Matthew 8:8

THE MESSAGE

"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,' and he goes; to another, ‘Come,' and he comes; to my slave, ‘Do this,' and he does it."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

King James Version (1611)
The Centurion answered, and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe: but speake the word onely, and my seruant shalbe healed.

King James Version
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

English Standard Version
But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

New American Standard Bible
But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

New Century Version
The officer answered, "Lord, I am not worthy for you to come into my house. You only need to command it, and my servant will be healed.

Amplified Bible
But the centurion replied to Him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
But the Centurion answered, saying, Master, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe: but speake the worde onely, and my seruant shall be healed.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Legacy Standard Bible
But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not good enough for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Berean Standard Bible
The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Contemporary English Version
But the officer said, "Lord, I'm not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.

Complete Jewish Bible
But the officer answered, "Sir, I am unfit to have you come into my home. Rather, if you will only give the command, my orderly will recover.

Darby Translation
And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit that thou shouldest enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant shall be healed.

Easy-to-Read Version
The officer answered, "Lord, I am not good enough for you to come into my house. You need only to give the order, and my servant will be healed.

George Lamsa Translation
The centurion then answered and said, My Lord, I am not good enough that you should enter under the shadow of my roof; but just say a word, and my boy will be healed.

Good News Translation
"Oh no, sir," answered the officer. "I do not deserve to have you come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well.

Lexham English Bible
And the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should come in under my roof. But only say the word and my slave will be healed.

Literal Translation
And answering, the centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only speak a word and my child will be healed.

American Standard Version
And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

Bible in Basic English
And the captain in answer said, Lord, I am not good enough for you to come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be made well.

Hebrew Names Version
The centurion answered, "Lord, I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

International Standard Version
The centurion replied, "Sir,Lord">[fn] I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.Psalm 107:20; Luke 15:19,21;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
The centurion answered and saith, My Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come beneath my roof; [fn] only speak in a word, and my child shall be healed.

Murdock Translation
The centurion replied, and said: My Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my child will be healed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The Centurion aunswered, & sayde: Lorde, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come vnder my roofe: but speake the worde only, & my seruaunt shalbe healed.

English Revised Version
And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

World English Bible
The centurion answered, "Lord, I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy, that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Sir," replied the Captain, "I am not a fit person to receive you under my roof: merely say the word, and my servant will be cured.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the centurien answeride, and seide to hym, Lord, Y am not worthi, that thou entre vndur my roof; but oonli seie thou bi word, and my childe shal be heelid.

Update Bible Version
And the captain answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof; but only say the word, and my [young] slave shall be healed.

Webster's Bible Translation
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant will be healed.

New English Translation
But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed.

New King James Version
The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

New Living Translation
But the officer said, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

New Life Bible
The captain said, "Lord, I am not good enough for You to come to my house. Only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.

New Revised Standard
The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the centurion, answering, said, Lord! I am of no consideration, that, under my roof, thou shouldest enter, - but, only say with a word, and healed shall be my servant.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the centurion, making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

Revised Standard Version
But the centurion answered him, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
The Centurio answered and sayde: Syr I am not worthy yt thou shuldest come vnder my rofe but speake ye worde only and my servaut shalbe healed.

Young's Literal Translation
And the centurion answering said, `Sir, I am not worthy that thou mayest enter under my roof, but only say a word, and my servant shall be healed;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The Captayne answered and sayde: Syr, I am nor worthy, that thou shuldest come vnder my rofe, but speake the worde only, and my seruaunt shalbe healed.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the centurion answered, Lord, I am not worthy the honour of such a visit: do but give the word, and my servant is sav'd.

Simplified Cowboy Version
But the brand inspector told him, "I'd really rather you not. It's not necessary. All you have to do is say the word and I know the young lad will be healed.

Contextual Overview

⁵As Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a Roman captain came up in a panic and said, "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." ⁷ Jesus said, "I'll come and heal him." ⁸"Oh, no," said the captain. "I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine. I'm a man who takes orders and gives orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,' and he goes; to another, ‘Come,' and he comes; to my slave, ‘Do this,' and he does it." ¹⁰Taken aback, Jesus said, "I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works. This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions—streaming in from the east, pouring in from the west, sitting down at God's kingdom banquet alongside Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then those who grew up ‘in the faith' but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace and wondering what happened." ¹³ Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, "Go. What you believed could happen has happened." At that moment his servant became well.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

