Matthew 12:23

‘And all the crowds were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?”

When the crowds saw it their thoughts were half positive. They ‘saw', at least to some extent, and testified well. They were amazed at what they had seen, and their thought was, “Can this be the son of David?” The way the question is expressed suggests both doubt and hope, just as Israel are split into those who are more positive, and those who are more negative.

There appears to be fairly strong evidence in Matthew that he links the title Son of David to the casting out of evil spirits and the healing of the blind (Matthew 9:27; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 20:30; Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:15 with 14). This may well have arisen from the fact that Solomon the son of David was famed (even if only in legend) for teaching methods of casting out evil spirits, something which is explained in Josephus. Possibly blindness was linked to this although Josephus does not say so. Thus they may well have seen what Jesus was doing as confirming His relationship to Solomon, the son of David, and therefore to David himself, thus evidencing Matthew 1:1. This would then lead on to the thought of the Messiah. ‘Son of David' is in fact found in the Psalms of Solomon as a description of the Messiah. So at least a part of the crowd are beginning to recognise a prince of Heaven.