Matthew 12:23
And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
And all the people were amazed,.... At the cure; it was such an instance of divine power, and so glaring a proof, that the person who wrought it was more than a man, and must be the Messiah. This is to be understood of the greater part of the people, not of every individual, and of the common people only; for it had a different effect upon the Pharisees, as hereafter appears; but in these it not only produced admiration, but conviction, faith, and confession:
and said, Is not this the son of David? or the Messiah; for בן דוד, "the son of David", is a character of the Messiah, well known among the Jews; See Gill "Matthew 1:1" because he was promised to David, was to be raised up of his seed, and to spring from his loins. This question they put, not as doubting of it, but as inclining, at least, to believe it, if not as expressing their certainty of it: and is, as if they had said, who can this person be but the true Messiah, that has wrought such a miracle as this? for from his miracles they rightly concluded who he was; though the Jews since, in order to deprive Jesus of this true characteristic of the Messiah, deny that miracles are to be performed by him {n}.
{n} Maimon. Hilch. Melacim, c. 11. sect. 3.