The Slave Who Was Ἔντιμος: Translation and Characterization in Luke 7.2

Abstract

The Gospel of Luke (7.1-10; par. Matt 8.5-13) relates a tale wherein Jesus heals a military officer’s slave at a distance. The slave remains in the background throughout the pericope, never speaking, much less appearing at all. Luke offers little information about this slave aside from his illness and the fact that he was ἔντιμος to the centurion (7.2). This word ἔντιμος has generally been construed as denoting the slave’s emotional or personal value to the centurion, most commonly as “dear.” This article argues that there is little lexical support for such a rendering. I will attempt to address the lacuna around the word ἔντιμος and its rendering in English translations, attending especially to epigraphic evidence for the term’s use. In short, I will argue that rather than denoting emotional importance, the term ἔντιμος designates the respect for the slave within the centurion’s household.