Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 9:8
But when the multitudes saw [it,] they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
They glorified God – See the notes at Mat 5:16. To glorify God, here, means to praise him, or to acknowledge his power. The expression, which had given such power to people, was a part of their praise. It expresses no sentiment of the evangelist about the nature of Christ, but is a record of their feelings and their praise.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. When the multitudes saw it, they marvelled] Instead of , wondered, the Codex Vatic. and Cod. Bezae, with several other MSS. and versions, have , feared. In the Gothic, and one copy of the Itala, both readings are conjoined, thus: And the multitudes seeing it, wondered and feared, and glorified God. Wondered at the miracle; feared to offend against such power and goodness; and glorified God for the works of mercy which he had wrought.
That which to the doctors of the law, the worldly-wise and prudent, is a matter of scandal, is to the humble an occasion of glorifying the Most High. Divine things make a deeper impression on the hearts of the simple multitude than on those of the doctors, who, puffed up with a sense of their own wisdom, refuse to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. The conversion of one rebellious soul is a greater miracle, and more to be admired than all that can be wrought on inanimate creatures. He who sees a sinner converted from the error of his way sees a miracle wrought by eternal power and goodness. May such miracles be multiplied!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
But when the multitude saw it,…. The miracle that was wrought; when they saw the man take up his bed, and carry it home, which was done by Christ, as a proof of his having power to forgive sin,
they marvelled, and glorified God: they were struck with amazement and astonishment at the sight, it being what was strange and unusual; the like to which they had never seen before, nor heard of: and concluding it to be more than human; they ascribed it to God; they praised, and adored the divine goodness,
which had given such power unto men; of working miracles, healing diseases, and delivering miserable mortals from such maladies, as were otherwise incurable; still looking upon Christ as a mere man, by whom God did these things; not knowing yet the mystery of the incarnation, God manifest in the flesh.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled,” (edontes de hoi ochloi ophobethesan) “Then the crowd upon perceiving, feared,” were afraid, were in a state of emotional shock, Luk 5:26.
2) “And glorified God,” (kai edoksasan ton theon) “And they glorified God,” the true God, as revealed in Jesus Christ, Mat 15:31; Php_2:11; Mr 2:12.
3) “Which had given such power unto men” (ton donta Eksousian Tolauten tois anthropois) “The one giving such authority to men,” as to arise from a bed of paralysis, and go home bearing a bed upon which he had so long been held by the paralysis. See also Luk 7:16. These miracles of our Lord constituted a class of signs by which men were to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and be saved, Joh 20:30-31.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
8. And the multitudes who saw Instead of astonishment which Matthew mentions, (511) the other two Evangelists employ the word ἔκστασις, or amazement: and Luke adds fear But the design of all the Evangelists is to show, that the power of God was not merely acknowledged, but that all were struck with astonishment, and compelled to give glory to God. The fear, which followed the astonishment, had the effect of preventing them from opposing Christ, and of making them submit to him with reverence as a Prophet of God. Matthew expressly says, that they glorified God, who had given such authority to men Here they appear to be partly mistaken: for, though they see a man with their eyes, they ought to have perceived in him, by the mind, something higher than man. They are no doubt right in saying, that the nature of man received great honor in Christ for the general advantage of the human race: but as they do not perceive him to be God manifested in the flesh, (1Ti 3:6,) their confession is involved in some error. (512) In a word, it was true, that God gave such authority to men: but the form and manner of giving was not yet understood by those who were not aware that the majesty of God was united to flesh.
(511) It is remarkable that all the Latin editions which I have examined, — the highly and justly celebrated Amsterdam edition, two Geneva editions, and Tholuck’s, — give the reading, “ cujus meminit Lucas ,” which Luke mentions, instead of “ cujus meminit Matthoeus ,” which Matthew mentions, as the sense would have required. Matthew says, ἐθαύμασαν, they wondered, or were astonished Mark uses a part of the verb ἐξίσταμαι ὥστε ἐξίστασθαι πάντας,, so that all were amazed; and Luke uses the cognate noun, καὶ ἔκστασις ἔλαβν ἅπανατας and amazement seized all Still, the blunder must have been a slip of Calvin’s pen, and would have been permitted to remain in the text, if there had not been express authority for the alteration in his own French version. — Ed.
(512) “ De quelque erreur et ignorance;” — “in some error and ignorance.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(8) They marvelled.The better reading, adopted by most editors, gives they were afraid. This agrees better with St. Marks they were amazed, and glorified God, and St. Lukes they were filled with fear. St. Mark gives the words they uttered, We never saw it after this fashion; St. Luke, We saw strange things to-day.
