Wesley's Explanatory Notes on Matthew 8:5

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

There came to him a centurion - A captain of a hundred Roman soldiers. Probably he came a little way toward him, and then went back. He thought himself not worthy to come in person, and therefore spoke the words that follow by his messengers. As it is not unusual in all languages, so in the Hebrew it is peculiarly frequent, to ascribe to a person himself the thing which is done, and the words which are spoken by his order. And accordingly St. Matthew relates as said by the centurion himself, what others said by order from him. An instance of the same kind we have in the case of Zebedee's children. From St. Matthew, Mat 20:20, we learn it was their mother that spoke those words, which, Mar 10:35, Mar 10:37, themselves are said to speak; because she was only their mouth. Yet from Mat 8:13, Go thy way home, it appears he at length came in person, probably on hearing that Jesus was nearer to his house than he apprehended when he sent the second message by his friends. Luk 7:1. Matthew 8:8

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