“And all the people saw him walking and praising God:”
When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him — recognition (epiginosko, recognize, know) of the familiar beggar now walking transforms the crowd's astonishment (thambos, amazement, shock; ekstasis, ecstatic wonder, being beside oneself). The public nature of the miracle (many witnesses) ensures its attestation and rules out hallucination or legend. The community's public amazement validates the healing.
Church Fathers on Acts 3:9
they recognized him. And all the people, it says, saw him walking and praising God; and they recognized (ἐ πεγίνωσκον) that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple. Acts 3:9 It is well said, they recognized, inasmuch as he was one unknown now by reason of what had happened: for we use this term with regard to objects, which we find a difficulty in recognizing. [And they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.] Needs…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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