Which had given such power unto men.It was natural that this should be the impression made on the great body of the hearers. They rested in the thought of a delegated authority, a power given to men, as such, without passing on to the deeper truth of the union of the manhood with God.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Multitudes saw it No motives of self-interest interfered to prevent their yielding to the force of demonstration. They glorified God. Had the hearts of the Pharisees and scribes, many of whom were present, been in a reasonable mood, they would have done the same.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘But when the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.’
Matthew is not interested in the reaction of the Scribes. His concern was for the glory of God. The Scribes, put to flight rationally, ceased to matter to him (he does not seek to show them up in a bad light at every turn). What mattered was that the crowds recognised what had happened. They were filled with awe and they glorified God because He gave such power ‘to men’. They still saw Jesus as just a man among men, even if a prophet. The inference is that while they were honest enough to admit the truth of what they had seen (unlike some others who could be mentioned) they had not appreciated the fuller truths which were coming home to the disciples that Jesus was more than just another man.
But the reader is expected to see further than that. He is expected to see that by providing both forgiveness and healing ‘on earth’ Jesus was demonstrating that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was present on earth as it had always been in Heaven (Psa 22:28; Psa 103:19; Psa 93:1; Psa 97:1; Psa 99:1; Psa 110:1). The Son of Man was ruling on earth as He would one day in Heaven.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
The effect upon the people:
v. 8. But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. They were not interested in the scruples of the scribes and Pharisees; the miracle settled the matter so far as they were concerned. They were filled with the fear of amazement and relevance: A Healer in their midst that assumed and exercised divine rights, that manifested an authority over the soul as well as over the body! It may also be that the spirit of Christ was struggling in many of the hearts there present with the unbelief of the scribes. But finally they glorified, they praised God for giving such power to men, not only to the one man, Jesus, but through Him, to men that are His followers. “This power, which hitherto had been enthroned in the Most Holy Place as the prerogative of Jehovah, now stood embodied before them. Hence their joyous expression: He has given it to the Son of Man, and therefore to men. ” God, through Christ, has given to men the power to forgive sins. It is the peculiar church power, by which the sins of the penitent sinners are remitted to them. “This power all men have that are Christians and are baptized, for therewith they praise Christ and have the word forgiveness in their mouth, that they can and may say when they want to and as often as it is needed: Behold, man, God offers thee His grace, presents to thee all thy sins, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven, only believe, then it is certain, or what other words one would use. This voice shall not cease among the Christians until the last day: Thy sins are forgiven thee, be full of gladness and comfort! Learn, then, that you can say and instruct others concerning the forgiveness of sins, that God in Baptism, in Absolution, on the pulpit, and in the Sacrament speaks to us, through the servant of the Church and through other Christians; them we shall believe, and we find forgiveness of sins.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 9:8. But when the multitude saw it The people were struck with a high degree of surprise, mixed with admiration. What was to the Scribes an occasion of blasphemy, proved to them an incitement to praise and bless; they glorified God, who had given such power to men; power not only to heal diseases, but to forgive sins; for they could not but acknowledge the authority of Christ’s declaration, thy sins are forgiven, when their eyes shewed them the efficacy of his command, arise and walk. Even the Pharisees could not help being confounded at this miracle; for it was performed by one whom they had but a few moments before pronounced a blasphemer. Besides, they were incapable of finding the least fault with the miracle, although, no doubt, they examined it with a scrupulous exactness. It is strange, therefore, that they did not forthwith lay aside their enmity against Jesus. Probably in this, as in other instances, they resisted the dictates of their own minds; or they might overlook the miracle, and continue to find fault with the expression uttered when it was performed; for with respect to good, their minds seem to have been in the same enervated and dead condition, which the body of the paralytic had been in before his cure; only the misery of their state was greater than his; the palsy of the soul being an evil infinitely more deplorable than the palsy of the body. See Macknight. We may just observe, that Cocceius is of opinion, that men in this verse refers to the men cured by Jesus, who had given such power to men; that is to say, of receiving remission of sins, and bodily health: but the interpretation referring it to Christ, as a prophet, seems preferable. See Bishop Smallbrooke’s Vindication of the Miracles, vol. 2 p. 248.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 9:8 . ] not equivalent to (not even in Mar 4:41 ; Luk 8:35 ), but they were afraid . This was naturally the first impression produced by the extraordinary circumstance; and then they praised God, and so on.
