Matthew 8:5

Centurions were Roman military officers each of whom controlled 100 men, therefore the name "centurion." They were the military backbone of the Roman Empire. Interestingly every reference to a centurion in the New Testament is a positive one. These centurions were, according to the biblical record, fair-minded men whom the Jews respected. Capernaum was an important garrison town in Jesus’ day. Probably most of the soldiers under this centurion’s command were Phoenician and Syrian Gentiles. [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 200.]