Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Parallel Translations
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Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
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And immediatly Iesus stretched forth his hode and caught him and sayde to him: O thou of lytell faith wherfore diddest thou dout?
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So immediatly Iesus stretched foorth his hande, and caught him, and saide to him, O thou of litle faith, wherefore diddest thou doubt?
Cross-references (20)
Passages linked to Matthew 14:31 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- James 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, without any doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. For that man shouldn’t think that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
- Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me.
- Genesis 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place “Yahweh Will Provide”. As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”
- Matthew 8:26 He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.
- Matthew 17:20 He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
- Luke 22:31-32 The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I prayed for you, that your faith wouldn’t fail. You, when once you have turned again, establish your brothers.”
- Mark 5:41 Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!”
- Isaiah 63:12 Who caused his glorious arm to be at Moses’ right hand? Who divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
- Matthew 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
- Matthew 16:8 Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, ‘because you have brought no bread?’
- Mark 1:31 He came and took her by the hand, and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.
- Deuteronomy 32:36 For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants, when he sees that their power is gone; that there is no one remaining, shut up or left at large.
- Mark 1:41 Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.”
- Mark 11:23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.
- Mark 16:7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.’ ”
- Luke 24:34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”
- Acts 4:30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”
- Romans 4:18-20 Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.” Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
- 1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.
- 1 Peter 1:5 who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (10 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and…
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Ver. 31. O thou of little faith, &c.] Thou petty fidian, small faith; Christ chides Peter, and yet helps him. Involuntary failings, unavoidable infirmities, discard us not; as robberies done by pirates of either nation break not the league between princes; as lesser failings dissolve not the marriage knot. Christ knew us well before he took us, yet took us for better for worse. 2. He "hates putting away," Mal 2:16, and herein, as he is above law, so his mercy is matchless, Jer 3:1. Joshua the high priest, though he was ill-clothed, yet he stood before the angel, Zec 3:3. Much will be so borne with, where the fault is of passion merely, or of incogitance and inadvertence, as here.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain Observe here, 1. The mercy of Christ is no…
Observe here, 1. The mercy of Christ is no sooner sought, but found: immediately Jesus put forth his hand and caught him. O with what speed, and with what assurance, should we flee to that sovereign bounty, from whence never any suitor was sent away empty.
Observe, 2. Though Christ gave Peter his hand, yet with this hand he gave him a check; O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Though Christ likes believing, yet he dislikes doubting. A person may be truly believing, who nevertheless is sometimes doubting, but his doubting eclipses the beauty of his believing.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain And when they were come into the ship,.... Christ…
And when they were come into the ship,.... Christ and Peter. The Arabic and Persic versions, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read, "when he ascended", or "was come into the ship"; but there is no doubt but Peter went with him into it, though the following effect is only to be ascribed to Christ's coming into the ship, and not to Peter's:
the wind ceased: from blowing with that fury and violence it did before, and there was a perfect calm; which gave equal proof of the divine power of Christ, as his walking upon the sea: he walked upon the sea whilst the wind was blowing hard, and the waves were tumultuous; he comes into the ship, and all is calm; both winds and sea obey him, who is Lord of both.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 31. Jesus stretched forth his hand] Every moment…
Verse 31. Jesus stretched forth his hand] Every moment we stand in need of Christ: while we stand-we are upheld by his power only; and when we are falling, or have fallen, we can be saved only by his mercy. Let us always take care that we do not consider so much the danger to which we are exposed, as the power of Christ by which we are to be upheld; and then our mountain is likely to stand strong.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain And immediately Jesus. Five miracles are here wrought: 1.…
And immediately Jesus. Five miracles are here wrought: 1. Christ walks upon the water; 2. enables Peter to do the same; 3. when Peter begins to sink, preserves him; 4. suddenly stills the tempest; 5. the ship is immediately in port, which may be mystically explained thus: a Christian is with Jesus Christ, to tread under foot the whole world, with the whirlpools of earthly distractions, whilst God calms all tempestuous passions, temptations, and persecutions, and leads him with faithful and continued support to the harbour of eternal rest and life. (Tirinus)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught…
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?--(Also see on Mar 6:50.)
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain And immediately. Without any waste of time, just as…
And immediately. Without any waste of time, just as in ver. 27. Jesus stretched forth his hand. So that St. Peter had come up to him (ver. 29). And caught him; and took hold of him. (Revised Version, epelabeto autou : cf. Heb_2:16 Heb_8:9) And said; saith (Revised Version). The writer passes to more vivid narration. Unto him, O thou of little faith (oligopiste); Mat_6:30, note. But in Mat_17:20 (Westcott and Hort) the substantive is used of faith in a more active sense. Wherefore (eiv ti); "hml, literally rendered" (Dr. Guillemard). Didst thou doubt? (edistasav). In the New Testament, Mat_28:17 only. Christ saves first, and rebukes afterwards. Perhaps the need for help was more immediate than in Mat_8:26, or possibly the fervency of St. Peter"s love deserved gentler treatment.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Wherefore didst thou doubt.
Mat_14:31
Wherefore didst thou doubt.
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Doubting Christians
1. It perverts all they do by directing them to a wrong end.
2. It withdraws the mind from Christ.
3. It sours the temper. It breeds fears.
4. It gives Satan peculiar advantage against the soul.
5. The providence of God appears dark to such a soul.
6. It occasions false comfort.
7. It tarnishes the profession of such a person. (J. Cooke.)
Safety of believers in seeming perils
A British subject may be safe although surrounded by enemies in a distant land-not that he has strength to contend alone against armed thousands, but because he is a subject of our Queen. A despot on his throne, a horde of savages in their desert, have permitted a helpless traveller to pass unharmed, like a lamb among lions-although, like lions looking on a lamb, they thirsted for his blood-because they knew his sovereigns watchfulness, and feared his sovereigns power. The feeble stranger has a charmed life in the midst of his enemies, because a royal arm unseen encompasses him as with a shield. The power thus wielded by an earthly throne may suggest and symbolize the perfect protection of Omnipotence. A British subjects confidence in his Queen may rebuke the feeble faith of a Christian. O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? What though there be fears within and fightings without? He who bought His people with His own Blood cannot lose his inheritance, and will not permit any enemy to wrest from His hand the satisfaction of His soul. The man with a deceitful heart and a darkened mind, a feeble frame and a slippery way, a fainting heart and a daring foe-such a man would stumble and fall; but the member of Christs body cannot drop off; the portion of the Redeemer cannot be wrenched from His grasp. Ye are His. Christ is the safety of a Christian. (W. Arnot.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 31. Jesus … caught him … said, O thou…
31. Jesus … caught him … said, O thou of little faith! Peter's act did not exemplify his faith, but his doubts. True faith never attempts wonders merely for the sake of doing them. It is a fact that ought to be noted that the Gospels narrate the failures in miraculous power on the part of the apostles as well as their success. No book of myths would do this. At the same time it is always made plain why they failed.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 You of little faith, why
You of little faith, why
"You who have such little faith." Jesus addressed Peter this way because Peter became afraid. It can also be translated as an exclamation. AT: "You have so little faith! Why"
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why did you doubt?
Jesus uses a question to tell Peter than he should not have doubted. You can make explicit what Peter should not have doubted. AT: "you should not have doubted that I could keep you from sinking." (See: Rhetorical Question and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Son of God
This is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: Translating Son and Father)
translationWords
Jesus
Peter
faith
disciple
worship
amen
Son of God
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.