I am: Matthew 3:11, Matthew 3:14, Matthew 15:26, Matthew 15:27, Genesis 32:10, Psalms 10:17, Luke 5:8, Luke 7:6, Luke 7:7, Luke 15:19, Luke 15:21, John 1:27, John 13:6-8

but: Matthew 8:3, Numbers 20:8, Psalms 33:9, Psalms 107:20, Mark 1:25-27, Luke 7:7

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 5:11 - Naaman Psalms 42:8 - command Psalms 105:16 - Moreover Psalms 147:15 - sendeth Ezekiel 10:11 - whither Jonah 2:10 - General Matthew 9:18 - come Mark 9:22 - if Luke 5:12 - if Luke 8:41 - and besought John 4:53 - at the Acts 22:25 - the centurion Acts 23:17 - one

Cross-References

Genesis 8:10
He waited seven more days and sent out the dove again. It came back in the evening with a freshly picked olive leaf in its beak. Noah knew that the flood was about finished.

Genesis 8:12
He waited another seven days and sent the dove out a third time. This time it didn't come back.

Song of Solomon 1:15

The Man

Oh, my dear friend! You're so beautiful! And your eyes so beautiful—like doves!

Song of Solomon 2:14
class="poetry"> I'm just a wildflower picked from the plains of Sharon, a lotus blossom from the valley pools.

The Man

A lotus blossoming in a swamp of weeds— that's my dear friend among the girls in the village.

The Woman

As an apricot tree stands out in the forest, my lover stands above the young men in town. All I want is to sit in his shade, to taste and savor his delicious love. He took me home with him for a festive meal, but his eyes feasted on me! Oh! Give me something refreshing to eat—and quickly! Apricots, raisins—anything. I'm about to faint with love! His left hand cradles my head, and his right arm encircles my waist! Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don't excite love, don't stir it up, until the time is ripe—and you're ready. Look! Listen! There's my lover! Do you see him coming? Vaulting the mountains, leaping the hills. My lover is like a gazelle, graceful; like a young stag, virile. Look at him there, on tiptoe at the gate, all ears, all eyes—ready! My lover has arrived and he's speaking to me!

The Man

Get up, my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world's a choir—and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover—come to me! Come, my shy and modest dove— leave your seclusion, come out in the open. Let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing.

Matthew 10:16
"Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The centurion answered, and said,.... This, according to Luke 7:6 was said by his friends in his name, when he understood that Christ had agreed to come to his house, with the elders of the Jews, he first sent to him; and after he was actually set out with them, and was in the way to his house; who, conscious of his own unworthiness, deputes some persons to him, to address him in this manner,

Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof. This is not said as rejecting and despising the presence and company of Christ; but is expressive of his great modesty and humility, and of his consciousness of his own vileness, and unworthiness of having so great a person in his house: it was too great a favour for him to enjoy. And if such a man was unworthy, having been an idolater, and lived a profane course of life, that Christ should come into his house, and be, though but for a short time, under his roof; how much more unworthy are poor sinful creatures (and sensible sinners see themselves to be so unworthy), that Christ should come into their hearts, and dwell there by faith, as he does, in all true believers, however vile and sinful they have been?

But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. As the former expression declares his modesty and humility, and the mean apprehensions he had of himself; so this signifies his great faith in Christ, and the persuasion he had of his divine power: he does not say pray, and my servant shall be healed, as looking upon him barely as a man of God, a prophet, one that had great interest in God, and at the throne of grace; but speak, command, order it to be done, and it shall be done, which is ascribing omnipotence to him; such power as was put forth in creation, by the all commanding word of God; "he spake, and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast", Psalms 33:9 yea, he signifies that if he would but speak a word, the least word whatever; or, as Luke has it, "say in a word"; let but a word come out of thy mouth, and it will be done.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I am not worthy ... - This was an expression of great humility. It refers, doubtless, to his view of his “personal” unworthiness, and not merely to the fact that he was a “Gentile.” It was the expression of a conviction of the great dignity and power of the Saviour, and of a feeling that he was so unlike him that he was not suitable that the Son of God should come into his dwelling. So every truly penitent sinner feels - a feeling which is appropriate when he comes to Christ.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 8:8. But speak the word only — Or instead of ειπε λογον read ειπε λογω, speak by word or command. This reading is supported by the most extensive evidence from MSS., versions, and fathers. See here the pattern of that living faith and genuine humility which ought always to accompany the prayer of a sinner: Jesus can will away the palsy, and speak away the most grievous torments. The first degree of humility is to acknowledge the necessity of God's mercy, and our own inability to help ourselves: the second, to confess the freeness of his grace, and our own utter unworthiness. Ignorance, unbelief, and presumption will ever retard our spiritual cure.