Bible Strands
Matthew 14:24
but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative places the disciples’ boat on the sea after Jesus has withdrawn to the mountain to pray. The moment occurs in the evening, with the vessel already distant from shore and struggling against a headwind.
The words — σταδίους πολλούς (stadious pollous) translates literally to “many stadia,” a Greek unit of distance indicating significant separation from land. ἤδη (ēdē) means “already,” emphasizing the boat’s rapid or forced distance before the storm’s full impact.
The thread — The motif of disciples facing agitated waters with a headwind appears in Mark 6:48 and John 6:18, while Matthew 8:24 records a parallel storm where Jesus is already in the boat with them.
Why it lands — The text reports a physical struggle against natural forces without attributing immediate divine intervention. It requires the reader to observe the disciples’ isolation and exhaustion before the narrative shifts to Jesus’ arrival.
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
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
Cross-references
- Mark 6:48 He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them,
- John 6:18 A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.
- Matthew 8:24 Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping.
- Isaiah 54:11 “O afflicted city, lashed by storms, without solace, surely I will set your stones in antimony and lay your foundations with sapphires.