Matthew 14:31

Mat_14:31

Wherefore didst thou doubt.

Doubting Christians

1. It perverts all they do by directing them to a wrong end.

2. It withdraws the mind from Christ.

3. It sours the temper. It breeds fears.

4. It gives Satan peculiar advantage against the soul.

5. The providence of God appears dark to such a soul.

6. It occasions false comfort.

7. It tarnishes the profession of such a person. (J. Cooke.)

Safety of believers in seeming perils

A British subject may be safe although surrounded by enemies in a distant land-not that he has strength to contend alone against armed thousands, but because he is a subject of our Queen. A despot on his throne, a horde of savages in their desert, have permitted a helpless traveller to pass unharmed, like a lamb among lions-although, like lions looking on a lamb, they thirsted for his blood-because they knew his sovereigns watchfulness, and feared his sovereigns power. The feeble stranger has a charmed life in the midst of his enemies, because a royal arm unseen encompasses him as with a shield. The power thus wielded by an earthly throne may suggest and symbolize the perfect protection of Omnipotence. A British subjects confidence in his Queen may rebuke the feeble faith of a Christian. O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? What though there be fears within and fightings without? He who bought His people with His own Blood cannot lose his inheritance, and will not permit any enemy to wrest from His hand the satisfaction of His soul. The man with a deceitful heart and a darkened mind, a feeble frame and a slippery way, a fainting heart and a daring foe-such a man would stumble and fall; but the member of Christs body cannot drop off; the portion of the Redeemer cannot be wrenched from His grasp. Ye are His. Christ is the safety of a Christian. (W. Arnot.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 14:31. Ὀλιγόπιστε, O thou of little faith) Even great faith is little in comparison of that which we ought to have. We should also possesss constancy.—εἰς τί, wherefore? to what end?) With what advantage? He is not blamed because he came out of the vessel, but because he did not remain in the firmness of faith. He was right in exposing himself to trial; but he ought to have persevered.—ἑδίστασας, didst thou doubt) The nature of faith is perceived from its opposites, doubt and fear. See Mar 5:36; Rom 14:23; Jas 1:6.[673]

[673] Mat 14:33. Θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ, Thou art the Son of God) Since they perceived that Jesus was such by reason of His miraculous walking on the sea, they ought not to have wondered at this very miracle to such a degree as to be lost in amazement. It is for this reason they are censured by Mar 6:51-52. For the mind, which faith has rendered intelligent and sober, unlearns excess of astonishment—Harm., p. 333.

Mat 14:35. οἱ ἄνδρες, the men) who perhaps were engaged in labouring in the fields.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_14:31 f. Εἰς τί ἐδίστ.] διατί πρῶτον μὲν ἐθάῤῥησας, ὕστερον δὲ ἐδειλίασας; Euth. Zigabenus. For εἰς τί, wherefore? comp. Mat_26:8; Wis_4:17; Sir_39:17; Sir_39:21; Soph. Tr. 403, Oed. C. 528, and Hermanns note.

ἐμβάντων αὐτῶν] According to John, Jesus did not go up into the boat, but the disciples wanted to take Him on board. A difference that may be noted, though it is of but trifling importance. See note on Joh_6:21.

ἐκόπασεν] Comp. Herod, vii. 191. LXX. Gen_8:1. It became calm. Anthol. vii. 630: ἡ μακρὴ κατʼ ἐμοῦ δυσπλοΐη κοπάσει, and see Wetstein.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 14:31 . ἐδίστασας : again in Mat 28:17 , nowhere else in N. T., from δίς , double, hence to be of two minds, to doubt ( cf. δίψυχος , Jas 1:8 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him, O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?--(Also see on Mar 6:50.)

