Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 6:20
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
20. It is I ] Literally, I am (comp. Joh 18:5).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
20. It is I; be not afraidMatthew(Mt 14:27) and Mark (Mr6:50) give before these exhilarating words, that to themwell-known one, “Be of good cheer!”
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he saith to them, it is I, be not afraid.
[See comments on Mt 14:27].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Be not afraid ( ). Prohibition with and present middle imperative of . So in Mr 6:50 (Mt 14:27). John does not tell that the disciples thought Jesus was an apparition (Mark 6:49; Matt 14:26), nor does he give the account of Peter walking on the water (Mt 14:28-31).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “But he saith unto them,” (ho de legei autois) “Then he says directly to them,” to the anxious and fearful disciples, some of whom thought He was a phantom spirit, Mar 6:49, as some also thought after His resurrection, Luk 24:37.
2) “It is I;” (ego eimi) “I (the self-existing one) I am,” the one who promised to be with you through water, fire, and storms, Isa 43:1-2, as with Israel through the Red Sea, and while crossing the Jordan, and with Daniel and the 3 Hebrew children through dungeon and fire.
3) “Be not afraid.” (me phobeisthe) “You all be not afraid,” or do not exist in a state or condition of fear; Don’t be all “shook up,” With comfort and assurance He comes to His own, in every trial and crisis saying, fear not, trust me, Pro 3:3-5; Luk 12:32; Mat 14:27; Mar 6:50; Rev 1:17-18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
20. It is I: be not terrified We learn from them that it is in Christ’s presence alone that we have abundant grounds of confidence, so as to be calm and at ease. But this belongs exclusively to the disciples of Christ; for we shall afterwards see that wicked men were struck down by the same words, It is I, (Joh 18:6.) The reason of the distinction is, that he is sent as a Judge to the reprobate and unbelievers for their destruction; and, therefore, they cannot bear his presence without being immediately overwhelmed. But believers, who know that he is given to them to make propitiation, as soon as they hear his name, which is a sure pledge to them both of the love of God and of their salvation, take courage as if they had been raised from death to life, calmly look at the clear sky, dwell quietly on earth, and, victorious over every calamity, take him for their shield against all dangers. Nor does he only comfort and encourage them by his word, but actually removes also the cause of the terror by allaying the tempest.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(20) See the same words in Mar. 6:50. St. Matthews account is more full here, adding the trial of St. Peters faith.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘But he says to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid”. They were therefore willing to receive him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.’
To their relief and surprise the figure turned out to be Jesus, and, when He made Himself known to them they were highly relieved, and gladly brought Him into the boat. And it was not long after this that they made land safely.
‘It is I’ is literally ‘I am’. John may be intending to draw out that Jesus is the ‘I am’, as he certainly does later (Joh 8:58).
‘Immediately the boat was at the land where they were heading.’ The idea is probably not of a miraculous moving of the boat, but of John’s memory of the night. He remembers their overwhelming joy and relief so that in what seemed no time at all they arrived at land. This was because the wind dropped, as the other Gospels tell us, and Jesus was with them in the boat, making the remainder of the journey seem short and easy (Mar 6:51). ‘Immediately’ is a hurry word. It indicates a short period of time.
Some scholars have tried because of this to suggest that what they actually saw was Jesus walking on the seashore, and wished to, but could not, take Him into the boat, because they were already at the shore. In John such a translation is possible, but it is not the natural translation and would require another boat to take Jesus across and a bunch of hardy sailors who never afterwards told the truth, for the other Gospels are in no doubt on the matter .
But we must not forget in this regard that some of them were experienced sailors and knew the Sea of Galilee well, and seeing Jesus on the shore would not have frightened them, nor would it have misled them. They were used to discerning the shoreline and seeing people on it. Besides, the distance travelled indicates that they were well out at sea. There can really be no doubt that the author sees the walking on the water as another sign. The other Gospels make the situation quite plain. Indeed the crowds act as indirect witnesses to the reality (Joh 6:22-25).
