The Meaning of Matthew 8:8 Explained

Matthew 8:8

KJV: The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

YLT: And the centurion answering said, 'Sir, I am not worthy that thou mayest enter under my roof, but only say a word, and my servant shall be healed;

Darby: And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit that thou shouldest enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant shall be healed.

ASV: And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The centurion  answered  and  said,  Lord,  I am  not  worthy  that  thou shouldest come  under  my  roof:  but  speak  the word  only,  and  my  servant  shall be healed. 

What does Matthew 8:8 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

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

Answering however the centurion said Lord not I am worthy that of me under the roof You should come but only speak the word and will be healed servant
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος ἔφη Κύριε οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς ἀλλὰ μόνον εἰπὲ λόγῳ καὶ ἰαθήσεται παῖς

Ἀποκριθεὶς  Answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἑκατόνταρχος  centurion 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἑκατοντάρχης 
Sense: an officer in the Roman army.
ἔφη  said 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φημί  
Sense: to make known one’s thoughts, to declare.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
εἰμὶ  I  am 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ἱκανὸς  worthy 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἱκανός  
Sense: sufficient.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ὑπὸ  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὑπό  
Sense: by, under.
στέγην  roof 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: στέγη  
Sense: a roof: of a house.
εἰσέλθῃς  You  should  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
μόνον  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μόνον  
Sense: only, alone, but.
εἰπὲ  speak 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
λόγῳ  the  word 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
ἰαθήσεται  will  be  healed 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἰάομαι  
Sense: to cure, heal.
παῖς  servant 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: παῖς  
Sense: a child, boy or girl.