Matthew 12 · Verse 23

Matthew 12:23

And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
Matthew 12:23, King James Version

Matthew 12:23 in other translations

BSBThe crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”
WEBAll the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”
ASVAnd all the multitudes were amazed, and said, Can this be the son of David?
YLTAnd all the multitudes were amazed, and said, ‘Is this the Son of David?'
DARBYAnd all the crowds were amazed and said, Is this man the Son of David?
BBEAnd all the people were surprised and said, Is not this the Son of David?
WebsterAnd all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

What does Matthew 12:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?--The form of the interrogative requires this to be rendered, "Is this the Son of David?" And as questions put in this form (in Greek) suppose doubt, and expect rather a negative answer, the meaning is, "Can it possibly be?"--the people thus indicating their secret impression that this must be He; yet saving themselves from the wrath of the ecclesiastics, which a direct assertion of it would have brought upon them. (On a similar question, see on Joh 4:29; and on the phrase, "Son of David," see on Mt 9:27).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 23. Is not this the Son of David? That is, is not this the promised descendant of David, the Messiah? They were acquainted with the prophecy in Isa 35:5, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped;" and they inferred that he must be the promised Messiah Who should be able to do this. This inference was drawn by the common people, and not by the proud and haughty Pharisees. It is not uncommon that men of plain common sense, though unlearned, see the true beauty and meaning of the Bible, while those who are filled with pride and science, falsely so called, are blinded.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Is not this the son of David? - Is not this the true Messiah? Do not these miracles sufficiently prove it? See Isa 35:5.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 12:22-30

A soul under Satan's power, and led captive by him, is blind in the things of God, and dumb at the throne of grace; sees nothing, and says nothing to the purpose. Satan blinds the eyes by unbelief, and seals up the lips from prayer. The more people magnified Christ, the more desirous the Pharisees were to vilify him. It was evident that if Satan aided Jesus in casting out devils, the kingdom of hell was divided…

Read the full comment on Matthew 12:22-30 →

Matthew 12:23 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐξίσταντοexistantowere amazedG1839
πάντεςpantesallG3956
οἱhoitheG3588
ὄχλοιochloicrowdsG3793
καὶkaiandG2532
ἔλεγον·elegonwere saying;G3004
μήτιmētisurely not everG3385
οὗτόςhoutosthisG3778
ἐστινestinisG1510
ὁhotheG3588
υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207
Δαυίδ;¶Dauidof David?G1138

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 12:23

  • Matthew 9:27

    And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.

  • John 4:29

    Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

  • Matthew 22:42-43

    Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

  • Matthew 9:33

    And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.

  • John 7:40-42

    Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

  • Matthew 21:9

    And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

  • Matthew 15:30-31

    And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them: Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

  • Matthew 15:22

    And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the people.
9:33; 15:30,31
Is not.
9:27; 15:22; 21:9; 22:42,43; Joh 4:29; 7:40-42

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 12:22

    Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

  • Matthew 12:23

    And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?

  • Matthew 12:24

    But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Read all of Matthew 12

Matthew 12:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y todas las gentes estaban atónitas, y decían: ¿Será éste aquel Hijo de David?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et toutes les foules étaient hors d’elles et disaient: Celui-ci serait-il le fils de David?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es erstaunte die ganze Volksmenge und sagte: Dieser ist doch nicht etwa der Sohn Davids?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et stupebant omnes turbæ, et dicebant: Numquid hic est filius David?