The Greek ekthambos means greatly amazed or utterly astonished β a state of overwhelming wonder produced by a miraculous or unexpected event. It appears only in Acts 3:11, describing the crowd's reaction as they ran to Solomon's Colonnade after Peter healed the lame man: 'they were filled with wonder and amazement.'
The crowd's ekthambos at the healed lame man sets the stage for Peter's sermon (Acts 3:12-26). Peter immediately redirects their amazement away from himself and Barnabas β 'Why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?' The miracle was real, the astonishment appropriate, but the glory belonged to 'the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers' who glorified His servant Jesus. Ekthambos is the proper response to divine power β as long as it leads to correct attribution.