Chapter 14

1 Herod’s opinion of Christ. 3 Wherefore John Baptist was beheaded. 13 Jesus departeth into a desert place: 15 where he feedeth five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes: 22 he walketh on the sea to his disciples: 34 and landing at Gennesaret, healeth the sick by the touch of the hem of his garment.

1. Herod the tetrarch. [Martyrdom of John the Baptist, Matt. 14:1, 2, 6–12=Mark 6:14–29=Luke 9:7–9. Major comment: Mark. See The Hasmonaeans and the Herods, The Reigns of the Herods, Palestine Under the Herodians .]

2. Servants. Usually used of menial servants, but here of Herod’s courtiers.

3. Laid hold on John. [John Imprisoned, Matt. 14:3–5=Luke 3:19, 20. Comment: Luke.]

13. Heard of it. [Feeding the Five Thousand, Matt. 14:13–21=Mark 6:30–44=Luke 9:10–17=John 6:1–14. Major comment: Mark and John.] Matthew refers to the death of John the Baptist, the account of which appears in vs. 1–12. It would seem that Jesus received the news of John’s death at the close of the Third Galilean Tour, upon His return to the city of Capernaum. Matthew refers to this as one of the reasons that prompted Jesus to retire to the other side of the lake (see on Mark 6:30).

14. Went forth. Probably from the boat in which they had crossed the lake.

15. When it was evening. That is, when it was late afternoon (see on Mark 6:35).

20. The fragments. That is, “the pieces left over” (see on Mark 6:43).

21. Women and children. Matthew means that they were not counted, not that they did not eat.

22. Straightway. [Jesus Walks on the Lake, Matt. 14:22–36=Mark 6:45–56=John 6:15–24. Major comment: Matthew and John. See Closing Galilean Ministry; The Ministry of Our Lord; on miracles pp. 208–213.] Gr. eutheoµs, “immediately.” This incident occurred on the same day as the miraculous feeding of the 5,000, as the various gospel writers make plain. These events probably took place toward the end of March or early in April, a.d. 30.

Constrained. Gr. anagkazoµ, “to compel,” or “to constrain” (see on Luke 14:23). This was the first time Jesus had found it necessary to speak to His disciples with such authority and force (DA 378). The words eutheoµs, “immediately,” and anagkazoµ, “to compel,” imply both haste and urgency on the part of Jesus, and hesitation and reluctance on the part of the disciples.

The reason for this reluctance is made clear in John 6:15 (see DA 377, 378; see on Mark 6:42). Convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah, or Deliverer of Israel, the multitude were bent on crowning Him king on the spot. Perceiving the sentiment of the multitude, the disciples took the initiative and were on the point of proclaiming Him king of Israel. Judas was the first one of the Twelve to sense the significance of the popular sentiment, and it was he who initiated the project to make Christ king (DA 718). So rash a course of action would have prematurely brought Christ’s earthly mission to a close. Prompt and decisive action on the part of Jesus was necessary in order to quell the popular sentiment of the people and to control His own disciples.

Go before him. The group Jesus directed to precede Him to the other side of the lake included His disciples and certain others (see DA 382).

The other side. Jesus, His disciples, and the great throng of people were now on the northeastern shore of the Lake of Galilee, a short distance east of the city of Bethsaida Julias (see on ch. 11:21). “The other side” would be the vicinity from which they had come that morning. Accordingly the disciples set out for Capernaum (see John 6:17). It is not entirely clear why Mark states that they were going “unto Bethsaida” (ch. 6:45) unless he means that they were to set out in that direction on their way to Capernaum. They were but a short distance east of Bethsaida and would of necessity pass directly by it on their return voyage to Capernaum. There is no evidence whatever of another “Bethsaida” on the western shore of the lake, as some commentators formerly thought. Actually, the wind (see Matt. 14:24) drove them from their intended destination (DA 380, 381) rather than toward it.

23. Into a mountain. That is, into the hills above the lake. On the northeastern shore of Galilee the hills rise rapidly.

To pray. See on Mark 1:35; 3:13. Here in the hills Jesus spent several hours (see DA 379), never, however, losing sight of the disciples upon the lake (see DA 381). Upon this occasion His prayer was twofold in purpose, first, for Himself, that He might know how to make the true purpose of His mission clear to men, and second, for His disciples in their hour of disappointment and testing (see on Matt. 14:24).

Evening. This was the so-called “second evening,” from about sunset till dark (see on Mark 6:34), in contrast with the so-called “first evening,” from the decline of the sun, about the middle of the afternoon, till sunset. It was almost dark when the disciples finally set out on the lake (see DA 380).

He was there alone. Not merely in a physical sense. Jesus was “alone” also in the sense that not even His disciples understood Him. In the silence of the hills, and under the starry vault of heaven, Jesus held communion with His Father (see on Mark 1:35).

24. The midst of the sea. Textual evidence favors (cf. p. 146) the reading “many furlongs distant from the land.” The disciples had rowed between 25 and 30 furlongs (John 6:19), or about 3 mi., when Jesus overtook them. Ordinarily they could have covered this distance in an hour or so, but as it was they had taken approximately eight hours (see on Matt. 14:25). This is evidence of the strong head wind they encountered while crossing the lake. The direct distance to Capernaum was about 3 1/2 mi., but the wind drove them farther south than they had intended, with the result they came to land somewhere along the shore to the south of Capernaum, by the Plain of Gennesaret (see Matt. 14:34; see on Luke 5:1), a distance about twice as far as the direct course to Capernaum.

