning of the evangelist. To make this matter more plain, let it be observed, that the Roman foot was divided into three grand parts, Hastati, Principes, and Triarii. Each of these grand divisions was composed of thirty manipuli or companies; and every manipulus made two centuries or companies of one hundred men. Every manipulus had two centurions; but these were very far from being equal in rank and honour, though possessing the very same office. The Triarii and Principes were esteemed the most honourable, and had their centurions elected first; and these first elected centurions took precedency of the centurions of the Hastati, who were elected last. The centurion in the text was probably one of this last order; he was under the authority of either the Principes or Triarii, and had none under him but the hundred men whom he commanded, and who appear to have been in a state of the most loving subjection to him. The argument of the centurion seems to run thus. If I, who am a person subject to the control of others, yet have some so completely subject to myself, that I can say to one, Come, and he cometh, to another, Go, and he goeth, and to my slave ( ) Do this, and he doeth it; how much more then canst thou accomplish whatsoever thou willest, being under no control, and having all things under thy command: He makes a proper use of his authority, who, by it, raises his mind to the contemplation of the sovereign power of God, taking occasion from it to humble himself before Him who has all power in heaven and earth, and to expect all good from him.
There are two beautiful passages in Arrian that tend much to illustrate this speech of the centurion.
, , , , . , .
“He who personates Agamemnon says to me, Go to Achilles, and bring hither Briseis: I go. He says, Come hither: I come.” Dissert. l. i. c. 25. p. 97.
, . , . , . , . , , ‘ , , .
“When God commands the plants to blossom, they bear blossoms. When he commands them to bear seed, they bear seed. When he commands them to bring forth fruit, they put forth their fruits. When he commands them to ripen, they grow ripe. When he commands them to fade, and shed their leaves, and remain inactive, involved in themselves, they thus remain, and are inactive.” Cap. 14. p. 62. See Raphelius.
This mode of speech fully marks supreme and uncontrolled power, and that power put forth by a sovereign will to effect any purpose of justice or mercy. And God said, let there be light, and there was light, is a similar expression.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For I am a man under authority,…. Of Caesar the Roman emperor, and of superior officers under him, as a tribune, c.
having soldiers under me an hundred of them at least, for military service, and some of them were used by him as his domestics:
and I say unto this man go, and he goeth, and to another come, and he cometh: for there is no disputing the commands of officers, by soldiers, in anything, in exercises, marches, battles, c.
and to my servant, that was more properly his domestic servant, who waited upon him, and did those things for him which every soldier under him was not employed in,
do this, and he doth it immediately, without any more ado; as indeed a servant ought. The Jews l have a saying, that
“a servant over whom his master , “hath no power”, is not called a servant.”
Now, these words are not a reason excusing Christ’s coming to his house, or showing how unworthy it was, and how unfit it would be for him to come thither, since he was a man that held soldiers under him, and his house was encumbered with them; for these were not with him, but quartered out elsewhere: but they are an argument, from the lesser to the greater, that seeing he was a man, and Christ was God, he was under the authority of others. Christ was subject to none; and yet he had such power over his soldiers and servants, that if he bid one go, and another come, or ordered them to stand in such a place, and in such a posture, or do this and the other servile work, his orders were immediately obeyed: how much more easily then could Christ, who had all power in heaven and in earth, command off this distemper his servant was afflicted with? He suggests, that as his soldiers were under him, and at his command; so all bodily diseases were under Christ, and to be controlled by him, at his pleasure; and that, if he would but say to that servant of his, the palsy, remove, it would remove at once.
l T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 72. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For I also am a man under authority ( ). “Also” is in the text, though the here may mean “even,” even I in my subordinate position have soldiers under me. As a military man he had learned obedience to his superiors and so expected obedience to his commands, instant obedience (aorist imperatives and aoristic present indicatives). Hence his faith in Christ’s power over the illness of the boy even without coming. Jesus had only to speak with a word (8:8), say the word, and it would be done.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Also [] . Omitted in A. V., but very important. “I also am a man under authority,” as well as thou. (Tynd., I also myself). The centurion compares the Lord ‘s position with his own. Christ had authority over disease. The centurion also was in authority over soldiers. As the centurion had only to say to a soldier “Go!” and he went, so Christ had only to say to disease “Go!” and it would obey him.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For I am a man under authority,” (kai gar ego anthropos limi hupo eksousian) “Because I am also a man under authority,” of Caesar, as a Roman commander of one hundred soldiers. With this illustration he indicated his belief in the authority of Jesus over sickness diseases, and demon spirits, Mr 1:27; Luk 9:1.
