Luke 7:9

7:9 I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! While many in Israel were unresponsive to the good news of salvation, some Gentiles believed and found salvation.

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

Luk 7:9-10. The Cure.

The severe words respecting the Jews, which in Matthew Jesus adds to the praise bestowed on the centurion’s faith, seem to prove that Matthew makes use of a different source of information from Luke’s. These words are found, in fact, in Luke in a totally different connection (Luk 13:28), at a more advanced period, when they are certainly more appropriate.

Several ancient and modern critics identify this cure with that of the nobleman’s son (John 4). The differences, however, are considerable: here we have a soldier of Gentile origin, there a courtier of Jewish origin; here the place is Capernaum, there Cana; here we have a man who in his humility is reluctant that Jesus should enter his house, there a man who comes a long way seeking Jesus that he may induce Him to go with him to his home; lastly, and in our view this difference is most decisive, here we have a Gentile given as an example to all Israel, there a Jew, whose conduct furnishes occasion for Jesus to throw a certain amount of blame on all his Galilean fellow-countrymen. In truth, if these two narratives referred to the same fact, the details of the Gospel narratives would no longer deserve the least credence.

According to Keim, the miracle is to be explained, on the one hand, by the faith of the centurion and the sick man, which already contained certain healing virtues, and on the other, by the moral power of the word of Jesus, which word was something between a wish and a command, and completed the restoration. But does not this ethico-psychical mode of action require the presence of him who effects a cure in this way? Now this presence is unmistakeably excluded here in both narratives by the prayer of the centurion, and by this word of Jesus: so great faith! And what is this something between a wish and a command?

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(9) I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.—It is, perhaps, characteristic of both the Evangelists that St. Luke omits the warning words which St. Matthew records as to the “many that shall come from the east and the west,” and the exclusion of the children of the kingdom.

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

9. he marvelled at him] The only other place where the astonishment of Jesus is recorded is astonishment at unbelief. Mar_6:6.

I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel] Rather, Not even in Israel found I so great faith. These words are preserved with similar exactness in St Matthew. “He had found,” says St Augustine, “in the oleaster what He had not found in the olive.” Nothing can be more clear than that neither Evangelist had seen the narrative of the other, and, since St Matthew is the less exact, we infer that both Evangelists in this instance drew from some cycle of oral or written apostolic teaching. The words added by St Matthew (Mat_8:11-12) are given by St Luke in another connexion (Luk_13:28 sq.).

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.

When Jesus heard these things,.... Which the friends of the centurion related from him, and in his name; or which he himself delivered, coming up to Christ after them:

he marvelled at him; at his great humility and modesty, and the strength of his faith, and his manner of reasoning:

and turned him about; from him, and his friends:

and said unto the people that followed him; from the mount to Capernaum, and as he was passing along the streets:

I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel; or "among the Israelites", as the Syriac; or "among the children of Israel", as the Persic; or "in all Israel", as the Arabic version reads, as he did in this single Gentile; See Gill on Mat 8:10.

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

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Ver. 9. He marvelled] {See Trapp on "Mat 8:10"}

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.

Our Lord does not speak of the patriarchs, but of the Israelites of his own time, with whose faith he compares and prefers that of the centurion, because they had the assistance of the law and of the prophets; but this man, without any such instruction, willingly believed. (Ven. Bede)

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).

9. So great faith—Great because he had to ascend from paganism to attain it; great, because not purely physical, but spiritual, realizing his own unworthiness and the superiority of Jesus as a holy one; great, because it realized the divine mission of Jesus from Jehovah, and expressed a sense of profound submission to his absolute word. It was a faith enabling him to accept all that Jesus should teach, and obey all that he should command. Apostolic faith did not surpass it.

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

When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him. Augustine strikingly comments here on the expression eyaumase , he marvelled: "Who had inspired that faith but he who now admires it?" In marvelling at it he intimated that we ought to admire. He admires for our good, that we may imitate the centurion"s faith; such movements in Christ are not signs of perturbation of mind, but are exemplary and hortatory to us. (St. Augustine, quoted by Bishop Wordsworth, on Mat_8:10) I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. St. Augustine remarks here that "the Lord had found in the oleaster what he had not found in the olive."

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

he was amazed at him

"he was amazed at the centurion"

I say to you

Jesus said this to emphasize the surprising thing that he was about to tell them.

not even in Israel have I found such faith.

The implication is that Jesus expected Jewish people to have this kind of faith, but they did not. He did not expect Gentiles to have this kind of faith, yet this man did. You may need to add this implied information. AT: "I have not found any Israelite who trusts me as much as this Gentile does!" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

those who had been sent

It is understood that these were the people the centurion sent. This can be stated. AT: "the people whom the Roman officer had sent to Jesus" (See: Ellipsis)

translationWords

amazed

Israel

faith

servant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

9. ἐθαύμασεν αὐτόν. The only other place where the astonishment of Jesus is recorded mentions His astonishment at unbelief. Mar 6:6.

οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὖρον. ‘Not even in Israel found I so great faith.’ These words are preserved with similar exactness in St Matthew. “He had found,” says St Augustine, “in the oleaster what He had not found in the olive.” Nothing can be more clear than that neither Evangelist had seen the narrative of the other, and, since St Matthew is the less exact, we infer that both Evangelists in this instance drew from some cycle of oral or written apostolic teaching. The words added by St Matthew (Mat 8:11-12) are given by St Luke in another connexion (Luk 13:28 sq.).

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.

9.] After this there is an important addition in Matt. on the adoption of the Gentiles, and rejection of Israel who shewed no such faith.

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

9. ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐθαύμασεν αὐτόν This is stated in both narratives, Comp. Mar 6:6. Those who are unwilling to admit any limitations in Christ’s knowledge have to explain how wonder is compatible with omniscience. One limitation is clearly told us by Himself (Mar 13:32); so that the only question is how far such limitations extend. See on 2:46, 52, and 17:14. Note the solemn Λέγω ὑμῖν, and comp. ver. 28, 10:12, 24, 11:8, 9, 51, etc.

οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον . This again points to the centurion being still a heathen. Nowhere among the Jews had He found any one willing to believe that He could heal without being present. It is natural that Lk. should express this preference for a Antile more strongly than Mt., who has παρʼ οὐδενὶ τοσαύτην πίστιν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εὗρον Lk. here omits the remarkable passage Mat 8:11, Mat 8:12; but he gives it in quite a different connexion 13:28, 29. Such teaching, so necessary and so unwelcome to the Jews, may easily have been repeated.

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