Bible Strands
John 6:18
A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The disciples are in a boat on the Sea of Galilee, rowing toward Capernaum in darkness while Jesus remains absent. The narrative places them mid-crossing as environmental conditions deteriorate.
The words — διεγεῖρετο (diegeireto) denotes the sea being stirred up or agitated, while ἀνέμου μεγάλου (anemou megalou) specifies a strong wind actively blowing. These terms describe the physical storm without theological commentary.
The thread — The storm motif connects to Psalm 107:25, where God speaks and raises a tempest that lifts sea waves, and Matthew 14:24, where a boat is buffeted by waves against the wind. John 6:17–19 frames this weather as the immediate backdrop to the disciples’ terror and Jesus’ approach.
Why it lands — The text records the deteriorating conditions before Jesus appears, establishing the physical reality the disciples face. It requires the reader to note the storm as the necessary context for the subsequent revelation of Jesus walking on the water.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.
Cross-references
- Psalms 135:7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
- Psalms 107:25 For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.
- Matthew 14:24 but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.