Mark 15:39 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The centurion who stands facing Jesus, seeing how he died, declares: Truly this man was the Son of God.
What Does Mark 15:39 Mean?
The officer commanding the execution has watched many men die, and none like this. Standing over against him, facing the cross, he sees the loud cry and the yielded breath, and Rome's own soldier overturns Rome's own verdict: truly, this man was the Son of God.
Mark opened his Gospel announcing Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1), and here at the cross a Gentile soldier becomes the first person in the book to confess it plainly. Not at the transfiguration, not after a miracle, but at the death: the cross is where Jesus is most clearly seen for who he is. That the confession comes from an outsider signals where this gospel is going next, to every nation, beginning with one hardened soldier whose eyes were opened at Golgotha.
Mark 15:39 in the Original Language
kentyrion (κεντυρίων), 'centurion' -- a Latin loanword for the commander of a hundred soldiers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 15:39
What does Mark 15:39 mean?
The centurion who stands facing Jesus, seeing how he died, declares: Truly this man was the Son of God.