Luke 23:47 Meaning: The Centurion Calls Jesus Righteous

The Greek word behind “righteous” is dikaios. It means more than just not-guilty. It carries the sense of someone who is upright, just, and in right standing with God. The centurion was not using courtroom language. He was recognizing moral and spiritual purity. No wonder Luke, who often highlights the innocence of Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 15, 22, 41), draws attention to this word.

The adverb “certainly” comes from ontōs, a strong Greek word meaning “really, truly, in reality.” It is the opposite of pretend, rumor, or guess. The centurion was not repeating a theory. He was stating a fact that had become solid in his gut.

And “he glorified God” uses edoxazen, a verb in the imperfect tense, meaning he kept on glorifying, repeatedly, as the full impact hit him. Luke loves this verb; he uses it more than any other Gospel writer. For the centurion, this was not a one-off compliment. It was a life reoriented toward praise.

Christians notice immediately that Matthew and Mark record the centurion saying, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54; Mark 15:39). Luke alone gives us “righteous man.” Some see this as a difference in emphasis, not conflict. Matthew and Mark highlight Jesus’ divine identity, important for Jewish and Roman readers who questioned His authority. Luke, writing for a mostly Gentile audience, emphasizes Jesus’ innocence to answer charges that He was a criminal. Wesley says the centurion’s words imply “an approbation of all he had done and taught.” Gill notes the centurion was convinced by the signs that Jesus was innocent. Across traditions, the centurion is seen as a witness to truth, whether that truth is Jesus’ perfect humanity or His divinity. Both readings point to the same person, known and confessed.

A common misreading is that the centurion meant only that Jesus was not guilty of the specific charges against Him, like a judge acquitting a defendant. In fact, the Greek word dikaios goes deeper. It points to a life that was consistently, fundamentally good and aligned with God. The centurion was declaring Jesus to be a truly righteous person, not merely legally innocent. And he said this while “glorifying God,” which shows he understood that such righteousness comes from God alone.

You probably will not see darkness at noon or an earthquake this week. But you will have chances to see Jesus more clearly, in a quiet moment before sleep, in a line of Scripture you have read before, in the kindness of another person. The centurion saw what was done and let it reshape his words and his worship. You can do the same. Ask yourself: what have I seen of Jesus recently? Let that seeing push you, as it pushed him, into honest praise. You do not need a full theology degree to get the centurion’s confession right. You just need to look and then say what you see.