When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The disciples, enduring a fierce storm miles from shore, see Jesus walking on the water. Their terror isn't just at seeing a supernatural figure, but at recognizing God's overwhelming power drawing near in their moment of helplessness. This moment reveals how God's presence can initially be frightening when it challenges our understanding and control.
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just miraculously fed thousands, leading many to recognize him as the promised Prophet. However, their immediate desire is to make him an earthly king, a plan Jesus avoids by withdrawing. His disciples, meanwhile, set out across the Sea of Galilee in a boat during a storm, only to be terrified when they see Jesus walking on the water towards them in the darkness.
The crowd just saw Jesus feed 5,000 with a few loaves. What do they want to do next? Make him king! But their idea of kingship was dangerously off-base.
The crowd, electrified by the miracle of the loaves, immediately wanted to force Jesus to be their king. John points out that while recognizing Jesus as the promised Prophet was good, their intention was flawed. They desired an earthly king to overthrow Roman rule, not the spiritual kingdom Jesus came to establish.
This is a crucial warning: even when we acknowledge God's power, our own ideas about how God should work can lead us astray. True worship isn't about forcing God's hand or imposing our own agendas, but about humbly receiving Him as He reveals Himself and obeying His Word.
Stormy seas, darkness, and hours of fruitless rowing – the disciples were already terrified. Then they saw something that scared them even more.
The disciples were in a perilous situation: rowing against a strong wind, in the dark, and likely far from shore. The distance covered, about three to four miles, shows they were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, a place known for sudden, violent storms. Their fear was understandable given the circumstances.
But their fear intensified when they saw Jesus walking on the water. This wasn't just a scary sight; it was a manifestation of divine power that they initially couldn't comprehend. They thought He was a ghost! This reaction shows how even encountering God in His awesome power can initially provoke terror, not comfort, when we don't understand or recognize His presence on His own terms.
Ask a follow-up
In the midst of their terror, a familiar voice cuts through the storm and the fear. What's in the words 'It is I'?
Jesus' immediate response to their fear is crucial: 'It is I; do not be afraid.' This isn't just reassurance; it's an authoritative command born from His identity and power. Unlike the storm that raged around them, Jesus' voice brings immediate calm.
This encounter highlights a vital truth: while God's power can be terrifying when misunderstood, His presence, when recognized through His Word, is the ultimate source of peace. He distinguishes Himself from mere apparitions by His authoritative words and the comfort they bring to those who know Him. For believers, hearing 'It is I' means recognizing the presence of their Savior, whose love and promises secure their salvation even in the fiercest storms.
Understand the original words
peripatounta · Greek Verb
To walk; the action of moving on foot. In this context, it signifies the supernatural demonstration of Jesus' authority over the physical laws of nature.
ephobēthēsan · Greek Verb
The state of being struck with sudden fear or alarm; in the presence of the divine or supernatural, it often reflects human awareness of their own inadequacy before the power of God.
The disciples' fear wasn't just about a storm; it was the shock of seeing divine power manifested in an unexpected way, highlighting their struggle to grasp Jesus' true identity beyond a political Messiah.
c. AD 30-33
Massive crowd fed
Following a miraculous feeding of over 5,000 men (plus women and children), a crowd recognized Jesus as the promised Prophet and attempted to make him king by force.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus withdraws from crowd
Jesus, aware of the crowd's intention to seize him and establish an earthly kingdom, withdrew alone to a mountain to pray.
Evening of feeding
Disciples sail across the Sea of Galilee
Jesus' disciples departed by boat for Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee, as Jesus remained on the mountain.
Night of sailing
Storm arises on the Sea of Galilee
A strong wind began to blow, creating a storm that battered the disciples' boat as they struggled to make headway.
Late night/early morning— this verse
Jesus walks on the sea
While rowing about 3-4 miles in the storm, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the surface of the water, approaching their boat.
Late night/early morning
Disciples terrified by Jesus' appearance
The disciples, mistaking Jesus for a ghost or apparition in the darkness and storm, cried out in fear.
Late night/early morning
Jesus calms the disciples
Jesus spoke to the terrified disciples, identifying himself and telling them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.'
This Old Testament passage describes God 'treading on the waves of the sea,' echoing the imagery of Jesus walking on the water and demonstrating His divine authority over nature.
Psalm 107:23-30This psalm beautifully illustrates God's power to calm stormy seas and deliver those in peril, mirroring Jesus' control over the tempest and His appearance to His frightened disciples.
Matthew 14:22-33This parallel account in Matthew not only describes Jesus walking on the sea but also includes Peter's attempt to join Him, highlighting the disciples' fear and Jesus' reassuring presence.
Isaiah 43:1-2This prophecy assures God's people that they will not be consumed by water or flames when they pass through them, which resonates with Jesus appearing to His disciples in a storm and His words, 'It is I; do not be afraid.'
calvinJohn 6:14-21: "Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world."
- Those men, therefore, when they saw the miracle which Jesus had performed, said, This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world. 15. And when Jesus knew that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he again withdrew alone into a mountain. 16. And when it was evening, his disciples went down to the sea. 17. And havin…
cambridgeJohn 6:19: "So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid."
19 . five and twenty or thirty furlongs ] This pretty closely corresponds with ‘in the midst of the sea’ ( Matthew 14:24 ). The lake is nearly seven miles across in the widest part. walking on the sea ] There is no doubt that this means on the surface of the water, although an attempt has been made to shew that the Greek may mean…
The disciples, enduring a fierce storm miles from shore, see Jesus walking on the water. Their terror isn't just at seeing a supernatural figure, but at recognizing God's overwhelming power drawing near in their moment of helplessness. This moment reveals how God's presence can initially be frightening when it challenges our understanding and control.
Jesus has just miraculously fed thousands, leading many to recognize him as the promised Prophet. However, their immediate desire is to make him an earthly king, a plan Jesus avoids by withdrawing. His disciples, meanwhile, set out across the Sea of Galilee in a boat during a storm, only to be terrified when they see Jesus walking on the water towards them in the darkness.
Jesus has just miraculously fed thousands, leading many to recognize him as the promised Prophet. However, their immediate desire is to make him an earthly king, a plan Jesus avoids by withdrawing. His disciples, meanwhile, set out across the Sea of Galilee in a boat during a storm, only to be terrified when they see Jesus walking on the water towards them in the darkness.
"When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened." — The disciples, enduring a fierce storm miles from shore, see Jesus walking on the water. Their terror isn't just at seeing a supernatural figure, but at recognizing God's overwhelming power drawing n…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026