Luke 7:3

7:3 Jewish elders were leaders in the Jewish community. With his tendency to abbreviate accounts, Matthew has the centurion approaching Jesus (Matt 8:5-13). Luke tells the full story in which Jewish elders, and later the centurion’s friends, act as intermediaries.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Luk 7:3. Ἀκούσας, having heard) He had not yet seen Jesus.—πρεσβυτέρους, elders) These, though they were not destitute of faith, Luk 7:4, yet had less faith than he by whom they were being sent, Luk 7:9. Yet nevertheless it is not in vain that they ask in his behalf. [The benefits of Christ at that time appertained especially to the Jews: hence it was becomingly that the Jews in this case acted as intercessors.—V. g.] Often those who have little weight of influence with God, have more power to be of service to others, who are their superiors, than to themselves.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 7:3 . ἀκούσας : reports of previous acts of healing had reached him. ἀπέστειλε : there is no mention of this fact or of the second deputation (in Luk 7:6 ) in Mt.’s version. Lk. is evidently drawing from another source, oral or written. πρεσβυτέρους τῶν Ἰουδαίων , elders of the Jews; the reference is probably to elders of the city rather than to rulers of the synagogue. From the designation “of the Jews” it may be inferred that the centurion was a Pagan, probably in the service of Antipas. διασώσῃ , bring safely through the disease which threatened life.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 3. Elders of the Jews] These were either magistrates in the place, or the elders of the synagogue which the centurion had built, Lu 7:5. He sent these, probably, because he was afraid to come to Christ himself, not being a Jew, either by nation or religion. In the parallel place in Matthew, he is represented as coming to Christ himself; but it is a usual form of speech in all nations, to attribute the act to a person which is done not by himself, but by his authority.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) He sent unto him the elders of the Jews.—The noun has no article. Better, He sent unto Him elders; not as the English suggests, the whole body of elders belonging to the synagogue or town. This is peculiar to St. Luke, and is obviously important as bearing on the position and character of the centurion. He was, like Cornelius, at least half a proselyte.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. when he heard of Jesus] Rather, having heard about Jesus.

he sent unto him the elders] Rather, elders (Zekanim), with no article. These ‘elders’ were doubtless some of the ten functionaries, whom the Jews also called Parnasim, ‘shepherds.’ Their functions were not in any respect sacerdotal.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when he heard of Jesus,.... That he was come, as the Ethiopic version adds, into the city of Capernaum; or of his miracles, which he had done there, and elsewhere:

he sent unto him the elders of the Jews: in whom he had an interest, judging himself, being a Gentile, very unworthy and unfit to go himself, and ask a favour of so great a person as Christ was, such was his modesty and humility. These elders he sent, were not the more ancient inhabitants of the city, called , "the elders of, or among the common people", as distinguished from , "the elders of the law", or those that were old in knowledge; of both which it is said by R. Simeon ben Achasia (m), that

"the elders of the common people, when they grow old, their knowledge fails in them, as it is said, Joh 12:20 but so it is not with the "elders of the law"; but when they grow old, their knowledge rests in them, as it is said, Job 12:12.''

But these were either some principal officers of the city, called the elders of the people elsewhere; particularly, who were members of the sanhedrim; for as elders, when they design the elders in Jerusalem, mean the great sanhedrim (n) there; so elders, in other places, intend the sanhedrim, consisting of twenty one persons, or the bench of three; and such were these, the centurion sent to Christ:

beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant: he besought him most earnestly by these messengers, that he would come to his house, and cure his servant of the palsy, by laying his hands on him, or commanding the distemper off, by a word speaking; or in what way he should think fit, for he made no doubt that he was able to heal him.

(m) Misn. Kenim, c. 3. sect. 6. (n) T. Hieros. Sota, fol. 23. 3.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

Ver. 3. He sent unto him] St Matthew saith, he went unto him, sc. by his messengers.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When St. Luke says that the centurion begs of our Lord to come to him, he must not be supposed to contradict St. Matthew, who says, that the centurion objected he was not worthy to receive him under his roof. St. Luke seems here to relate the words of the Jews, who most probably would stop the centurion as he was going to Christ, and promise to intercede with our Lord for him. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xxvii. in Matt.) --- Some pretend that the centurion, after having sent to Jesus, went himself; but there is no necessity for such a supposition. We see in another case, that the petition of the sons of Zebedee, made by them to Jesus Christ, according to St. Mark (x. 35.) was made to him by the mouth of their mother, according to St. Matthew xx. 20. And this the old adage also teaches: qui facit per alium, facit per se; what a man does by another, he does by himself.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

3. The elders of the Jews—Presbyters. The word literally signifies the older men. But as it became an official epithet, it acquired the official sense. The elders of Israel were anciently the heads of the tribes, chosen for their age and wisdom. In latter times, subsequent to the restoration from the captivity, a part of the Sanhedrim consisted, with the chief priests and the scribes, also of the elders. Similarly the courts of the individual towns, consisting of seven judges, were composed of the elders of Israel. In the present case the elders were of this last class. The centurion, feeling that as a Gentile and a sinner he might have little hope of a favourable reception from the holy and divine prophet of the Jews, the wonderful Jesus, sends the most weighty men and magistrates of Jewish Capernaum.

Beseeching—The Greek word for beseeching, here, is a participle, agreeing with the centurion. So that even according to Luke’s language, the words were those of the centurion.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And when he heard of Jesus; better rendered, having heard about Jesus. His fame as a good Physician, such as never had arisen before, coupled with his reputation as a Teacher, had now travelled far and wide. The devout centurion probably had watched with extreme interest the career of the strange and remarkable Teacher-Prophet who had risen up among the people, and had apparently (see note on ver. 7) made up his mind that this Jesus was no mortal man. He sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant; better rendered elders without the article; that is, some of the official elders connected with his own synagogue. These would be able, with more grace than himself, to plead his cause with the Master, telling him how well the centurion had deserved any assistance which a Jewish physician could afford him.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hearing of Jesus - Of his miracles, and of his arrival at Capernaum.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

3. ἀκούσας περὶ Ἰησοῦ. ‘Having heard about Jesus.’

πρεσβυτέρους. ‘Elders’ (Zekânim), with no article. These ‘elders’ were doubtless some of the ten functionaries, whom the Jews also called parnasim, ‘shepherds.’ Their functions were not in any respect sacerdotal, and they were of lower rank than the ἀρχισυνάγωγοι.

διασώσῃ. ‘Would save from death’ (not heal as in A.V[156]).

[156] A.V. Authorised Version.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3.] πρεσβ., not elders of the synagogue (who in Luke are ἀρχισυναγωγοί, Act 13:15), but of the people.

3.

This is one of the three greatest recorded miracles of our Lord: of which it has been observed, that He raised one (Jaeirus’s daughter) when just dead,—one on the way to burial,—and one (Lazarus) who had been buried four days.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτὸν πρεσβυτέρους These elders ( no article) would be leading citizens; but they need not be identifi with the ἀρχισυνάγωγοι (8:49, 13:14; Act 13:15, Act 13:18:8, Act 13:17), as Godet formerly advocated. The compound διασώζειν, “to bring safe through,” is almost peculiar to Lk. in N. T. (Act 23:24, Act 23:27:43, 44, Act 23:28:1, Act 23:4; Mat 14:36; 1Pe 3:20).

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.