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 31. Jesus stretched forth his hand] Every moment we stand in need of Christ: while we stand-we are upheld by his power only; and when we are falling, or have fallen, we can be saved only by his mercy. Let us always take care that we do not consider so much the danger to which we are exposed, as the power of Christ by which we are to be upheld; and then our mountain is likely to stand strong.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And when they were come into the ship,.... Christ and Peter. The Arabic and Persic versions, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel read, "when he ascended", or "was come into the ship"; but there is no doubt but Peter went with him into it, though the following effect is only to be ascribed to Christ's coming into the ship, and not to Peter's:

the wind ceased: from blowing with that fury and violence it did before, and there was a perfect calm; which gave equal proof of the divine power of Christ, as his walking upon the sea: he walked upon the sea whilst the wind was blowing hard, and the waves were tumultuous; he comes into the ship, and all is calm; both winds and sea obey him, who is Lord of both.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Ver. 31. O thou of little faith, &c.] Thou petty fidian, small faith; Christ chides Peter, and yet helps him. Involuntary failings, unavoidable infirmities, discard us not; as robberies done by pirates of either nation break not the league between princes; as lesser failings dissolve not the marriage knot. Christ knew us well before he took us, yet took us for better for worse. 2. He "hates putting away," Mal 2:16, and herein, as he is above law, so his mercy is matchless, Jer 3:1. Joshua the high priest, though he was ill-clothed, yet he stood before the angel, Zec 3:3. Much will be so borne with, where the fault is of passion merely, or of incogitance and inadvertence, as here.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And immediately Jesus. Five miracles are here wrought: 1. Christ walks upon the water; 2. enables Peter to do the same; 3. when Peter begins to sink, preserves him; 4. suddenly stills the tempest; 5. the ship is immediately in port, which may be mystically explained thus: a Christian is with Jesus Christ, to tread under foot the whole world, with the whirlpools of earthly distractions, whilst God calms all tempestuous passions, temptations, and persecutions, and leads him with faithful and continued support to the harbour of eternal rest and life. (Tirinus)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And immediately. Without any waste of time, just as in ver. 27. Jesus stretched forth his hand. So that St. Peter had come up to him (ver. 29). And caught him; and took hold of him. (Revised Version, epelabeto autou : cf. Heb_2:16 Heb_8:9) And said; saith (Revised Version). The writer passes to more vivid narration. Unto him, O thou of little faith (oligopiste); Mat_6:30, note. But in Mat_17:20 (Westcott and Hort) the substantive is used of faith in a more active sense. Wherefore (eiv ti); "hml, literally rendered" (Dr. Guillemard). Didst thou doubt? (edistasav). In the New Testament, Mat_28:17 only. Christ saves first, and rebukes afterwards. Perhaps the need for help was more immediate than in Mat_8:26, or possibly the fervency of St. Peter"s love deserved gentler treatment.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe here, 1. The mercy of Christ is no sooner sought, but found: immediately Jesus put forth his hand and caught him. O with what speed, and with what assurance, should we flee to that sovereign bounty, from whence never any suitor was sent away empty.

Observe, 2. Though Christ gave Peter his hand, yet with this hand he gave him a check; O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Though Christ likes believing, yet he dislikes doubting. A person may be truly believing, who nevertheless is sometimes doubting, but his doubting eclipses the beauty of his believing.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31. Jesus … caught him … said, O thou of little faith! Peter's act did not exemplify his faith, but his doubts. True faith never attempts wonders merely for the sake of doing them. It is a fact that ought to be noted that the Gospels narrate the failures in miraculous power on the part of the apostles as well as their success. No book of myths would do this. At the same time it is always made plain why they failed.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

You of little faith, why

"You who have such little faith." Jesus addressed Peter this way because Peter became afraid. It can also be translated as an exclamation. AT: "You have so little faith! Why"

why did you doubt?

Jesus uses a question to tell Peter than he should not have doubted. You can make explicit what Peter should not have doubted. AT: "you should not have doubted that I could keep you from sinking." (See: Rhetorical Question and Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Son of God

This is an important title for Jesus that describes his relationship to God. (See: Translating Son and Father)

translationWords

Jesus

Peter

faith

disciple

worship

amen

Son of God

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

31. εἰς τί; Literal translation of the Hebr. lammah, ‘with a view to what?’ = ἱνατί, see note ch. Mat 27:46. ἐδίστασας, see ch. Mat 28:17.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.