Matthew 9:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

NIV: When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.

NASB: But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

CSB: When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck and gave glory to God, who had given such authority to men.

NLT: Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority.

KJV: But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

NKJV: Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

This is the third time Matthew describes the reaction to one of Jesus' miracles as fear. First the disciples marveled in fear when Jesus calmed a savage storm on the Sea of Galilee with a single rebuke (Matthew 8:23–27). Then the Gentiles who lived near the demon-possessed men freed by Jesus were afraid after He sent the demons into a herd of pigs (Matthew 8:28–34). Now the crowds are afraid after seeing Jesus heal a paralyzed man after stating that He was proving His authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9:2–7).

There are interesting differences in each of these incidents, regarding what those who were afraid chose to do next. The disciples did not leave, but they left open the question of who Jesus was (Matthew 8:27). The Gentiles begged Jesus to just leave them alone (Matthew 8:34).

The crowd who has witnessed this healing, however, made the choice to give glory to God in response to Jesus' display of power. Specifically, they glorified the God who had given such authority to men. Scripture doesn't tell us exactly how many—if any—fully understood that Jesus had this authority as the Son of God Himself. Still, the impulse to glorify God was the best reaction to seeing a fearful miracle up close and in person.

Matthew 9:1–8 finds Jesus teaching in a crowded house. The friends of a paralyzed man bring him to see Jesus. The gospel of Mark indicates that the crowd is massive, so the men make a hole in the roof and lower him down on his bed (Mark 2:3–4). Jesus tells the man his sins are forgiven. Some scribes in the room call this blasphemy. Jesus, though, demonstrates that He has the authority on earth to forgive sins by showing that He has the authority to tell the paralyzed man to stand up and walk home. The man does exactly that.

Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.

Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.