And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
Parallel translations
- WEB When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
- BSB When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.
- NKJV And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
- NASB When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.
- NLT When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
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
Seeing Him on the water, the terrified disciples cry out, thinking He is a ghost. Fear can blind even disciples to the presence of their Lord.
Overview
The disciples, seeing a figure walking on the sea, are gripped by terror and suppose it is an apparition. Their fearful misreading of Jesus' presence reflects how distress and the unexpected can cloud faith. The moment heightens the drama and prepares for Jesus' reassuring self-revelation that follows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rev 1:17And 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:
- Luke 1:11–12And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
- Mark 6:49–50But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
- Dan 10:6–12His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
- Luke 24:45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
- Job 4:14–16Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.
- Acts 12:15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
- Luke 24:37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
- 1 Sam 28:12–14And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
- Luke 24:5And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
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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 14:26 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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