Matthew 8:9 (KJV)

Passage

For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Matthew 8:8 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.

Matthew 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Matthew 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "under", "authority", "having", "soldiers", "goeth", "another", and "come". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "under" and "authority", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "The centurion answered and said Lord I..." into verse 10's "When Jesus heard it he marvelled and...", so "under" and "authority" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "under" and "authority" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.