John Gill Commentary Luke 7:5

"for he loveth our nation, and himself built us our synagogue." — Luke 7:5 (ASV)

For he loves our nation
The Jewish nation, which was Christ's nation, as well as theirs, he being a Jew; see (John 18:35) . This they mention as an argument to induce him to have a regard to the centurion, though he was a Gentile; since he was a friend of the Jews, and well affected and disposed to them, which was very rare: it was not common for the Gentiles to love the Jews, any more than the Jews the Gentiles; there was an hatred, yea, an enmity between them; but this man, very likely, was a proselyte to their religion, as the following instance seems to show:

and he has built us a synagogue ;
at his own private charge, and by the assistance of his soldiers under him, whom he might employ in this work: sometimes a single person built a synagogue at his own expense, and gave it to the citizens; of which the Jews say, ^F15``if a man builds an house, and afterwards devotes it to a synagogue, it is as a synagogue.''

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FOOTNOTES:

• F15: Piske Harosh Megilia, c. 4. art. 1.