And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Parallel translations
- WEB Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.”
- BSB “Lord, if it is You,” Peter replied, “command me to come to You on the water.”
- NKJV And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
- NASB Peter responded and said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
- NLT Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, 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
Peter asks Jesus to command him to come on the water if it is truly Him. Peter's bold faith reaches out toward his Lord.
Overview
Peter responds to Jesus with a daring request to walk on the water at Christ's command. His words mingle genuine faith with characteristic impulsiveness. The exchange highlights Peter's eagerness to be with Jesus and sets up a vivid lesson about the power and the fragility of faith that follows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 6:68Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- Rom 12:3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
- Matt 26:33–35Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
- John 13:36–38Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.
- Matt 19:27Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
- Luke 22:31–34And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
- Mark 14:31But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.
- Luke 22:49–50When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 14:28 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.