Luke 7:2

Centurion's servant

(Hεκατονταρχου τινος δουλος). Slave of a certain centurion (Latin word χεντυριο, commander of a century or hundred). Mark 15:39; Mark 15:44 has the Latin word in Greek letters, κεντυριων. The centurion commanded a company which varied from fifty to a hundred. Each cohort had six centuries. Each legion had ten cohorts or bands (Acts 10:1). The centurions mentioned in the N.T. all seem to be fine men as Polybius states that the best men in the army had this position. See also Luke 23:47. The Greek has two forms of the word, both from εκατον, hundred, and αρχω, to rule, and they appear to be used interchangeably. So we have εκατονταρχος; here, the form is -αρχος, and εκατονταρχης, the form is -αρχης in verse Luke 7:6. The manuscripts differ about it in almost every instance. The -αρχος form is accepted by Westcott and Hort only in the nominative save the genitive singular here in Luke 7:2 and the accusative singular in Acts 22:25. See like variation between them in Matthew 8:5; Matthew 8:8 (-αρχος) and Matthew 8:13 (αρχη). So also -αρχον (Acts 22:25) and -αρχης (Acts 22:26).Dear to him

(αυτω εντιμος). Held in honour, prized, precious, dear (Luke 14:8; 1 Peter 2:4; Philippians 2:29), common Greek word. Even though a slave he was dear to him.Was sick

(κακως εχων). Having it bad. Common idiom. See already Matthew 4:24; Matthew 8:16; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:31, etc. Matthew 8:6 notes that the slave was a paralytic.And at the point of death

(ημελλεν τελευταιν). Imperfect active of μελλω (note double augment η) which is used either with the present infinitive as here, the aorist (Revelation 3:16), or even the future because of the future idea in μελλω (Acts 11:28; Acts 24:15). He was about to die.