Matthew 12:23

23 The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. "Could he be the Son of David?" they asked.

Matthew 12:23 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 12:23

And all the people were amazed
At the cure; it was such an instance of divine power, and so glaring a proof, that the person who wrought it was more than a man, and must be the Messiah. This is to be understood of the greater part of the people, not of every individual, and of the common people only; for it had a different effect upon the Pharisees, as hereafter appears; but in these it not only produced admiration, but conviction, faith, and confession:

and said, is not this the son of David?
or the Messiah; for (dwd Nb) , "the son of David", is a character of the Messiah, well known among the Jews; (See Gill on Matthew 1:1) because he was promised to David, was to be raised up of his seed, and to spring from his loins. This question they put, not as doubting of it, but as inclining, at least, to believe it, if not as expressing their certainty of it: and is, as if they had said, who can this person be but the true Messiah, that has wrought such a miracle as this? for from his miracles they rightly concluded who he was; though the Jews since, in order to deprive Jesus of this true characteristic of the Messiah, deny that miracles are to be performed by him F14.


FOOTNOTES:

F14 Maimon. Hilch. Melacim, c. 11. sect. 3.

Matthew 12:23 In-Context

21 and on him all peoples will put their hope."
22 Then some people brought to Jesus a man who was blind and could not talk because he had a demon. Jesus healed the man, so that he was able to talk and see.
23 The crowds were all amazed at what Jesus had done. "Could he be the Son of David?" they asked.
24 When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, "He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so."
25 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and so he said to them, "Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.