When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.
Parallel translations
- WEB When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid.
- KJV So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
- NKJV So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid.
- NASB Then, when they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat; and they were frightened.
- NLT They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Having rowed a few miles, the disciples see Jesus walking on the sea and are terrified. The miracle reveals His divine power over creation, though it first provokes fear.
Overview
Walking on the sea is something Scripture ascribes to God alone (Job 9:8; Ps. 77:19). The disciples' fear reflects the awe of encountering the divine. John presents this as a sign of Jesus's deity, preparing for His self-disclosure in the next verse.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Mark 6:47–49When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land.
- Matt 14:25–26During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.
- John 14:18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
- Ps 93:4Above the roar of many waters—the mighty breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is majestic.
- Job 9:8He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.
- Jonah 1:13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more.
- Ps 29:10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
- Ezek 27:26Your oarsmen have brought you onto the high seas, but the east wind will shatter you in the heart of the sea.
- Luke 24:36–39While they were describing these events, Jesus Himself stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
- John 11:18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
- Rev 14:20And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
- Rev 21:16The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.
- Luke 24:13That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 6:19 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.