But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
Parallel translations
- WEB But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
- BSB But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.”
- NKJV But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
- NASB But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
- NLT but he called out to them, “Don’t be afraid. I am here!”
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
Jesus calms their fear with the words, 'It is I. Don't be afraid.' His self-identification echoes God's own name and assures them of His presence.
Overview
The Greek 'I am' (ego eimi) recalls God's revelation to Moses (Ex. 3:14) and anticipates Jesus's great 'I am' sayings in John. In the midst of the storm, His word banishes fear. The God who walks on water is the same Lord who draws near to His own in their distress.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 14:27–31But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
- Isa 43:1–2But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
- Isa 44:8Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
- Isa 41:10Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
- Isa 41:14Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
- Rev 1:17–18And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
- Mark 6:50For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
- Ps 35:3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
- Mark 16:6And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 6:20 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.