Matthew 14:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

NIV: "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

NASB: And He said, 'Come!' And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

CSB: He said, "Come." And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.

NLT: Yes, come,' Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.

KJV: And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

NKJV: So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

This section of Matthew 14 is full of unexpected events. First, Jesus shows up walking on the water in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. This is in the very early hours of the morning after the disciples have been rowing against a rough wind all night long. They believe Jesus to be a ghost until He speaks and identifies Himself. Peter, apparently convinced, has asked Jesus to command him to come out to Him and walk on the water, too (Matthew 14:22–28).

On the one hand, Peter's request shows great faith in God's power and great enthusiasm to participate with Jesus in this exciting moment. His response to a chaotic moment is to declare his confidence that Christ will grant the power to do anything Christ commands. That's very much in keeping with the miracle these men have recently witnessed (Matthew 14:13–21), as well as those Jesus empowered them to perform earlier (Matthew 10:1).

Jesus grants Peter's request. He says, simply, "Come." Amazingly, Peter comes. He climbs out of the boat and does not immediately fall through the water. He really, truly walks on the water, as Jesus had been doing. He does the impossible by the power of God. Just as an "unachievable" task of feeding thousands was accomplished through obedience, Peter does what should be hopelessly ridiculous by following the commands of Jesus.

On the other hand, Peter's impulsive faith is subject to impulsive doubts, nearly resulting in disaster (Matthew 14:30).

Matthew 14:22–33 contains the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Immediately after feeding thousands of people from a single small portion, Jesus goes up to a mountain to pray. The disciples spend a long night rowing against a strong wind. Jesus walks across the lake to meet them. Peter walks on the water with Jesus briefly before becoming afraid of the wind and waves and beginning to sink. Jesus saves Peter and asks why he doubted. The wind stops when Jesus gets in the boat, and the disciples worship Him as the Son of God.

Matthew 14 begins with a backstory about the arrest and execution of John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch, the Jewish ruler of the region. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to a desolate place only to find crowds waiting. Jesus heals many and then feeds as many as twenty thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Later, the disciples row against a strong wind until Jesus walks on the water to meet them and calm the wind. Peter walks on water briefly and then doubts and begins to sink. The disciples worship Jesus. On the other side of the lake, Jesus continues to heal the sick.

Matthew 13 included more of Jesus' parables and an unfortunate incident where His own hometown rejected His ministry. Chapter 14 begins with news that Herod the tetrarch—the man who killed John the Baptist—is aware of Jesus' fame and power. Jesus and the disciples intend to withdraw to somewhere desolate, but a crowd is waiting for them. Jesus heals people, miraculously feeds thousands, and walks on water. When they reach the other side, Jesus heals more people. Chapter 15 sees Jesus once again debating with His critics and performing more healings.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.