Matthew 9:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

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.