2) “Having soldiers under me:” (echon hup’ emauton stratiotas) “Continually having or holding soldiers under my command,” to do what I did, instruct or command them to do.
3) “And I say to this man, Go, and he goeth;” (kai lego touto poreutheti kai poreuetai) “And I say to this one, go, or move, and he moves,” as bidden. The centurion had faith to believe that Jesus could say to fever, palsy, leprosy, etc., “go” and it would go.
4) “And to another, Come, and he cometh;” (kai allo erchou kai erchetai) “And to another you come and he comes,” in doing what he can, and should, and must, or suffer consequences of insubordination.
5) “And to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.” (kai to doulo mou poieson touto kai poiei) “And to my slave, (I say) do this, and he does it,” at my command, at once, obediently, to meet my personal needs or for my personal comfort. Jesus once rebuked the disciples for their failure, even to recognize His supernatural Lordship over nature, Luk 8:22-25.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mat 8:9
. For I am a man subject to the power of another This comparison does not imply equality between the two cases, but is taken from the less to the greater. He forms a higher conception of the divine power, which is manifested in Christ, than of the authority which was possessed by himself over servants and soldiers.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) For I am a man under authority.He gives, not without a certain navet, the process of reasoning by which he had been led to this conviction. His own experience had taught that in every well organised system a delegated authority could, in its turn, be delegated to others. The personal presence of the centurion was not wanted where he could send his soldier or his slave to act on his orders. Might he not reason on this analogy, and infer from it that in Gods kingdom also One whom He endued with power would have His ministers at hand, the unknown forces (personal or otherwise, he did not care to ask) that govern life and death, to execute His will?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. I under authority Go, and he goeth The centurion here utters to the Lord a beautiful parable. As I am a captain on earth, thou art captain of the armies of heaven. As I send men and they obey, so canst thou send death or life, disease or restoration, and they shall obey thy order.
As the preceding miracle was performed with a touch, so this was done through distance of space.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“For I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers, and I say to this one, ‘Go’, and he goes, and to another, ‘Come’, and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this’, and he does it.”
The centurion gives a simple explanation for his faith in Jesus, and points out that he knows what it is to be ‘under authority’. He also is under authority. He has his authority from Caesar. Thus men dare not disobey him, for if they did they would be disobeying Caesar. In the same way he recognises that Jesus has His authority directly from God. Thus even disease has to obey Him, and that even at a distance. Note how the threefold examples ‘go’, ‘come’, ‘do this’, are paralleled in Mat 8:11-12 in a different order in the ‘coming’, ‘sitting down’ and casting forth’. Matthew is bringing out that Jesus has in fact the same power in eternal matters (compare Rev 6:1).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
An argument from his own experience:
v. 9. 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. No self-important boasting here, but a modesty which makes his argument all the stronger, since it gives to Christ the honor which fitly belongs to Him. The centurion, for his own person, held a subordinate position, he was bound by his oath to the government and by all that this implied. And yet he had enough authority, in his official position, to give commands to his men, and in his station as head of the household, to demand work from his slave. “The argument of the centurion seems to run thus: if I, who am a person subject to the control of others, yet have some so completely subject to myself, that I can say to one, Come, and he cometh; to another, Go, and he goeth; and to my slave, Do this, and he doeth it, how much more, then, canst Thou accomplish whatsoever Thou willest, being subject to no one, and having all things under Thy command. ” Always there is the reference to the almighty power of Christ’s word.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 8:9 . ] , , Euth. Zigabenus. . . go together (in answer to Fritzsche). The connecting of this substantive with , etc., serves to indicate at once his own obedience and that which he exacts and receives from others. It is quite gratuitous to suppose that the centurion regards the disease as caused by demons that are compelled to yield to the behests of Jesus (Fritzsche, Ewald); and it is equally so to impute to him the belief that the duty of carrying out those behests is entrusted to angels (Erasmus, Wetstein, Olshausen, Baumgarten-Crusius). From the context it simply appears that he looked upon diseases as subject to Christ’s authority, and therefore ready to disappear whenever He ordered them to do so (Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, Bengel, de Wette). It is thus that he commands the fever in Luk 4:39 , and it ceases . Observe with Bengel the “sapientia fidelis ex ruditate militari pulchre elucens.” His inference is a case of reasoning a minori ad majus .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
9 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 .