] Not the plural of category (Mat 2:20 ), so that only Jesus is meant (Kuinoel), but men generally, the human race. In one individual member of the human family they saw this power actually displayed, and regarded it as a new gift of God to humanity , for which they gave God praise.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
8 But when the multitudes saw it , they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Ver. 8. They marvelled and glorified God ] When the proud Pharisees blasphemed and were hardened; and so voided the counsel of God against themselves, Luk 7:30 , or to their own singular disadvantage, Suo maximo damno. (Beza.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] Not plur. for sing. ‘ to a man ,’ nor ‘ for the benefit of men; ’ but to mankind. They regarded this wonder-working as something by God granted to men to mankind; and without supposing that they had before them the full meaning of their words, those words were true in the very highest sense. See Joh 17:8 . In Mark they say, : in Luke, .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 9:8 . . The people are free from the petty jealousies and pedantic theories of the professional class; broad facts settle the matter for them. They probably had no scruples about the forgiving, but if they, had the miracle would put an end to them: the manifest authority and power a witness of the non-apparent ( [ ] . Euthy.). , they feared; may point to a change of mind on the part of some who at first were influenced by the disapproving mood of the scribes. The solemn frown of those who pass for saints and wise men is a formidable thing, making many cowards. But now a new fear takes the place of the old, perhaps not without a touch of superstition.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
multitudes = crowds. So verses: Mat 9:33, Mat 9:36; “people” in verses: Mat 9:23, Mat 9:25.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8. ] Not plur. for sing. to a man, nor for the benefit of men; but to mankind. They regarded this wonder-working as something by God granted to men-to mankind; and without supposing that they had before them the full meaning of their words, those words were true in the very highest sense. See Joh 17:8. In Mark they say, : in Luke, .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 9:8. , such authority) sc. to heal and save (see Mat 9:6), and that close at hand in the man Jesus Christ.- , to men) so long afflicted with sin.[400] An expansive expression (lata oratio), as in Mat 9:6.[401] They rejoiced that there was one of the human race endued with this authority.
[400] A Dativus Commodi.-V. g. i.e. for the good of men.-ED.
[401] Beng seems to me, not to take as Engl. V., God who had given such power to men, but, as the Dative of advantage, Who had bestowed such power (in the person of the man Christ Jesus) for the benefit of men, so long afflicted as they had been with sin. Thus the meaning of Bengels lata oratio, uti v. 6 is, that the words on earth, in Mat 9:6, imply the same wide range of the Saviours power for the good of men as here.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
when: Mat 12:23, Mat 15:31, Mar 2:12, Mar 7:37, Luk 5:26, Luk 7:16
and: Mat 15:31, Luk 5:25, Luk 17:15, Luk 23:47, Act 4:21, Gal 1:24
Reciprocal: Num 14:17 – General Luk 4:15 – being Act 2:22 – which
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9:8
The aforesaid logic was suggested to the minds of the multitude and they expressed themselves to that effect. Nothing is said about the attitude of the accusers, and they doubtless hung their heads in shame. Glorify is from DOXAZO and Thayer defines it in this place, “to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate.” Given such power unto men. The last word is from AN-THROPOS, and its universal meaning as given by Thayer is, “A human being, whether male or female,” and hence the distinction is made between the brute creation and human beings. We are not told how much this multitude knew about the dual character of the person of Christ, but the outstanding appearance was that he was a man. That is why they marveled at his authority and might which could be accounted for only by giving the credit to God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 9:8. They were afraid (according to the best authorities). Either a religious awe, awakened by the higher character in which Jesus had presented Himself, or a spiritual conflict echoing that between Christ and the scribes. The result was they glorified God, who had given such power, or authority. Power to forgive sins as well as to heal; the two were indissolubly united in the demonstration.
To men. This probably means to mankind, Jesus being regarded as the representative of mankind in this matter. The pardon of the paralytic was a foreshadowing of the rending of the vail of the temple, promising direct intercourse between God and the sinner, yet through the Son of man. Comp, the parallel passages.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The response of the observing crowd was appropriate in view of Jesus’ action. People should respect and admire the One who can forgive sins. Here was a manifestation of God before them. They glorified God because they saw a man exercising divine authority. Unfortunately they failed to perceive that Jesus was the divine Messiah.
Readers of Matthew’s Gospel, however, perceive that this was the promised King come to rule "on earth" (cf. Mat 9:6). The King had come to save His people from their sins. The kingdom of David’s Son was at hand.
"This is one of the most significant signs Jesus performs relative to the kingdom program. It shows that He is capable of forgiving sins on earth." [Note: Toussaint, Behold the . . ., p. 129.]
This miracle proves that Jesus could forgive sins and so produce the conditions prophesied in Isa 33:24; Isa 40:1-2; Isa 44:21-22; and Isa 60:20-21. The three miracles in this section (Mat 8:23 to Mat 9:8) show that Jesus could establish the kingdom because He had the authority to do so. He demonstrated authority over nature, the angelic world, and sin.