23:47a–b
the centurion: A centurion was a Roman officer who was the leader over one hundred Roman soldiers. The centurion in this verse was probably the officer in charge of crucifying the three men, including Jesus. Some other ways to translate the phrase the centurion are:
the captain of the soldiers
-or-
the Roman officer (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the captain of the Roman soldiers handling the executions (New Living Translation (1996))
This is the first time that the centurion has been mentioned. In some languages it may be necessary to introduce him in some way. For example:
The captain of the soldiers who crucified Jesus was standing there.
saw what had happened: The phrase saw what had happened refers especially to seeing how Jesus died trusting God. It probably also includes the darkness that came while Jesus was on the cross, and it may include the tearing of the temple curtain. This Roman officer had probably been with Jesus from his trial until he died. So the phrase what had happened may include all the events that happened to Jesus during that time. It is good to translate it with a general expression.
he gave glory to God, saying: The centurion praised God by saying the words in 23:47b that Jesus was a righteous man. Your translation should not imply that he praised God because Jesus died. Some other ways to translate the phrase he gave glory to God, saying are:
he praised God, saying (English Standard Version)
-or-
he worshiped God and said (New Living Translation (2004))
Surely this was a righteous man: This statement indicates that the centurion was sure that Jesus was a righteous person. In this context the word probably implies two meanings:
(a) It implies that the centurion now knew that Jesus was innocent of any crime. For example:
Certainly, this man was innocent! (God’s Word)
(See Revised Standard Version, Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, and New American Standard Bible.)
(b) It implies that the centurion now knew that Jesus was a good person who did what was right. For example:
Certainly he was a good man! (Good News Translation)
(New International Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, King James Version)
Both translations are acceptable. This chapter emphasizes Jesus’ innocence. It is also mentioned in 23:4, 23:14, 23:15 (twice), 23:22, and 23:41. Other ways to translate the statement are:
It is really true that this man had not done anything wrong!
-or-
This man was definitely a person who obeyed/pleased ⌊God⌋
Surely: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Surely means “really, truly, certainly.” It indicates that the centurion was sure that what he was saying about Jesus was true. He was convinced that Jesus was a righteous man.
a righteous man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as righteous also has the meanings “just” and “innocent.” The phrase a righteous man usually refers to a person who lives according to God’s standards. The centurion saw from the way Jesus died that he was a good man who had committed no crime. He also saw that Jesus prayed and trusted himself to God.
A form of the word “righteous” occurs in 18:9. In some languages you may want to translate the word in a similar way here. You should translate this clause in a way that is natural in this context. Some other ways to translate it are:
an innocent person
-or-
a man who obeys God’s law
-or-
a person who does what is right
In some languages people use an idiom to express this meaning. For example:
a man who follows a straight path
-or-
an upright person
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