Bible Strands
Matthew 8:18
When Jesus saw a large crowd around Him, He gave orders to cross to the other side of the sea.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus observes a large crowd gathering around Him following a day of healings and immediately instructs His disciples to depart for the opposite shore. He acts independently of the crowd's presence, directing movement rather than engagement.
The words — The participle Ἰδὼν (Idōn) literally means "having seen," establishing the crowd as the trigger for His command. The preposition περὶ (peri) specifies the spatial relationship of the crowd being "around" His person.
The thread — This directive to cross to the opposite shore appears in Luke 8:22 and Mark 4:35 as a repeated pattern of withdrawal. It follows the earlier account in Luke 4:42 where crowds actively seek Him out for continued ministry.
Why it lands — The text records Jesus prioritizing a specific destination over the immediate demands of a large following. A reader must decide whether to follow His stated course or remain anchored to visible crowd approval.
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
Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
Cross-references
- Luke 4:42 At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving.
- Luke 8:22 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.
- Mark 4:35 When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”
- John 6:15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
- Matthew 14:22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.
- Matthew 8:1 When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.
- Mark 1:35 Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.
- Mark 5:21 When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.
- Mark 6:45 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.
- Mark 8:13 And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side.