Matthew 8:23
in Matthew 8When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him.
KJV
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
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This verse in Matthew 8
Commentary
12 notes on this verse(Verse 23) And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. He performed the fifth sign when he got into a boat from Capernaum and commanded the winds and the sea. The sixth sign, when he gave power to the demons to enter into the pigs in the region of the Gerasenes. The seventh, when he entered his own city and healed a paralytic lying on a bed. Firstly, the paralytic is the son of a centurion.
This site's exposition
entered into a ship
on Matthew 8:23-27
When he was entered into a ship there arose a great tempest, seismos, the word for an earthquake, and the lake's geography explains the suddenness, six hundred feet below the sea with cold wind funnelled down the gorges onto warm water. He was asleep, the Gospel's one note of Jesus sleeping, exhaustion after the day of crowds; the disciples' cry is a creed in three words, Lord, save us. The rebuke lands on them before the weather, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith, the refrain's third sounding, and then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and the commentators hear Psalm 89:9 and Psalm 107:29 underneath, the stilling of the sea being in the Scriptures the untransferable mark of God. What manner of man is this, the men ask, and the chapter leaves the question standing as its own answer.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 28 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
The multitudes then He sent on, but the disciples He took with Himself: for the others mention this too. And He took them with Him, not for nought, nor at hazard, but in order to make them spectators of the miracle that was to take place. For like a most excellent trainer, He was anointing them with a view to both objects; as well to be undismayed in dangers, as to be modest in honors. Thus, that they might not be high minded, because having sent away the rest, He retained them, He suffers them to be tossed with the tempest; at once correcting this, and disciplining them to bear trials nobly. For great indeed were the former miracles too, but this contained also in it a kind of discipline, and that no inconsiderable one, and was a sign akin to that of old. For this cause He takes the disciples only with Himself. For as, when there was a display of miracles, He suffers the people also to be present; so when trial and terrors were rising up against Him, then He takes with Him none but the champions of the whole world, whom He was to disciple.
(De Cons. Ev. ii. 23.) Matthew relates that this was done when He gave them commandment that they should go over the lake, Luke, that it happened as they walked by the way; which is no contradiction, for they must have walked by the way that they might come to the lake.
The Medieval Church3 voices
(in loc.) Or; The boat is the present Church, in which Christ passes over the sea of this world with His own, and stills the waves of persecution. Wherefore we may wonder, and give thanks.
Otherwise; The sea is the turmoil of the world; the boat in which Christ is embarked is to be understood the tree of the cross, by the aid of which the faithful having passed the waves of the world, arrive in their heavenly country, as on a safe shore, whither Christ goes with His own; whence He says below, He that will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mat. 16:24.) When then Christ was fixed on the cross, a great commotion was raised, the minds of His disciples being troubled at His passion, and the boat was covered by the waves. For the whole strength of persecution was around the cross of Christ, on which He died; as it is here, But he was asleep. His sleep is death. The disciples awaken the Lord, when troubled at His death; they seek His resurrection with earnest prayers, saying, Save us, by rising again; we perish, by our trouble at Thy death. He rises again, and rebukes the hardness of their hearts, as we read in other places. He commands the winds, in that He overthrew the power of the Devil; He commanded the sea, in that He disappointed the malice of the Jews; and there was a great calm, because the minds of the disciples were calmed when they beheld His resurrection.
And when he got into the boat... We have mentioned the Lord's command to pass over to the other side. Here the execution of the command is mentioned. For his miracles on land had been seen; now he wishes to manifest himself on water, in …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
(Hom. in div. vii.) Christ having performed many great and wonderful things on the land, passes to the sea, that there also He might show forth His excellent power, presenting Himself before all men as the Lord of both earth and sea. And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him, not being weak but strong and established in the faith. Thus they followed Him not so much treading in His footsteps, as accompanying Him in holiness of spirit.
"And when He was entered into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with waves: but He was asleep." He took only His disciples, so that they could see the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And when he was entered into a ship,.... Which was got ready by his disciples, or hired by them for his use, according to the directions he had given, his disciples followed him into the ship, and they only; for as for the men hereafter mentioned, they were the men that belonged to the ship, and had the management of it: the multitude were dismissed, and in order to be clear of them, Christ took this method; and being desirous also of trying the faith of his disciples, he ordered it so, that they should be alone with him.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Into a ship - This was on the Sea of Tiberias. The “ship” in which they sailed was probably a small open boat with sails, such as was commonly used for fishing on the lake. His disciples - Not merely the apostles, but probably many others. There were many other ships in company with him, Mar 4:36. This circumstance would render the miracle much more striking and impressive.
In the first part of these verses we see a striking example of our Lord’s wisdom in dealing with those who professed a willingness to be his disciples. The passage throws so much light on a subject frequently misunderstood in these days, that it deserves more than ordinary attention. A certain scribe offers to follow our Lord whithersoever he goes. It was a remarkable offer when we consider the class to which the man belonged, and the time at which it was made. But the offer receives a remarkable answer. It is not directly accepted nor yet flatly rejected. Our Lord only makes the solemn reply, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has not where to lay his head.” Another follower of our Lord next comes forward, and asks to be allowed to bury his father before going any further in the path of a disciple. The request seems, at first sight, a natural and lawful one. But it draws from our Lord’s lips a reply no less solemn than that already referred to: “Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.” There is something deeply impressive in both these sayings. They ought to be well weighed by all professing Christians. They teach us plainly that people who show a desire to come forward and profess themselves true disciples of Christ should be warned plainly to count the cost before they begin. Are they prepared to endure hardship? Are they ready to carry the cross? If not, they are not yet fit to begin. They teach us plainly that there are times when a Christian must literally give up all for Christ’s sake, and when even such duties as attending to a parent’s funeral must be left to be performed by others. Such duties some will always be ready to attend to; and at no time can they be put in comparison with the greater duty of preaching the Gospel, and doing Christ’s work in the world.
The words behind it
11 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐμβάντι | embanti | having climbed | G1684 → | 16 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | He | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πλοῖον | ploion | boat | G4143 → | 67 times |
| ἠκολούθησαν | ekolouthesan | followed | G190 → | 90 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μαθηταὶ | mathetai | disciples | G3101 → | 260 times |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | of Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐμβάντιhaving climbed
embantiG1684 →16 times
αὐτῷHe
autoG846 →5565 times
εἰςinto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
πλοῖονboat
ploionG4143 →67 times
ἠκολούθησανfollowed
ekolouthesanG190 →90 times
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μαθηταὶdisciples
mathetaiG3101 →260 times
αὐτοῦ.of Him.
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 7:22So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…
it leads to
- Isaiah 35:5–6
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
- Isaiah 61:1–3
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- Luke 4:18
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight…
- Isaiah 29:18–19
On that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of the deep darkness the eyes of the blind will see.
- James 2:5
Listen, my beloved brothers: Has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom He promised those who love Him?
- Isaiah 35:5–6
Through
Matthew 9:1Jesus got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own town.
it leads to
- Matthew 4:13
Leaving Nazareth, He went and lived in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,
- Luke 8:37
Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.
- Matthew 8:18
When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.
- Matthew 4:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 28; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Origen, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.