Ver. 9. For I am a man ] But thou, Lord, art more than a man; for the centurion here makes comparison with our Saviour, both in respect to his person and to his power, as to the less with the greater. For his person, he saith not, Nam et ego sum homo, ut tu, ” For I also am a man such as thou art” (as the Vulgate here corruptly renders it); but, “I am a man,” a mere man; thou art God also, very God. And for his power, though subject to another, have soldiers at my beck and check, how much more hast thou, who art over all, an absolute power over sickness and death! The palsy, or, as some say, the epilepsy, was anciently called Morbus sacer, or the holy disease; for the priests, to enrich themselves, persuaded the superstitious people that this disease, as being sudden, hidden, and for the most part incurable, was an immediate hand of God, and could be cured by none but priests. The medicines they gave were much like that of the French mountebank, a who was wont to give in writing to his patients, for curing all diseases, these following verses:
” Si vis curari de morbo nescio quali,
Accipias herbam, sed qualem nescio, nec quam:
Ponas nescio quo, curabere nescio quando.
They are thus Englished by one:
Your pain, I know not what, do not fore slow,
To cure with herbs, which whence I do not know.
Place them (well pounc’t) I know not where, and then
You shall be perfect whole, I know not, when.
And I say to this man, Go, and he goeth, &c. ] King Ferdinand’s ambassadors, being conducted into the camp of the Turks, wondered at the perpetual and dumb silence of so great a multitude; the soldiers being so ready and attentive, that they were no otherwise commanded than by the beckoning of the hand or nod of their commanders. Tamerlane, that warlike Scythian, had his men at such great command that no danger was to them more dreadful than his displeasure.
And to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it ] Such a servant is every saint to his God; at least in his desire and endeavour. Such a centurion also is he over his own heart, which he hath at his right hand, as Solomon saith; that is, ready pressed to obey God in all parts and points of duty. There were seven sorts of Pharisees; and one was Pharisaeus, Quid debeo facere, et faciam illud: so they would needs be called. But the true Christian only is such a one in good earnest as the Pharisee pretends to be.
a An itinerant quack who from an elevated platform appealed to his audience by means of stories, tricks, magic acts, and the like, in which he was often assisted by a professional clown or fool. D
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] The meaning is, ‘I know how to obey, being myself under authority: and in turn know how others obey, having soldiers under me:’ inferring, ‘if then I, in my subordinate station of command, am obeyed, how much more Thou, who art over all, and whom diseases serve as their Master!’ That this is the right interpretation, is shewn by our Lord’s special commendation of his faith, Mat 8:10 , ‘volens ostendere Dominum quoque non per adventum tantum corporis, sed per angelorum ministeria posse implere quod vellet.’ Jerome in loc. ‘Potuisset Ratio excipere: “Servus et miles imperium libere audiunt: morbus non item.” Sed hanc exceptionem concoquit sapientia fidelis, et ruditate militari pulchre elucens.’ Bengel ad loc.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 8:9 , : he argues from his own experience not with an air of self-importance, on the contrary making light of his position as a commander , spoken in modesty. He means: I also, though a very humble person in the army, under the authority of more important officers, still have a command over a body of men who do implicitly as I bid them. Fritzsche rightly suggests that does not express a single idea = “a man under authority”. He represents himself as a man with authority, though in a modest way. A comma might with advantage be placed after . The centurion thinks Jesus can order about disease as he orders his soldiers say to fever, palsy, leprosy, go , and it will go . His soldiers go , his slaves do (Carr, C. G. T.).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
I = I also.
authority. Greek. exousia. App-172.
me = myself.
