John Gill Commentary Matthew 8:5

"And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him," — Matthew 8:5 (ASV)

And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum
Was returned from his journey through Galilee, to the place where he before dwelt, and is called his own city, (Matthew 9:1)

there came unto him a centurion,
a Roman officer, (ham rv) , "a commander of an hundred men", as the Hebrew Gospel by Munster reads it: though the number of men under a "centurion" was more, according to some accounts.

A band (it is said ^F7) made two centuries, each of which consisted of an hundred and twenty eight soldiers; for a doubled century made a band, whose governor was called an ordinary "centurion". Such an one was Cornelius, a centurion of a band, (Acts 10:1). The other person that was healed was a Jew. The next instance of Christ's power and goodness is the servant of a Gentile; he came to do good both to Jews and Gentiles;

beseeching him,
not in person, but by his messengers; see (Luke 7:3) and the Jews ^F8 say, (wtwmk Mda lv wxwlvv) , "that a man's messenger is as himself".

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FOOTNOTES:

• F7: Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 6. c. 13.
• F8: T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 34. 2.