7. Kat! λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ “Inoods,? “.᾿
ay
Εγὼ ἐλθὼν θεραπεύσω αὐτόν.”
δ. Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὃ ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔφη, “ Κύριε, οὐκ εἰμὶ Ἡ ἱκανὸς ἵνα 1 with ἵνα
µου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς' ἀλλὰ µόνον εἰπὲ λόγον, καὶ ἰαθή-
9. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν,ὃ
σεται ὁ παῖς µου.
ἔχων ὑπ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας' καὶ λέγω τούτῳ, Πορεύθητι,
here and in Lk. vii 6 wtde at Mt iii. rr.
. j Lk. vii. 8. και
A ” a πορεύεται καὶ ἄλλῳ, Ἔρχου, καὶ ἔρχεται" καὶ τῷ δούλῳ µου,
Ποίησον τοῦτο, καὶ ποιεῖ.͵
1Ο. ᾽Ακούσας δὲ ὁ Ιησοῦς ἐθαύμασε,
καὶ elie τοῖς ἀκολουθούσιν, “᾽Αμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ
1B and many vers. (including Syr. Sin. and Cur.) omit the και, so giving an
expressive asyndeton. 2 SOB, Syr. Sin. omit ο Ingovs. 5 αποκριθεις Se in ΜΒ 33.
4 SSBC have λογω, adopted by both Tisch. and W.H., and to be preferred.
5 NSB al. add τασσοµενος, adopted within brackets by W.H.
Lk.,” Weiss in Meyer.
what you wish? The following verse then contains the centurion’s reply. This is, to say the least, ingenious.— Ver. 8, ἱκανὸς: the Baptist’s word, chap. iii. 11, but the construction different in the two places, there with infinitive, here with ἵνα: I am not fit in order that. This is an instance illustrating the extension of the use of ἵνα in later Greek, which-culminated in its super- seding the infinitive altogether in modern Greek. On the N. T. use of ἵνα, vide Burton, M. and T., §§ 191-222. Was it because he was a Gentile by birth, and also perhaps a heathen in religion, that he had this feeling of unworthiness, or was it a purely personal trait? If he was not only a Gentile but a Pagan, Christ’s readiness to go to the house would stand in remarkable contrast to His conduct in the case of the Syro- Pheenician woman. But vide Lk. vil. 5. —elwé Ady, speak (and heal) with a word. A bare word just where they stand, he thinks, will suffice.—Ver. 9, καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ: he argues from his own experience not with an air of self- importance, on the contrary making light of his position as a commander — ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν, 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 ἄνθρωπος ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν does not express a single idea = ‘‘a man under authority”. He re- presents himself as a man with authority, though in a modest way. A comma
‘“* Manifestly out of
might with advantage be placed after eiut. 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.).
Ver. 10. In ver. 13 we are told that Jesus did not disappoint the centurion’s expectation. But the interest of the cure is eclipsed for the evangelist by the interest of the Healer’s admiration, certainly a remarkable instance of a noteworthy characteristic of Jesus: His delight in signal manifestations of faith. Faith, His great watchword, as it was St. Paul’s. This value set on faith was not a mere idiosyncrasy, but the result of insight into its nobleness and spiritual virtue.—xat εἶπε: Christ did not conceal His admiration ; or His sadness when He reflected that such faith as this Gentile had shown was a rare thing in Israel,—’ Apnv: He speaks solemnly, not without emotion.—wap’ οὐδενὶ: this is more significant than the reading of T. R., assimilated to Lk. vii. 9. The οὐδὲ implies that Israel was the home of faith, and conveys the meaning not even there. But wap’ οὐδενὶ means not even in a single instance, and implies that faith in notable degree is at a discount among the elect people. Such a sentiment at so early a period is noteworthy as show- ing how far Jesus was from cherishing extravagant hopes of setting up a theo- cratic kingdom of righteousness and godliness in Israel.