Dictionaries :: Centurion

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Centurion:

a Roman officer in command of a hundred men (Mar 15:39,44,45). Cornelius, the first Gentile convert, was a centurion (Act 10:1,22). Other centurions are mentioned in (Mat 8:5,8,13; Luk 7:2,6; Act 21:32; 22:25,26; 23:17,23; 24:23; 27:1,6,11,31,43; 28:16). A centurion watched the crucifixion of our Lord (Mat 27:54; Luk 23:47), and when he saw the wonders attending it, exclaimed, "Truly this man was the Son of God." "The centurions mentioned in the New Testament are uniformly spoken of in terms of praise, whether in the Gospels or in the Acts. It is interesting to compare this with the statement of Polybius [vi. 24], that the centurions were chosen by merit, and so were men remarkable not so much for their daring courage as for their deliberation, constancy, and strength of mind.", Dr. Maclear's N. T. Hist.

International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia

Centurion:

sen-tu'-ri-un: As the name implies, hekatontarches or hekatontarchos, kenturion, Latin centurio, was the commander of a hundred men, more or less, in a Roman legion. Matthew and Luke use the Greek word while Mark prefers the Latin form, as he does in the case of other words, seeing that he wrote primarily for Roman readers. The number of centurions in a legion was 60, that being at all epochs the number of centuries, although the number varied in the cohort or speira. The ordinary duties of the centurion were to drill his men, inspect their arms, food and clothing, and to command them in the camp and in the field. Centurions were sometimes employed on detached service the conditions of which in the provinces are somewhat obscure. Men like Cornelius and Julius (Ac 10:1; 27:1) may have been separated from the legion to which they properly belonged for the discharge of special duties. They and other centurions mentioned in the Gospels and the Ac (Mt 8:5; Mr 15:39,44,45; Lu 23:47) are represented by the sacred writers in a favorable light.

Written by T. Nicol

King James Dictionary

Centurion: Commander of a Hundred Men.

There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a CENTURION of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. (Acts 10:1-2)

Nave's Topical Bible

Centurion: A Commander

Of approximately one-hundred soldiers in the Roman army,

Mar 15:44, 45; Act 21:32; 22:25, 26; 23:17, 23; 24:23.

Centurion: Of Capernaum

Comes to Jesus in behalf of his servant,

Mat 8:5-13; Luk 7:1-10.

Centurion: In Charge of the Soldiers Who Crucified Jesus

Testifies, "Truly this was the Son of God,"

Mat 27:54; Mar 15:39; Luk 23:47

Centurion: References Concerning

See CORNELIUS; JULIUS.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Centurion:

"a centurion," denotes a military officer commanding from 50 to 100 men, according to the size of the legion of which it was a part (hekaton, "a hundred," archo, "to rule"), e.g., Mat 8:5, 8.

Centurion:

has the same meaning as No. 1, e.g., Act 10:1, 22. The Sept. has this word frequently, to denote "captains of hundreds."

Centurion:

is a Greek transliteration of the Latin centurio, signifying practically the same as No. 1, Mar 15:39, 44, 45. There were ten "centurions" to a cohort when the numbers were complete. There were several at Jerusalem under the chief captain mentioned in Act 21:31.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Centurion:

SEE [ARMY].