Acts 3:9

And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

And {G2532} all {G3956} the people {G2992} saw {G1492} him {G846} walking {G4043} and {G2532} praising {G134} God {G2316}:

Everyone saw him walking and praising God.

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Acts 3:9 captures the immediate public reaction to the miraculous healing of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. This short verse highlights the undeniable evidence of the miracle and the healed man's spontaneous response of worship, setting the stage for the powerful events that follow.

Context

This verse immediately follows the dramatic account of Peter and John encountering a man who had been lame from birth, begging at the Temple gate. In a powerful demonstration of divine authority, Peter, invoking the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, commanded the man to walk. The previous verses detail the man's instantaneous healing, where his feet and ankle bones received strength (Acts 3:6-8). Verse 9 then describes the public spectacle: the man, once known only for his inability to walk, was now seen by "all the people" walking, leaping, and praising God. This public display was crucial, as it left no room for doubt about the authenticity of the miracle and directly led to the astonishment of the crowd and Peter's subsequent sermon (Acts 3:11-12).

Key Themes

  • Divine Power and Healing: The verse serves as a powerful testament to the supernatural power of God working through His apostles. The transformation from lameness to walking is a clear sign of God's active presence.
  • Public Witness: The phrase "all the people saw him" emphasizes the public and undeniable nature of the miracle. This was not a private event but a widely witnessed demonstration of God's glory, designed to draw attention and validate the message of the apostles.
  • Spontaneous Worship and Gratitude: The healed man's immediate response of "praising God" underscores a key biblical principle: blessings and healing should lead to gratitude and adoration of the Lord. His praise was not coerced but flowed from a heart overwhelmed by God's goodness.

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "praising" here is ainōn (αἰνῶν), from which we get the English word "hymn" or "ainos." It signifies a strong, outward expression of praise, often in song or joyous acclamation. This was not a quiet, internal thankfulness, but a vibrant, public declaration of God's greatness, much like the praise offered by the previously blind man in John 9:38 after his healing.

Practical Application

This verse offers several insights for believers today:

  • Acknowledge God's Hand: When God works in our lives, whether through healing, provision, or guidance, our first response should be to acknowledge and praise Him publicly.
  • Be a Witness: Our transformed lives and experiences with God's power can serve as powerful testimonies to others, just as the healed man's walking and praising drew the attention of the crowd.
  • Embrace Joyful Praise: The man's spontaneous praise reminds us that worship can be a joyous, uninhibited expression of gratitude for God's mercy and power.

The public nature of this miracle and the man's immediate praise paved the way for the early church's growth, demonstrating that God's power is often revealed to draw people to His truth and to glorify His name, as seen in the subsequent sermon by Peter that led to many conversions (Acts 4:4).

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Acts 4:16

    Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them [is] manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny [it].

  • Mark 2:11

    I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

  • Mark 2:12

    And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

  • Acts 4:21

    So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all [men] glorified God for that which was done.

  • Acts 14:11

    And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.

  • Luke 13:17

    And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

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