[testallthings]

A swallow does not make a spring.


Mat. 8:2 a And behold, a 1b leper, coming near, 2c worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You can cleanse me.

Note 2.2 The leper worshipped the new King and called Him "Lord," recognizing that He is the Lord God. In reality the new King is Jehovah the Savior — Jesus. (See note 211*in ch. 1.)

(W. Lee, The New Testament Recovery Version, revised edition 1991, Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry)





There are two problems with this interpretation, and both of them are the result of forgetting that words may have more than one meaning, and that the context can help us to translate and interpret in a way that is both faithful and consistent with the general use of the terms at the time the New Testament was written.

The two words are προσκυνέω (proskuneō) and κύριος (kurios).
The first has the meaning of to worship, to bow down, to show reverence and submission. The second means Lord, lord, master, sir.


“And worshipped him in a civil and respectful way, showing great reverence to him as a man; which he did by falling down on his knees, and on his face; prostrating himself before him, in a very humble and submissive manner, as the other evangelists relate: for that he worshipped him as God, is not so manifest; though it is certain he had an high opinion of him, and great faith in him; which he very modestly expresses.” (John Gill's exposition of the entire Bible, e-Sword)

Worshipped him - Bowed down before him, to show him respect. See the notes at Mat_2:2.
To worship him - This does not mean that they had come to pay him religious homage, or to adore him They regarded him as the King of the Jews, but there is no evidence that they supposed that he was divine. They came to honor him as a Prince, or a king, not as God. The original word implies no more than this. It means to prostrate oneself before another; to fall down and pay homage to another. This was the mode in which homage was paid to earthly kings, and this they wished to pay to the new-born King of the Jews. See the same meaning of the word in Mat_20:20; Mat_18:26; Act_10:25; Luk_14:10. The English word “worship” also meant formerly “to respect, to honor, to treat with civil reverence’” (Webster).(Abert Barnes, Notes on the Bible, e-Sword)


We could quote more from other commentators, but this will only make this post too long. Leaving the “opinion” of men, let's look at what the Scripture says. I'll quote very few examples.
Mat 27:63 saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again.
Joh_4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou that living water?
Joh_12:21 these therefore came to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Act 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

Rev 7:14 And I say unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they that come out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (ASV)

In all these verses the word translated Sir or lord in Greek is κύριος (kurios).
The Samaritan woman addressed Jesus in the same way as the leper, but here the KJV and the RcV translate Sir. When the Greeks called Philip Sir (kurios) did they imply that he was God? When John called the elder my lord (my kurios) was he falling into idolatry?
In pointing out this different, and probably more correct, interpretation, we do not intend to minimize or to question Jesus divinity. We believe with Paul, Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (KJV)

What we question is that if this verse (Mat. 8:2) shows clearly Jesus divinity it could be used to win a debate with an Unitarian, but I guess this has never been the case. Outwardly the Lord Jesus was found in a fashion as a man (the Word became flesh). It was not easy to see that He was God. Demons of course recognized Him as the Son of God and the Holy One, and were told close their mouth so not to spread this “revelation”. When He asked the disciple what the people thought about Him the answer was that some believed He was one of the prophets, but for Peter, who got the revelation from the Father, He was the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus told them not to tell others about this revelation.

If the Lord Jesus was so careful about keeping His real identity hidden, why (if W. Lee's interpretation is correct) He never said a word to the leper, or to the centurion? And why no one from the crowd that was following Him (maybe a scribe or a Pharises, it seems they were everywhere) didn't say
like in Luk 19:39 Teacher, rebuke thy disciples? (And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, Teacher, rebuke thy disciples.)

Although W. Lee's incorrect interpretation this time has the merit of giving honor to the Lord Jesus, nonetheless it is incorrect. As the proverb goes, A swallow does not make a spring.