Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 8:24
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
24. he was asleep ] The expression in the original is very impressive. He, the Master, continued to sleep. It is the only place where the sleep of Jesus is named.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A great tempest – A violent storm; or a wind so strong as to endanger their lives. This lake was subject to sudden squalls. Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, vol. ii. p. 59) says: Small as the lake is, and placid, in general, as a molten mirror, I have repeatedly seen it quiver, and leap, and boil like a caldron, when driven by fierce winds from the eastern mountains.
The ship was covered with the waves – The billows dashed against the ship Mar 4:37, so that it was fast filling and in danger of sinking.
He was asleep – On the hinder part of the vessel, on a pillow, Mar 4:38. It was in the night, and Jesus had retired to rest. He was probably weary, and slept calmly and serenely. He apprehended no danger, and showed to his disciples how calmly one can sleep with a pure conscience, and who feels safe in the hands of God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 24. Arose a great tempest in the sea] Probably excited by Satan, the prince of the power of the air, who, having got the author and all the preachers of the Gospel together in a small vessel, thought by drowning it, to defeat the purposes of God, and thus to prevent the salvation of a ruined world. What a noble opportunity must this have appeared to the enemy of the human race!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And behold, there arose a great tempest,…. “A great concussion”, or “shaking” of the sea; the stormy wind moved the sea, and the waves thereof; and both wind and sea shook the ship, and the men that were in it. Luke calls this tempest a “storm wind”, Lu 8:23 and Mark says, it was “a great storm of wind”, Mr 4:37 and both use the word “loelaps”, which signifies a particular kind of wind, which is suddenly whirled about upwards and downwards; or rather, a conflict of many winds: it seems to be a whirlwind, or hurricane. It is said, that this tempest “arose”, not by chance, nor by the power of Satan, but by divine providence; for the trial of the faith of Christ’s disciples, and that he might have an opportunity of giving proof of his deity on the sea, as he had lately done in several instances on the dry land. Luke says, that this storm of wind “came down”; referring to the motion and course of the winds, which are exhalations from the earth, raised up into the middle region of the air, from whence they are expelled by a superior force to the lower region, and from thence move in an oblique, slanting manner, downwards. The place where this tempest arose, or into which this storm of wind came down, is here said to be
in the sea. Luke calls it a “lake”, and it was the lake of Genesareth. But both Matthew and Mark call it the sea, and is what is sometimes called the sea of Tiberias, and the sea of Galilee; see Joh 6:1 agreeably to the language of the Jewish i writers. To all this, the word “behold!” is prefixed; which is sometimes used, when anything extraordinary and preternatural is spoken of: and this storm seems to be more than an ordinary one; at least, it was very sudden and unexpected: when the disciples entered the ship, the air was serene, and the sea still and quiet; but as soon as they had set sail, at once, on a sudden, this storm came down, with great force into the sea, and lifted up its waves;
insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves; it was just sinking to the bottom, so that they were in the utmost extremity: and what added to their distress was,
but he, Christ,
was asleep. Mark mentions the place where he was asleep, “in the hinder part of the ship”; that is in the stern: where he, as Lord and Master, should be, though to the great concern of his disciples, there asleep; and that in a deep sound sleep, as the word which Luke makes use of signifies; and as appears by the loud repeated call of his disciples to awake him: and though this sleep doubtless arose from natural causes, he being greatly fatigued with the business of the day past; yet was so ordered by the providence of God, to come upon him in such a manner at this time, for the trial of the faith of his disciples. Christ’s body needing sleep, and refreshment by it, shows that it was a real human body he assumed; subject to the same infirmities as our’s; excepting sin; and is no contradiction to the truth of his divinity, as the Jew k suggests. He slept as man, though, as God, he is Israel’s keeper, who neither slumbers nor sleeps.
i T. Bob. Moed. Katon, fol. 18. 2. Bava Kama, fol. 81. 2. Bereshit Rabba, fol. 86. 2. k Vet. Nizzachon, p. 210.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But he was asleep ( ). Imperfect, was sleeping. Picturesque scene. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below the Mediterranean Sea. These sudden squalls come down from the summit of Hermon with terrific force ( ) like an earthquake. Mark (Mr 4:37) and Luke (Lu 8:23) term it a whirlwind () in furious gusts.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Tempest [] . Lit., shaking. Used of an earthquake. The narrative indicates a sudden storm. Dr. Thomson (” Land and Book “) says : “Such winds are not only violent, but they come down suddenly, and often when the sky is perfectly clear…. To understand the causes of these sudden and violent tempests we must remember that the lake lies low – six hundred and eighty feet below the sea; that the mountainous plateau of the Jaulan rises to a considerable height, spreading backward to the wilds of the Hauran, and upward to snowy Hermon; that the water – courses have worn or washed out profound ravines and wild gorges, converging to the head of this lake; and that these act like great funnels to drawn down the cold winds from the mountains.”