The importance of the incident is found in the Old Testament where it is clear that the One Who can walk on water is the omnipotent God – ‘your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters’ (Psa 77:19). This was thus a direct claim to deity. To Israel the sea had always appeared as an enemy and a symbol of tumult. In their eyes there was only One Who could control it and that was their God. It also, of course, taught the disciples a great lesson about the powers of Jesus. In future when they faced great difficulties they could look back on this incident and be aware that whatever their circumstances He was with them and could meet all their needs.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
Ver. 20. They were afraid ] See Mat 14:26-27 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 6:20 . Hearing this, , by which Lcke, Holtzmann, Weiss, Thayer, and others suppose it is meant, that they merely wished to take Him into the boat, but did not actually do so. The imperfect tense favours this sense; and so do the expressions , Joh 7:44 ; and , Joh 16:19 ; whereas two of the passages cited against this meaning by Alford are in the aorist, a tense which denotes accomplished purpose. On the other hand, the imperfect may here be used to express a continuous state of feeling, and accordingly the A.V [56] , following the Geneva Bible, against Wiclif and Tindale, rendered “they willingly received Him”. So Grotius “non quod non receperint, sed quod cupide admodum”. So, too, Sanday: “The stress is really on the willingness of the disciples, ‘Before they shrank back through fear, but now they were glad to receive Him’ ”. And this seems right. The R.V [57] has “they were willing therefore to receive Him into the boat”. The with which the next clause is introduced is slightly against the supposition that Jesus was not actually taken into the boat (but see Weiss in loc. ); and the Synoptic account represents Jesus as getting into the boat with Peter. The immediate arrival at the shore was evidently a surprise to those on board. Sanday thinks that the Apostle was so occupied with his devout conclusions that he did not notice the motion of the boat.
[56] Authorised Version.
[57] Revised Version.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
It is I = I am [He]. Compare Joh 4:26; Joh 8:24, Joh 8:28, Joh 8:58; Joh 13:19; Joh 18:5, Joh 18:6, Joh 18:8. Mar 13:6. Luk 21:8.
not. Greek. me. App-105. Same word as in verses: Joh 6:27, Joh 6:43. Not the same as in verses: Joh 6:7, Joh 6:17, Joh 6:22, Joh 7:24, Joh 7:26, Joh 7:32, Joh 7:36, Joh 7:38, Joh 7:42, Joh 7:46, Joh 7:56, Joh 7:64, Joh 7:70.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 6:20
Joh 6:20
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.-They were familiar with the tone of his voice and his speech allayed their fears.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
It is: Psa 35:3, Isa 41:10, Isa 41:14, Isa 43:1, Isa 43:2, Isa 44:8, Mat 14:27-31, Mar 6:50, Mar 16:6, Rev 1:17, Rev 1:18
Reciprocal: Mat 28:10 – Be Mar 4:40 – Why
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Joh 6:20-21. But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. His voice and manner were enough to remove all their fears. They would have kept away from the apparition, affrighted; but now their will was to receive their Master. This renewed mention of the will (compare chap. Joh 5:6; Joh 5:40) is striking and characteristic. In the first two Evangelists we read of our Lords entering the boat, and some have thought that the words here present a difficulty as implying a desire on the part of the disciples that was not fulfilled. But there is really no discrepancy whatever. John mentions the will only, assuming that every reader would understand that the will was carried into effect (comp. Joh 1:43, Joh 5:35).
And immediately the boat was at the land whither they went. They were making for Capernaum, and this town they reached immediately. It is plain that John intends to relate what was not an ordinary occurrence but a miracle. The first two Evangelists do not speak of it, but their words are in perfect harmony with Johns account, for immediately after the lulling of the wind then mention the completion of the voyage.
This is the fourth of the signs recorded in this Gospel. Unlike the former miracle (the feeding of the multitude), it is not mentioned again or in any way expressly referred to; hence we have less certainty as to the position assigned to it by the Evangelist. That to him it was not a mere matter of history we may be sure; but the event is not as closely interwoven with the texture of his narrative as are the other miracles which he records. The thoughts which are here prominent are the separation of the disciples from their Lord, their difficulties amid the darkness and the storm, their fear as they dimly see Jesus approaching, the words which remove their fear, their will to receive Him, the immediate end of all their trouble and danger. The cardinal thought is their safety when they have received Jesus. The narrative is connected with that which precedes in that, here as there, all attention is concentrated on the Redeemer Himself, who in sovereign power and in infinite grace manifests His glory. It is still more closely joined with what comes after, as it teaches on the one hand the safety of all who are with Him (Joh 6:37-39), and on the other the necessity of mans receiving Him, opening his heart to His words, committing Himself to Him by faith (Joh 6:40). We cannot doubt that the question of Jesus and the answer of the twelve, of which we read in Joh 6:68, are closely linked with the teaching of that night in which the disciples found at once the end of peril and rest from toil when they saw and received their Lord.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Jesus identified Himself by saying literally "I am" (Gr. ego eimi). This is sometimes a way Jesus described Himself as God, as John recorded Jesus’ words (e.g., Joh 8:24). However the clause does not always mean that since it is the normal way of identifying oneself (cf. Joh 9:9). In those instances the translation, "It is I," gives the intended meaning. Here Jesus was just identifying Himself to the disciples, though obviously someone who could walk on water was more than a mere man.