Attributed commentary excerpt
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge on Mark 15:39
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · Cross-reference reference work
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
the centurion: The centurion was a military captain, and commander of a century, or 100 men. In order to have a proper notion of his office, it may be desirable to explain the construction and array of the Roman legion. Each legion was divided into ten cohorts, each cohort into three maniples, and each maniple into two centuries; so that there were thirty maniples, and sixty centuries in a legion, which, if the century had always, as the word imports, consisted of 100 soldiers, would have formed a combined phalanx of 6,000 men. The number in a legion, however, varied at different periods; in the time of Polybius it was 4,200. The order of battle was that of three lines; the hastati, or spearmen, occupied the front; the principes, the second line; the triarii (also called pilani from their weapon, the pilam) the third. The centurions were appointed by the tribunes, and generally selected from the common soldiers according to their merit; although the office was sometimes obtained for money, or through the favour of the consuls. Their badge was a vine rod, or sapling. Mar 15:44; Mat 8:5-10; Act 10:1, Act 27:1-3, Act 27:43 he said: Mat 27:43, Mat 27:54; Luk 23:47, Luk 23:48 Mark 15:40
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