And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
Parallel translations
- WEB In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
- BSB During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.
- NKJV Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
- NASB And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.
- NLT About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.
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
In the early morning Jesus comes to them walking on the sea. He displays divine power over creation itself.
Overview
In the fourth watch, near dawn, Jesus approaches the struggling disciples by walking on the water. This act, which Scripture elsewhere ascribes to God alone treading the waves, reveals His divine nature. The miracle assures believers that Christ has sovereign mastery over the chaos that threatens them and comes to His people in their need.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Job 9:8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.
- Mark 6:48And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
- John 6:19So 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.
- Matt 24:43But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
- Ps 93:3–4The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.
- Luke 12:38And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
- Ps 104:3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
- Rev 10:8And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
- Rev 10:5And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
- Rev 10:2And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 14:25 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
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