Matthew 27 · Verse 54

Matthew 27:54

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.
Matthew 27:54, King James Version

Matthew 27:54 in other translations

BSBWhen the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”
WEBNow the centurion and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were done, were terrified, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
ASVNow the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake, and the things that were done, feared exceedingly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
YLTAnd the centurion, and those with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake, and the things that were done, were exceedingly afraid, saying, ‘Truly this was God's Son.'
DARBYBut the centurion, and they who were with him on guard over Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that took place, feared greatly, saying, Truly this man was Son of God.
BBENow the captain and those who were with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earth-shock and the things which were done, were in great fear and said, Truly this was a son of God.
WebsterNow 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.

What does Matthew 27:54 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
54. 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 to the claim which Jesus made to be the Son of God, and on which His condemnation expressly turned. The meaning, then, clearly is that He must have been what He professed to be; in other words, that He was no impostor. There was no medium between those two. See, on the similar testimony of the penitent thief--"This man hath done nothing amiss"--Luke 23. 41. The Galilean Women (Mt 27:55, 56).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 54. Now when the centurion, etc. 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 before Pilate he professed to be the Son of God. Seeing these wonders, they believed that he was true, and that God was now attesting the truth of his professions. The centurion was a heathen, and had probably no very distinct notions of the phrase the Son of God; perhaps understanding by it only that he was like the heathen heroes who had been deified; but he certainly regarded these wonders as proof that he was what he professed to be. In the original it is, "A son of a god;" an expression perfectly suitable to a polytheist, who believed in the existence of many gods. Mk 15:39 says, that they affirmed that "this man was the Son of God." Luke, Lk 23:47 that they said, "Certainly this was a righteous man." These things were said by different persons, or at different periods of his sufferings--one evangelist having recorded one saying, and another another.

(u) "Now when" Mk 15:39, Lk 23:47

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 54 The 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 Romans used the term, would signify no more than a very eminent or Divine person; a hero.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 27:51-56

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 27:51-56 →

Matthew 27:54 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἑκατόνταρχοςhekatontarchosthe centurionG1543
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoithoseG3588
μετ᾽met᾽withG3326
αὐτοῦautouhimG846
τηροῦντεςtērounteskeeping guard overG5083
τὸνton<the>G3588
ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424
ἰδόντεςidonteshaving seenG1492
τὸνtontheG3588
σεισμὸνseismonearthquakeG4578
καὶkaiandG2532
τὰtathe [things that]G3588
γενόμεναgenomenawere happeningG1096
ἐφοβήθησανephobēthēsanfearedG5399
σφόδραsphodragreatlyG4970
λέγοντες·legontessaying;G3004
ἀληθῶςalēthōsTrulyG230
θεοῦtheouGod’sG2316
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
ἦνēnwasG1510
οὗτος.¶houtosthis.G3778

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 27:54

  • Matthew 27:36

    And sitting down they watched him there;

  • Mark 15:39

    And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

  • Matthew 27:43

    He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

  • Romans 1:4

    And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

  • Luke 23:47-49

    Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

  • Matthew 8:5

    And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

  • Acts 23:23

    And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night;

  • Revelation 11:13

    And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

  • Acts 27:1

    And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.

  • Acts 21:32

    Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul.

  • Matthew 4:3

    And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

  • Acts 27:43

    But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the centurion.
36; 8:5; Ac 10:1; 21:32; 23:17,23; 27:1,43
saw.
Mr 15:39; Lu 23:47-49
feared.
2Ki 1:13,14; Ac 2:37; 16:29,30; Re 11:13
Truly.
40,43; 26:63; Lu 22:70; Joh 19:7; Ro 1:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 27:53

    And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

  • Matthew 27:54

    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.

  • Matthew 27:55

    And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:

Read all of Matthew 27

Matthew 27:54 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el centurión, y los que estaban con él guardando á Jesús, visto el terremoto, y las cosas que habían sido hechas, temieron en gran manera, diciendo: Verdaderamente Hijo de Dios era éste.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et le centurion et ceux qui avec lui veillaient sur Jésus, ayant vu le tremblement de terre et ce qui venait d’arriver, eurent une fort grande peur, disant: Certainement celui-ci était Fils de Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Als aber der Hauptmann und die mit ihm Jesum bewachten, das Erdbeben sahen und das, was geschah, fürchteten sie sich sehr und sprachen: Wahrhaftig, dieser war Gottes Sohn!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Centurio autem, et qui cum eo erant, custodientes Jesum, viso terræmotu, et his quæ fiebant, timuerunt valde, dicentes: Vere Filius Dei erat iste.