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton in this verse, App-6.
this man = this [soldier].
another: i.e. of the same rank (see App-124.) = another [soldier].
servant = bondservant.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] The meaning is, I know how to obey, being myself under authority: and in turn know how others obey, having soldiers under me: inferring, if then I, in my subordinate station of command, am obeyed, how much more Thou, who art over all, and whom diseases serve as their Master! That this is the right interpretation, is shewn by our Lords special commendation of his faith, Mat 8:10, volens ostendere Dominum quoque non per adventum tantum corporis, sed per angelorum ministeria posse implere quod vellet. Jerome in loc. Potuisset Ratio excipere: Servus et miles imperium libere audiunt: morbus non item. Sed hanc exceptionem concoquit sapientia fidelis, et ruditate militari pulchre elucens. Bengel ad loc.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 8:9. , for I also) Reason might object, The slave and the soldier hear the command without difficulty; not so the disease. The wisdom of faith, however, shining forth beautifully from the military abruptness with which it was expressed, does away with this objection, and regards rather those considerations which confirm, than those which might destroy (frangant) hope; those, namely, which arise from the supreme dominion and jurisdiction of Christ,[360] who issued His injunctions to the sea, and the winds, and diseases; see Mat 8:26; Luk 4:39. HE commands: the thing is done. The centurion can command soldier and slave, but not disease; the Lord, however, can order the disease, and that more easily, humanly speaking, than the will of man, who is frequently rebellious.- , I am a man under authority) He does not say, I am a military officer, but since he is obliged to mention that others are subject to him, he says with great delicacy,[361] I myself am subject. There is also a concealed antithesis,[362] sc. Jesus is supreme Lord, souverain.–, under-under) Such persons are at present called subalterns.
[360] Tittmann, Syn. ii., distinguishes the words thus: differunt ut nostra: (Germ.) helfen et heilen. , , i.e. refers to the infirmities cured, to the persons cured. seems to me to mean, to treat a case, to tend, to minister to: , to heal.-ED.
[361] , anticipatory precaution; lest his mention of soldiers being under him should offend against humility, he puts first the mention of his being himself under the authority of others. See Append. on the figure.-ED.
[362] See Explanation of Technical terms in Appendix.-(I. B.)
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Go: Job 38:34, Job 38:35, Psa 107:25-29, Psa 119:91, Psa 148:8, Jer 47:6, Jer 47:7, Eze 14:17-21, Mar 4:39-41, Luk 4:35, Luk 4:36, Luk 4:39, Luk 7:8
Do: Eph 6:5, Eph 6:6, Col 3:22, Tit 2:9
Reciprocal: Gen 8:2 – the rain Psa 105:16 – Moreover Psa 147:15 – sendeth Jon 2:10 – General Mat 9:18 – come Mar 7:29 – General Mar 9:22 – if Mar 14:13 – Go Luk 5:12 – if Joh 4:53 – at the Joh 12:21 – we would Act 10:7 – and a Act 23:17 – one
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8:9
This verse indicates that the good things the centurion said in the preceding verse did not come out of a desire to use empty flattery, because he gave a logical reason for his statement. Under authority . . . under me is a very significant line of argument. The centurion had the power to give commands to servants who were under him, even though he was himself under another. Jesus, on the other hand, was under no one (as the centurion thought) and hence should be able to exercise unrestricted authority. This was in line with one definition for Lord which is: “One who has control of a person, the master.”
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 8:9. For I also am a man under authority. Also as in Luk 7:8. The meaning is: I am in service, knowing how to obey and also how to command: having soldiers under myself; hence if I who am after all a subordinate can command, much more one who is in authority over disease. The last thought is required by the commendation bestowed on his faith.
And I say, etc. I am in the habit of commanding with a word, and am obeyed. The first two commands are represented as addressed to soldiers; the last to the household servant, who works without his personal superintendence. Explicit command, implicit obedience. What gives such charm to the illustration is, that the centurion ever again recurs to his poor faithful servant. Some familiar servant of the Lord Jesus, he thinks, would suffice to restore his poor slave. (Lange.) He may have thought of spirits doing the work of healing. The servant seems to have been his only one.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 9
Under authority; subject to authority. The idea of the centurion was, that, as he obeyed his superiors, and was obeyed by his subordinates, so were diseases subject to the Savior’s commands.