Matthew 27:54

Matthew 27:54 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
• New International Version (NIV)When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
• New King James Version (NKJV)So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Context of Matthew 27:54

52The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints (God’s people) who had fallen asleep [in death] were raised [to life]; 53and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, they entered the holy city (Jerusalem) and appeared to many people. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, they were terribly frightened and filled with awe, and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” 55There were also many women there looking on from a distance, who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him. 56Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and [Salome] the mother of Zebedee’s sons [James and John].

Matthew 27:54 word by word

Ὁ δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ τηροῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδόντες τὸν σεισμὸν καὶ τὰ γενόμενα ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα λέγοντες· ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Now whenδέde · thenG1161
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the centurionἑκατόνταρχοςhekatontarchēs hekatontarchos · centurionG1543
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• watchingτηρέωtēreō · to keep: guardG5083
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• sawὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• the earthquakeσεισμόςseismos · earthquakeG4578
• those things that were doneγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• they fearedφοβέωphobeō · to fearG5399
• greatlyσφόδραsphodra · veryG4970
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Trulyἀληθῶςalēthōs · trulyG230
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for Matthew 27:54

• Matthew 27:36Then sitting down there, they began to keep watch over Him [to guard against any rescue attempt].
• Matthew 8:5As Jesus went into Capernaum, a centurion came up to Him, begging Him [for help],
• Acts 10:1Now at Caesarea [Maritima] there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,
• Acts 21:32So he immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down among them. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
• Acts 23:17Then Paul, calling in one of the centurions, said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.”
• Acts 27:1Now when it was determined that we (including Luke) would sail for Italy, they turned Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion of the Augustan Regiment named Julius.
• Mark 15:39When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last [being fully in control], he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
• Luke 23:47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he began praising and honoring God, saying, “Certainly this Man was innocent.”
• 2 Kings 1:13So Ahaziah again sent a captain of a third fifty with his fifty [fighting men]. And the third captain of fifty went up and came bowed down on his knees before Elijah, and begged him [for compassion] and said to him, “O man of God, please let my life and the lives of your servants, these fifty, be precious in your sight.
• Acts 2:37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
• Acts 16:29Then the jailer called for torches and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
• Revelation 11:13And in that [very] hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell and was destroyed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest [who survived] were overcome with terror, and they glorified the God of heaven [as they recognized His awesome power].
• Matthew 27:40and they said [tauntingly], “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself [from death]! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
• Matthew 26:63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I call on You to swear a binding oath by the living God, that you tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.”
• Luke 22:70And they all said, “Are You the Son of God, then?” He replied, “It is just as you say.”
• John 19:7The Jews answered him, “We have a law [regarding blasphemy], and according to that law He should die, because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

Commentaries on Matthew 27:54

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 54The centurion - The Roman officer who superintended the execution, called centurio, from centum, a hundred, because he had the command of one hundred men. Truly this was the Son of God - An innocent, holy, and Divine person; and God thus shows his disapprobation of this bloody tragedy. It is not likely that this centurion had any knowledge of the expectation of the Jews relative to the Messiah, and did not use the words in this sense. A son of God, as the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 54Now when the centurion … - Centurion, a captain of a hundred soldiers. He was here placed over the band that attended the crucifixion. They feared greatly - They regarded these things as proof that God was angry, and they were terrified at the prospect that vengeance was coming on them. Truly this was the Son of God - They had heard, probably, that Jesus professed to be the Son of God. Seeing these wonders, they believed that God was now attesting the…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 51-56Verses 51-56 The rending of the veil signified that Christ, by his death, opened a way to God. We have an open way through Christ to the throne of grace, or mercy-seat now, and to the throne of glory hereafter. When we duly consider Christ's death, our hard and rocky hearts should be rent; the heart, and not the garments. That heart is harder than a rock that will not yield, that will not melt, where Jesus Christ is plainly set forth crucified. The graves…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 54The Roman officer and the other soldiers were not Jewish. the Son of God: This could be a clear statement that Jesus is the unique Son of God (see Matthew 14:33; 16:16) or perhaps a general statement about the innocence of Jesus (see Luke 23:47). They reacted to the earthquake and everything that happened as signs of divine involvement in this event.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5454. Now when the centurion--the military superintendent of the execution. and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake--or felt it and witnessed its effects. and those things that were done--reflecting upon the entire transaction. they feared greatly--convinced of the presence of a Divine Hand. saying, Truly this was the Son of God--There cannot be a reasonable doubt that this expression was used in the Jewish sense, and that it points…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 27:54

• Armies
• Centurion
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• God
• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Son of God
• Accusation
• Centurion
• Crucifixion
• Earthquake
• Notable

Commentaries on Matthew 27

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings