The Meaning of Matthew 9:8 Explained

Matthew 9:8

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

YLT: and the multitudes having seen, wondered, and glorified God, who did give such power to men.

Darby: But the crowds seeing it, were in fear, and glorified God who gave such power to men.

ASV: But when the multitudes saw it, they were afraid, and glorified God, who had given such authority unto men.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 9:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

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. Matthew 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." [1]
This miracle proves that Jesus could forgive sins and so produce the conditions prophesied in Isaiah 33:24; Isaiah 40:1-2; Isaiah 44:21-22; and Isaiah 60:20-21. The three miracles in this section ( Matthew 8:23 to Matthew 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.

Context Summary

Matthew 9:1-8 - The Forgiver Of Sins
How inventive and ingenious is human love! Not improbably this was a young man and the others had been his schoolmates and friends for years. They had come to a steadfast faith in Jesus, and it was in response to their faith that the miracle was wrought. If only four earnest Christians would take one unbeliever or sinner in hand, we should see new miracles of grace.
Sin lies at the root of all suffering and disease. God's ideal is a fair and healthy body adapted to all the demands we make on it. In this ease there was evidently a close connection between the man's paralysis and some former act or acts of sin that lay heavily on conscience and heart. It was as easy for our Lord to utter one sentence as another, and the power which accompanied His utterance in the physical sphere proved that He had equal power in the spirit-world.
His critics were perfectly right. Either He blasphemed or He was the Son of God. Note that title, Son of man. Jesus was the last Adam, the second man. See 1 Corinthians 15:45. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 9

1  Jesus heals a paralytic
9  calls Matthew from the receipt of custom;
10  eats with tax collectors and sinners;
14  defends his disciples for not fasting;
20  cures the sick woman;
23  raises Jairus' daughter from death;
27  gives sight to two blind men;
32  heals a mute man possessed of a demon;
36  and has compassion on the multitude

What do the individual words in Matthew 9:8 mean?

Having seen now the crowds marveled and glorified - God the [One] having given authority such - to men
Ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐφοβήθησαν καὶ ἐδόξασαν τὸν Θεὸν τὸν δόντα ἐξουσίαν τοιαύτην τοῖς ἀνθρώποις

Ἰδόντες  Having  seen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ὄχλοι  crowds 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
ἐφοβήθησαν  marveled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: φοβέομαι 
Sense: to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away).
ἐδόξασαν  glorified 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: δοξάζω  
Sense: to think, suppose, be of opinion.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
τὸν  the  [One] 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δόντα  having  given 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ἐξουσίαν  authority 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐξουσία  
Sense: power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.
τοιαύτην  such 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: τοιοῦτος  
Sense: such as this, of this kind or sort.
τοῖς  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώποις  to  men 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.