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea,” (dai idou deismos megas egeneto en te thalasse) “And behold there came to be (arose) a great storm, earthquake-like, in the sea,” the Sea of Galilee, as they were crossing. Violent storms often sweep down upon the sea over the surrounding mountains, even on a clear day, unexpectedly. Beside this sea our Lord had called or chosen His early disciples for His church, Mat 15:16; Mat 15:27.
2) “Insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves,” (hoste to ploion kaluptesthai hupo ton kumaton) “So great that the ship (or boat) came to be enveloped by the waves,” was being covered by waves, which came overboard and into the ship, Mr 4:37; Luk 8:23.
3) “But he was asleep.” ((autos de ekatheuden) “But he was sleeping,” the only-time our Lord is ever referred to as sleeping. It was upon a pillow or cushion, placed upon a seat in the stern, that He slept with a pure conscience as the storm raged without, and the waves now flowed overboard into the ship. But the Master of wind and water did not fear these, His servants. Jonah slept in a storm with an evil conscience, Jon 1:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(24) There arose a great tempest.Storms such as that here described are of common occurrence in all inland seas. The wind sweeps through the narrow mountain valleys, and the sea, which a few minutes before was smooth as glass, is at once rough with the white crests of the foaming waves. The ship was on the point of sinking, as the waves dashed over it while it was in the trough between them. It was beginning to be filled with water, and still He slept.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
24. There arose a great tempest It was not so much a storm as a gust or hurricane a wind-storm; “one of those incidents,” says Stanley, “to which every mountain lake, more or less, and the Sea of Galilee, from its situation, especially, is subject. Through one of the deep ravines, breaking through the hills to the shore, there came down a storm of wind on the lake. in a moment the still waters were aroused as by an earthquake, and the waves filled the boat. Almost every feature of the story which follows can be traced to the locality.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, in so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.’
Once in the boat the experts took over and Jesus went to the rear of the boat where He could lie down. And there, probably totally exhausted, He fell asleep, even though the trip would not last long. The journey was in His Father’s hands and so He had no fear.
But as will often happen for those who follow Jesus a huge storm arose, at least partly caused by the winds that regularly funnelled down through the surrounding mountain ranges. These winds were due to the very hot atmosphere around the Sea, which was over six hundred feet (two hundred metres) below sea level, which caused a vacuum that sucked in the winds. For it was fed from the source of the River Jordan, a River which flowed through the deep Jordan Rift valley and ended in the self-contained Dead Sea with no outlet to any other Sea. That the Dead Sea did not overflow its banks was due to the rapid evaporation of the water due to the powerful heat, which was what also left the Dead Sea highly saline. But that did not affect the Sea of Galilee which was a fresh water sea, full of fish.
These sudden storms could be very fierce, and very deadly. But they were commonplace on the Sea of Galilee, small though it was. All aboard had memories of friends who had perished in such storms. But this one is described as a cataclysm (earthquake). And as the winds tore their sail to shreds, and the huge waves began to pour over and fill the boat, even these hardened fishermen began to panic. It may even be that the storm was literally accompanied by an earthquake, for here that is the literal meaning of the word translated ‘tempest (Mat 24:7; Mat 27:54; Mat 28:2). It would help to explain the particular severity of the waves. Thus there was, in Matthew’s words, the idea of a great cataclysm. Perhaps, like Peter later, he had in mind another boat which in Gen 7:11 had also faced such storms and tempests in bringing God’s chosen ones through to deliverance, for Peter will later use that as a picture of salvation (1Pe 3:20) and there too they had entered the boat at God’s command, and there too there is a connection with a testimony made to evil spirits which follows after (1Pe 3:19). Compare the contrasting lesson in Mat 24:37-39. Certainly there is here a beautiful picture of what it means to be in Christ (Mat 18:5; Mat 25:40), and to have Him with us whatever life may bring (Mat 28:20).
