John Calvin Commentary Luke 7:16

"And fear took hold on all: and they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is arisen among us: and, God hath visited his people." — Luke 7:16 (ASV)

And fear seized all. A sense of the divine presence must have brought fear along with it, but there is a difference between the kinds of fear: unbelievers either tremble and are dismayed, or, struck with alarm, murmur against God, while devout and godly persons, moved by reverence, willingly humble themselves. Fear, therefore, is here taken in a good sense, because they gave the honor that was due to the power of God which they had witnessed, and rendered to God not only homage but also thanksgiving.

God hath visited his people. I understand this to refer not to every kind of visitation, but to that which would restore them to their original condition. Not only were the affairs of Judea in a depressed state, but they had sunk under a wretched and frightful slavery, as if God were not looking at them. The only remaining hope was that God had promised to be their Redeemer, after they had endured very heavy calamities.

I have no doubt, therefore, that they were excited by the miracle to expect an approaching restoration to prosperity; yet they fell into a mistake regarding the nature of the visitation. Though they acknowledged and celebrated the unusual grace of God in this respect, that a great Prophet hath risen up among us, this praise still falls very far short of the dignity and glory of the promised Messiah. Hence, it appears that the faith of that people was, at this time, exceedingly confused and involved in many unfounded imaginations.