Barnes New Testament Notes

Verse 21. Finding nothing, etc. That is, not being able to devise any way, of punishing them, without exciting a tumult among the people, and endangering their own authority. The sanhedrim was frequently influenced by this fear; and it shows that their own authority was much dependent on the caprice of the multitude. Comp. Mt 21:26.

All men. That is, the great mass or body of the people.

Glorified God. Praised God for the miracle. This implies,

(1.) that they believed that the miracle was genuine.

(2.) That they were grateful to God for so signal a mercy in conferring health and comfort on a man who had been long afflicted. We may add further, that here is the highest evidence of the reality of the miracle. Even the sanhedrim, with all their prejudice and opposition, did not call it in question. And the common people, who had doubtless been acquainted with this man for years, were convinced that it was real. It would have been impossible to impose on keen-sighted and jealous adversaries in this manner, if this had been an imposture.

{a} "because of the people" Mt 21:25; Ac 5:26