It was the fiercest storm that any there could remember, and they had experienced many. It seemed to them that hope had gone. Its battering was tearing their boat to pieces and totally swamping it. And yet, as the water poured in over the sides, their Master lay in the stern of the boat, fast asleep and seemingly unaware of what was happening. He was doing nothing to help them save the boat, and themselves.
‘Covered with waves.’ The vivid testimony of an eyewitness. It was as though they were being buried alive.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 8:24. A great tempest The original phrase , properly signifies a mighty agitation; probably it was something of a hurricane. Jesus, possibly fatigued with the labours of the day (which had been a very busy one), was asleep in the stern of the vessel for the refreshment of his weary body, as well as for the trial of their faith.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 8:24-25 . ] Agitation , specially in the sense of earthquake, here: storm (Jer 23:19 ; Nah 1:3 ).
] The waves were dashing over the boat.
] but He Himself was sleeping , contrasting with the dangerous position of the boat in which He was. “Securitas potestatis,” Ambrose.
, ] Asyndeton indicating urgent alarm , and this alarm with Jesus present was the ground of His rebuke .
On the situation of the lake, as rendering it liable to gusts and storms, see Robinson, Pal . III. p. 571; Ritter, Erdk . XV. p. 308.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Ver. 24. And, behold, there arose a great tempest ] Stirred up, likely, by the devil, to drown Christ (that male child of the Church, Rev 12:5 ) and his disciples; as he killed Job’s children with the fall of the house. This is still the endeavour of Satan aud his instruments: but to such we may, as Pope Plus II wrote to the great Turk,
” Niteris incassum Christi submergere navem:
Fluctuat, at nunquam mergitur, illa ratis.
And as the poet said of Troy, so may we of the Church,
” Victa tamen vinces, eversaque Troia resurges:
Obruit hostiles illa ruina domos.
Ambrose hath a remarkable speech to this purpose: Diabolus contra sanctos tempestatem mover: sed ipse naufragium facit: The devil stirs up a tempest against the saints, but himself is sure to suffer shipwreck. The Church, as a bottle, may be dipped, not drowned; as the diamond, it may be cast into the fire, not burnt by it; as the crystal, it may be fouled, but not stained by the venom of a toad; as the palm tree in the emblem, which though it have many weights at top and snakes at the root, yet it saith still, Nec premor, nec perimor. Neither hard pressed nor destroy. Lastly, as the north pole, semper versatur, nunquam mergitur, always moving never out of sight, as St Jerome observeth.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
24. ] , usually of an earthquake, = , Mark and Luke, a great commotion in the sea.
] . . , Mar 4:37 . , Luk 8:23 . By keeping to the strict imperfect sense we obviate all necessity for qualifying these words: (starker Uusdruck: die Wogen schlugen in [104] Schiff, De Wette) was becoming covered, &c . All lakes bordered by mountains, and indeed all hilly coasts, are liable to these sudden gusts of wind.
[104] Insert. ‘ins AB’ means that the MSS. A and B insert .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos (App-6), to call attention to another stage of “the great conflict”. See App-23. This is not the same tempest as that recorded in Mar 4:37-41, and Luk 8:23-25. This was before the calling of the Twelve: the other was after that event. There is no “discrepancy”, if we note the differences on p. 1325, and App-97.
tempest = earthquake. Always so rendered in the other thirteen occurrences. In the later event it was a squall (Greek. lailaps).
was covered = was getting covered. Hence it was a decked boat. In the later miracle it was an open boat, “filled”.
with = by. Greek. hupo.
asleep = sleeping.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
24.] , usually of an earthquake, = , Mark and Luke,-a great commotion in the sea.
] . . , Mar 4:37. , Luk 8:23. By keeping to the strict imperfect sense we obviate all necessity for qualifying these words: (starker Uusdruck: die Wogen schlugen in[104] Schiff, De Wette) was becoming covered, &c. All lakes bordered by mountains, and indeed all hilly coasts, are liable to these sudden gusts of wind.
[104] Insert. ins AB means that the MSS. A and B insert .
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 8:24. , a great tempest) The faith of the disciples was greatly exercised by these maritime perils.-, was covered) the danger reached the highest pitch: then came the succour.-, slept) No fear fell on Jesus. Nay, in Mat 8:26, He marvelled at the fear of men, even in the utmost peril. He slept, wearied by the various labour of the day.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
there: Psa 107:23-27, Isa 54:11, Jon 1:4, Jon 1:5, Mar 4:37, Mar 4:38, Act 27:14-38, 2Co 11:25, 2Co 11:26
but: Luk 8:23, Joh 6:17, Joh 6:18, Joh 11:5, Joh 11:6, Joh 11:15
Reciprocal: Psa 46:2 – will Psa 89:9 – General Psa 107:25 – lifteth Psa 148:8 – stormy Pro 3:25 – Be Mat 14:24 – tossed Mat 14:30 – Lord Joh 4:6 – being Act 27:20 – and no Jam 3:4 – are driven
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
CHRISTS POWER OVER NATURE
The ship was covered with the waves.
