And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said, “Come!” Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus.
- BSB “Come,” said Jesus. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
- NKJV So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
- NASB And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.
- NLT “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.
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
At Jesus' word 'Come,' Peter steps out and walks on the water toward Him. Faith in Christ's command enables the impossible.
Overview
Jesus invites Peter, who climbs from the boat and walks on the water toward Him. As long as Peter trusts Christ's word, he shares in the miraculous. The moment demonstrates that obedient faith fixed on Jesus can accomplish what is humanly impossible, while also preparing for the lesson when Peter's focus wavers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
- Mark 9:23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
- Acts 3:16And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
- Luke 17:6And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
- Mark 11:22–23And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
- Matt 21:21Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
- Rom 4:19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
- Matt 17:20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
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 14:29 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.