Luke 7:5

7:1-10 Servants should study to endear themselves to their masters. Masters ought to take particular care of their servants when they are sick. We may still, by faithful and fervent prayer, apply to Christ, and ought to do so when sickness is in our families. The building places for religious worship is a good work, and an instance of love to God and his people. Our Lord Jesus was pleased with the centurion's faith; and he never fails to answer the expectations of that faith which honours his power and love. The cure soon wrought and perfect.

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, (o). "if a man builds an house, and afterwards devotes it to a synagogue, it is as a synagogue.'' (o) Piske Harosh Megilia, c. 4. art. 1.

He hath built (αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησεν) He is emphatic; himself, at his own expense. A synagogue (τὴν συναγωγὴν) The article, "the synagogue," marks the particular synagogue which these elders represented. Hence Rev., rightly, "our synagogue." "He did not merely avoid profaning the synagogue" (Bengel).

Luke 7:5 . Ἀγαπᾷ , he loveth ) A feeling which is rare in a Roman soldier.— γὰρ , for ) It was in a different thing that his chief worthiness lay, namely, in his faith ; Luke 7:9 .— αὐτὸς ) himself , of himself, of his own accord. This act, viz. his building a synagogue, was something greater and more rare than his loving their nation.— ᾠκοδόμησεν , he has built ) at his own expense, or by his command: not merely did he not (as others) profane and violate a synagogue. Luke 7:5

5 . he loveth our nation ] This shews that the centurion was a Gentile,—probably a proselyte of the gate (though the term was invented later), i.e. one of those who embraced Judaism on the whole, but without becoming a ‘proselyte of righteousness’ by accepting circumcision. It is not impossible that he may have been a Roman, though there is no direct proof that Romans ever held such offices under Herod Antipas. More probably he was some Greek or Syrian, holding a commission under the tetrarch. he hath built us a synagogue ] Rather, our Synagogue he himself built for us. The expression, “the synagogue,” does not necessarily imply that there was only one synagogue in Capernaum, but only that he had built the one from which this deputation came, which was probably the chief synagogue of Capernaum. If Capernaum be Tel Hum (as I became convinced on the spot itself), then the ruins of it shew that it probably possessed two synagogues; and this we should have conjectured beforehand, seeing that Jerusalem is said to have had 400. The walls of one of these, built of white marble, are of the age of the Herods, and stand just above the lake. It may be the very building here referred to. This liberality on the part of the Gentiles was by no means unfrequent. Wealthy Gentile proselytes not seldom sent splendid gifts to the Temple itself. The Ptolemies, Jos. Antt. xii. 2, § 5; Sosius, id. xiv. 16, § 4; Fulvia, id. xviii. 3, § 5, &c. See on Luke 21:5 .

[Bible] 7:1. And when he had finished all his words in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capharnaum. 7:2. And the servant of a certain centurion who was dear to him, being sick, was ready to die. 7:3. And when he had heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the ancients of the Jews, desiring him to come and heal his servant. 7:4. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying to him: He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him. 7:5. For he loveth our nation: and he hath built us a synagogue. 7:6. And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent his friends to him, saying: Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof. 7:7. For which cause neither did I think myself worthy to come to thee: but say the word, and my servant shall be healed. 7:8. For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers: and I say to one, Go, and he goeth: and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth it. 7:9. Which Jesus hearing, marvelled: and turning about to the multitude that followed him, he said: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith, not even in Israel. 7:10. And they who were sent, being returned to the house, found the servant whole who had been sick. 7:11. And it came to pass afterwards that he went into a city that is called Naim: and there went with him his disciples and a great multitude. 7:12. And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow. And a great multitude of the city was with her. 7:13. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her: Weep not. 7:14. And he came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. 7:15. And he that was dead sat up and begun to speak. And he gave him to his mother.