And the crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the disabled restored to health, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.
This verse is the response to the miracles done in the previous verses. People were witnessing things that go beyond human strength and experience. Their amazement is natural: they see how, through Jesus, a person’s wholeness is being restored. That amazement does not remain silent; it turns into a response of praise. It is noteworthy that the crowd glorifies the God of Israel. This is an important hint, since they were living in a period when Jesus’ ministry was partly in a Gentile setting. That is, one may conclude that many from among the Gentiles were glorifying the God of Israel, because they were seeing Him at work. This scene recalls the messianic prophecies (for example, Isaiah 35:5–6), where it was spoken of the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the lame walking. There those promises were being fulfilled, in fact bearing witness that Jesus truly is the promised Messiah.