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Matthew 8:24-26

Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

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.

World English Bible · Public Domain
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Matthew 8:24-26 sits inside this longer paragraph.

When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep. They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

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.

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Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

    They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

    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.

  • TYNDALE Tyndale New Testament (1534)

    And beholde there arose a a greate tempest in the see in so moche that the shippe was covered with waves and he was a slepe.

    And his disciples came vn to him and awoke hym sayinge: master save vs we perishe.

    And he sayd vnto them: why are ye fearfull o ye of lytell faithe? Then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the see and ther folowed a greate calme.

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  • GNV Geneva Bible (1599)

    And beholde, there arose a great tempest in the sea, so that the ship was couered with waues: but he was a sleepe.

    Then his disciples came, and awoke him, saying, Master, saue vs: we perish.

    And he said vnto them, Why are ye fearefull, O ye of litle faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea: and so there was a great calme.

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Cross-references (40)

  • Isaiah 41:10-14 (v26) Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will…
  • Psalms 65:7 (v26) You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
  • Psalms 107:28-30 (v26) Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress. He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.…
  • Psalms 89:9 (v26) You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
  • Matthew 6:30 (v26) 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…
Show all 40 cross-references
  • Luke 8:24-25 (v26) They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and…
  • Luke 8:23 (v24) But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.
  • Mark 4:39-41 (v26) He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why…
  • Jonah 1:6 (v25) So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so…
  • Psalms 107:23-27 (v24) Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters; These see Yahweh’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep. For he…
  • Jonah 1:4-5 (v24) But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. Then the…
  • Mark 4:37-38 (v24) A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled. He himself was in the stern, asleep on…
  • Acts 27:14-38 (v24) But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we…
  • Romans 4:20 (v26) Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
  • Isaiah 54:11 (v24) “You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your foundations with…
  • John 6:17-18 (v24) They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. The sea was tossed…
  • 2 Corinthians 11:25-26 (v24) Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. I have…
  • 2 Chronicles 14:11 (v25) Asa cried to Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, there is no one besides you to help, between the mighty and him who has no strength. Help…
  • Job 38:8-11 (v26) “Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke out of the womb, when I made clouds its garment, and wrapped it in thick darkness, marked…
  • Psalms 44:22-23 (v25) Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter. Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t…
  • Isaiah 50:2-4 (v26) Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or…
  • Matthew 14:30-31 (v26) But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus…
  • Matthew 16:8 (v26) Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, ‘because you have brought no bread?’
  • Mark 4:38-39 (v25) He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?” He…
  • Mark 6:48-51 (v26) Seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was contrary to them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the…
  • John 11:5-6 (v24) Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.
  • John 11:15 (v24) I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s go to him.”
  • 2 Chronicles 20:12 (v25) Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that comes against us. We don’t know what to do, but our…
  • Psalms 93:3-4 (v26) The floods have lifted up, Yahweh, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves. Above the voices of many waters,…
  • Psalms 104:6-9 (v26) You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder…
  • Psalms 114:3-7 (v26) The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs. What was it, you sea,…
  • Proverbs 8:28-29 (v26) when he established the clouds above, when the springs of the deep became strong, when he gave to the sea its boundary, that the waters…
  • Isaiah 51:9-10 (v25) Awake, awake, put on strength, arm of Yahweh! Awake, as in the days of old, the generations of ancient times. Isn’t it you who cut Rahab in…
  • Isaiah 63:12 (v26) Who caused his glorious arm to be at Moses’ right hand? Who divided the waters before them, to make himself an everlasting name?
  • Nahum 1:4 (v26) He rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan languishes, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languishes.
  • Habakkuk 3:8 (v26) Was Yahweh displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on…
  • Matthew 8:27 (v26) The men marveled, saying, “What kind of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
  • Luke 8:24 (v25) They came to him, and awoke him, saying, “Master, master, we are dying!” He awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and…
  • Revelation 10:2 (v26) He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land.
  • Psalms 10:1 (v25) Why do you stand far off, Yahweh? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

Explain this passage (14 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv24–26 24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in…

24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Ver. 24. And, behold, there arose a great tempest] Stirred up, likely, by the devil, to drown Christ (that male child of the Church, Rev 12:5) and his disciples; as he killed Job’s children with the fall of the house. This is still the endeavour of Satan aud his instruments: but to such we may, as Pope Plus II wrote to the great Turk,

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" Niteris incassum Christi submergere navem:

Fluctuat, at nunquam mergitur, illa ratis."

And as the poet said of Troy, so may we of the Church,

" Victa tamen vinces, eversaque Troia resurges:

Obruit hostiles illa ruina domos." Ovid. Fast.

Ambrose hath a remarkable speech to this purpose: Diabolus contra sanctos tempestatem mover: sed ipse naufragium facit: The devil stirs up a tempest against the saints, but himself is sure to suffer shipwreck. The Church, as a bottle, may be dipped, not drowned; as the diamond, it may be cast into the fire, not burnt by it; as the crystal, it may be fouled, but not stained by the venom of a toad; as the palm tree in the emblem, which though it have many weights at top and snakes at the root, yet it saith still, Nec premor, nec perimor. Neither hard pressed nor destroy. Lastly, as the north pole, semper versatur, nunquam mergitur, always moving never out of sight, as St Jerome observeth.

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.

John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv24–26 And his disciples came unto him,.... From some other…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv24, 26 The ship was covered - So man's extremity is…
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv24–26 Verse 24. Arose a great tempest in the sea]…
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv24–26 A great tempest - A violent storm; or a…
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv25–26 Should God appear to sleep, with the apostles, we…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv24–26 24. There arose a great tempest — It was…
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv24, 26 24. he was asleep] The expression in the original…
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv24–26 (24) There arose a great tempest.—Storms such as that…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv24–26 And, behold. (Mat_1:20, note) Perhaps when with Jesus they…
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv24–26 24. There arose a great tempest in the sea.…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v25 The terror of the disciples and Christ’s rebuke:
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v26 to them
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v24 8:24 a fierce storm struck the lake: Sudden squalls…
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