Mat 8:24
The quieting or peace-making power of Christ overcoming all disorder, is what we feel most in this account of the stilling of the storm.
I. Absolute helplessness.Most men, at some time in their lives, have known what it is to touch the last limit of strength. The powers that overmatch us, tire us out, and run us down, are varioustime, hereditary maladies, sudden sickness, the superior strength of other people serving their own interests against us. Most plainly it is a part of Gods scheme of mercy to lead us, in our self-confidence and self-will, every one of us, to just that point, so that when we are obliged to stop trusting or calculating for ourselves, we shall come willingly to Him.
II. Seeking Christ.When, at last, the voyager comes sincerely and anxiously to that, and utters the prayer, Christ does not refuse him because he did not call sooner, or because when he prayed his prayer was not the purest and loftiest of prayers. Hardly any hearts prayer is that, when it is first agitated under the flashing conviction that it is all wrong. While its deep disorder is first discovered it can think only of being delivered. Lord, save us, we perish! The Gospel approves and blesses such asking. When they have gone deeper into the real motives of disinterested religion, and have drunk more deeply of the Spirit of Christ Himself, their petitions will rise to loftier ranges of spiritual desire. At present this patient Intercessor and Redeemer accepts the crudest supplication, so only it comes out of a penitent, contrite heart, and is directed to Him. This is enough. He fosters the faintest glow of faith. He cherishes the nascent, half-formed purpose of obedience.
III. God in everything.The Person of Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, is the actual bond of a living unity between the visible world of nature and the invisible world of Gods spiritual kingdom. Scholars will never explore nature thoroughly, or right wisely, till they see this religious signification of every law, every force, and every particle of matter, and explore it by the light of faith. God is in everything or in nothingin lumps of common clay, as Ruskin says, and in drops of water, as in the kindling of the day star, and in the lifting of the pillars of heaven. The naturalists of antiquity were quite as original and acute, in the purely intellectual quality, as the moderns. But none of them, of any nation, ever really grasped this doctrine of creation till Christ revealed it. Hence, Christ must be Lord of life and death, of seas and storms, of diseases and demons, of every mystery and might and secret of created things. The winds and the sea obey Him.
IV. True use of miracles.The miracle thus discloses to us the true practical use both of the gospel miracles themselves, and of every other gift and blessing of heaven, in leading us up in affectionate gratitude to Him who stands as the central figure among all these visible wonders, and the originator of all the peace-making powers which tranquillise and reconcile the turbulences of the world. The wonders fulfilled their office when they gained mens ears and hearts for their Redeemer. Feeding on Him, dying with Him, at liberty with His freedom, walking daily in His light, forgiven through His mediation, enriched and sanctified by His intercessionwhat can the brave and true Christian need more? When He giveth peace, who then can make trouble?
Bishop Huntingdon.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
8:24
In the Scriptures as in any other literature, we should deal with figurative language according to reason. We know that had the ship been literally covered with the water, the disciples would have already perished and would not have been able to speak. The meaning of the passage is, therefore, that the ship was filling and that unless it was stopped they would perish.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 8:24. A great tempest in the sea. The storm of wind is mentioned by Mark and Luke. The word tempest properly refers to the effect of the wind, being used also of an earthquake. This lake, like most inland seas, is subject to sudden and violent storms.
So that the boat was covered, lit, was becoming covered with the waves. Shipping seas in a boat without a deck would result, as Mark narrates, in the boats becoming full, and of course in the jeopardy, of which Luke (Luk 8:23) speaks.
But he was asleep or sleeping, lying on the boat cushion in the stem (Mark). He who had not where to lay His head, could still sleep in the storm. Needing sleep, He slept; the result was a more striking exhibition of His power. (On the events of that busy day, see Mar 4:35.)
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 24
Sea; Sea of Tiberias, called also the Sea of Galilee and Lake of Gennesareth. It is about twelve miles long and five broad. Lying imbosomed among mountains, it was exposed to sudden and violent tempests.