Logos Bible Study

Matthew 8:9

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8:9For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.16 I say to this one, ‘Go’ and he goes,17 and to another ‘Come’ and he comes, and to my slave18 ‘Do this’ and he does it.”19

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Footnotes

  1. 16 Grk “having soldiers under me.”
  2. 17 I say to this one ‘Go’ and he goes. The illustrations highlight the view of authority the soldier sees in the word of one who has authority. Since the centurion was a commander of a hundred soldiers, he understood what it was both to command others and to be obeyed.
  3. 18 Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. notes that “ ‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times … in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” ( 1). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
  4. 19 The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

NLTNew Living Translation

I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For I also am a man under authority who has soldiers under me, and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another one, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

KJV 1900King James Version

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.