The Meaning of Matthew 8:9 Explained

Matthew 8:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: for I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers, and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Be coming, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doth it.'

Darby: For I also am a man under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my bondman, Do this, and he does it.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]. 

What does Matthew 8:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 8:1-10 - Rewards Of Faith
The Lord can touch thy heart, leprous with impurity, and make its stain depart, so that, as in the case of Naaman, its foulness shall become like "unto the flesh of a little child." See 2 Kings 5:14. The psalmist cried, "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean," alluding to the rite for the cleansing of the leper. Compare Psalms 51:7; Leviticus 14:4, etc. But one touch of Christ's hand is enough, for He is the great High Priest.
He also can heal the paralysis which has limited thy service and pinned thee down in helplessness. As the centurion recognized, because Christ was obedient to the Father's law He was able to wield the Father's power. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the death of the Cross; therefore God hath highly exalted Him, that He might send tides of living energy into the paralyzed will. The Apostle Paul testified, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 8

1  Jesus cleanses the leper;
5  heals the centurion's servant,
14  Peter's mother in law,
16  and many others;
18  shows the cost of following him;
23  stills the storm on the sea;
28  drives the demons out of two men possessed;
31  and tells them to go into the pigs

Greek Commentary for Matthew 8:9

For I also am a man under authority [και γαρ εγω αντρωπος υπο εχουσιαν]
“Also” is in the text, though the και — kai here may mean “even,” even I in my subordinate position have soldiers under me. As a military man he had learned obedience to his superiors and so expected obedience to his commands, instant obedience (aorist imperatives and aoristic present indicatives). Hence his faith in Christ‘s power over the illness of the boy even without coming. Jesus had only to speak with a word (Matthew 8:8), say the word, and it would be done. [source]
Also [καὶ]
Omitted in A. V., but very important. “I also am a man under authority,” as well as thou. (Tynd., I also myself )The centurion compares the Lord's position with his own. Christ had authority over disease. The centurion also was in authority over soldiers. As the centurion had only to say to a soldier “Go!” and he went, so Christ had only to say to disease “Go!” and it would obey him. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 8:9

Luke 7:8 Also []
See on Matthew 8:9. [source]
Luke 7:8 Set under authority [ὑπὶ ἐξουσίαν τασσόμενος]
It is not easy to render the exact force of these words. The sense of the present participle with the verb εἰμί , I am, is very subtle. The words set under are commonly understood to mean placed in a subordinate position; but this would be more accurately expressed by the perfect participle, τεταγμένος . The present participle indicates something operating daily, and the centurion is describing not his appointed position so much as his daily course of life. The word set originally means arranged, drawn up in order; so that the words might be paraphrased thus: “I am a man whose daily course of life and duty is appointed and arranged by superior authority.” The centurion speaks in a figure which is well explained by Alford: “I know how to obey, being myself under authority; and I know how others obey, having soldiers under me. If then I, in my subordinate station of command, am obeyed, how much more thou, who art over all, and whom diseases serve as their Master.” Just what estimate of Jesus these words imply we cannot say. It seems evident, at least, that the centurion regarded him as more than man. If that be so, it is a question whether the word man ( ἀνθρωπός ) may not imply more than is commonly assigned to it. Taking the Greek words in their order they may read, “For I also, a man (as compared with thee), am set under authority, having soldiers under myself. See on Matthew 8:9. [source]
Luke 7:8 “Set” [τασσομενος]
Genuine here, though doubtful in Matthew 8:9 where see note on this vivid and characteristic speech of the centurion. [source]
John 4:23 For the father [καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ]
The A.V. fails to render καὶ alsoand Rev. places it in the margin. It emphasizes the conclusiveness of the reason assigned: “for the Father also, on His part, seeketh,” etc. For a similar use of καὶ , see on Matthew 8:9; also see on Matthew 26:73; see on Acts 19:40. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 8:9 mean?

Also for I a man am under authority I appoint having under me soldiers and I say to this [one] Go he goes to another Come he comes to [the] servant of me Do this he does [it]
καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπός εἰμι ὑπὸ ἐξουσίαν (τασσόμενος) ἔχων ὑπ’ ἐμαυτὸν στρατιώτας καὶ λέγω τούτῳ Πορεύθητι πορεύεται ἄλλῳ Ἔρχου ἔρχεται τῷ δούλῳ μου Ποίησον τοῦτο ποιεῖ

καὶ  Also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἄνθρωπός  a  man 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ὑπὸ  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
ἐξουσίαν  authority 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐξουσία  
Sense: power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.
(τασσόμενος)  I  appoint 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: τάσσω  
Sense: to put in order, to station.
ὑπ’  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
ἐμαυτὸν  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐμαυτοῦ  
Sense: I, me, myself etc.
στρατιώτας  soldiers 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: στρατιώτης  
Sense: a (common) soldier.
λέγω  I  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
τούτῳ  to  this  [one] 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
Πορεύθητι  Go 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.
πορεύεται  he  goes 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.
ἄλλῳ  to  another 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
Ἔρχου  Come 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Middle or Passive, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
ἔρχεται  he  comes 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
δούλῳ  [the]  servant 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: δοῦλοσ1 
Sense: a slave, bondman, man of servile condition.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ποιεῖ  he  does  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.