Tossed. Literally, “distressed,” or “tormented.” Mark says that they were “toiling in rowing.” In Mark 6:48 “toiling” is from the same Greek word here translated “tossed.” The strong head wind of the storm evidently made it impracticable to use the sail, and they probably thought it easier to use oars than to tack in the wind.

Wind was contrary. Had the disciples set out to cross the lake when Jesus directed them to go, they might have avoided the storm. But their perversity of heart led them to delay their departure until it was almost dark (see DA 379, 380). Now, some eight hours later (see on v. 25), they were struggling for their lives. Judas had been chiefly responsible for promoting the project to make Christ king by force, and no doubt felt most keenly Christ’s peremptory command to the disciples to embark to the other side before their Master (see v. 22; DA 718). Subsequently, Judas seems to have been primarily responsible for confusing the thinking of his fellow disciples and stirring the discontent that filled their hearts (see DA 719, 380). As the disciples, in obedience to Christ, set out to cross the lake, feelings of humiliation, disappointment, resentment, and impatience rankled in their hearts. Hesitation on the beach may be said to have given birth to unbelief. The wind was contrary, and so were their hearts; but in the providence of God the stormy sea became the means of quieting the tempest in their souls. It is often thus when we find ourselves adrift on a dark and stormy sea of troubles.

25. Fourth watch. From ancient times the Jews had divided the night into three watches (see on Lam. 2:19), but since the ascendancy of the Romans over them, they had adopted the Roman system of four watches.

Jesus went unto them. According to Mark He meant to pass them by, or at least intended that the disciples should think He intended to do so (see Mark 6:48; DA 381). In a similar way at Emmaus “he made as though he would have gone further” (Luke 24:28). Throughout the night He had not lost sight of them, and it was only when they gave themselves up for lost and prayed for help—with the tempest in their souls subdued—that Jesus “went unto them.”

26. Disciples saw him. “They all saw him” (Mark 6:50). It was no hallucination on the part of one or two of them.

Troubled. Literally, “terrified.” Probably belief in ghosts and phantoms was widespread (see Josephus War i. 30. 7 [599]). Apparently popular superstition had not been erased completely from the minds of the disciples.

A spirit. Gr. phantasma, “ a phantom,” “an apparition,” or “an appearance.” A phantasma was the appearance of something that could not be accounted for on the basis of natural phenomena.

For fear. At first the disciples cried out in fear, but almost immediately recognized that the supposed “phantom” was Jesus, and again cried out, this time for help. It was not until they appealed for help that Jesus spoke to them (see Mark 6:48, 49).

28. Peter answered. Only Matthew records the embarrassing and almost fatal experience of Peter upon this occasion. Peter had been in charge of the fishing business in which at least four of the disciples were engaged before they became disciples (see on Mark 3:16), and it was therefore probably natural to him and to the others that he should be spokesman for the entire group. His natural mood of leadership, now as upon so many other occasions, led to overconfidence and to an impulsive and injudicious course of action (see Matt. 16:21–23; 17:4; 26:33–35, 69–75; John 18:10, 11; 20:2–6; Gal. 2:11–14; for a character sketch of Peter see on Mark 3:16).

If it be thou. Peter had no doubt in his mind, for otherwise he would hardly have stepped out of the boat onto the wind-tossed waves.

Bid me come. Peter was ready to do the bidding of Jesus, but would not proceed until he had the assurance that Jesus approved.

29. He said, Come. Very likely Christ had not intended to have Peter walk on the water. But if his imperfect faith inspired such a course of action, Jesus was ready to accept it in that spirit (see on ch. 12:20).

He walked on the water. Peter stepped out of that boat in faith. It was faith that now sustained him on the waters of Galilee and gave him buoyancy. But faith was active only so long as he kept his gaze fixed on Jesus.

30. Saw the wind. Apparently Peter had forgotten, for the moment, the wind and the waves. As his feet became accustomed to walking on the surface of the water he evidently thought of his companions in the boat, and wondered what they thought of his new-found skill. Turning his glance momentarily back to the boat, he lost sight of Jesus. At that moment he was in the trough between two waves, and when he returned his gaze again to where Jesus had been he could no longer see Him (see DA 381). All he could see was the turbulent water and the wind. In that brief instant self-satisfaction had diluted faith with pride, so to speak, and faith lost its sustaining power.

He was afraid. We need never fear so long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus and trust in His grace and power, but when we turn our gaze upon self and upon others we have good reason to be afraid.

Beginning to sink. A fisherman all his life, Peter knew how to swim (see John 21:7). But a sea like this, in which a boat was not safe, was even less safe for a swimmer.

Save me. The form of the verb used in the Greek implies the urgency of Peter’s appeal.

31. Immediately. There is no delay on God’s part to respond to the sincere prayer for deliverance from the waves of temptation that ever and anon sweep over the soul.

Thou of little faith. In love Jesus first saved Peter, and then rebuked his lack of trust. He did not censure Peter for essaying to walk on the waves, but for letting go of faith. In part, Peter understood and appreciated the lesson Jesus designed he should learn from this experience, but had he learned it fully he would not, a year later, have failed when the great test confronted him (ch. 26:69–75; cf. DA 382).

Doubt. Gr.distazo, “to hesitate,” “to be in doubt,” or “to waver.” A person hesitates when he is in doubt as to which of two directions, or courses of action, he should take. “No man can serve two masters” (see on ch. 6:24) or feel comfortable even attempting to do so.

32. When they were come. Hand in hand with Jesus, Peter returned to his companions in the boat, silent and subdued (see DA 381).

The wind ceased. Literally, “the wind grew weary” (see ch. 8:26). The tempest had accomplished its purpose (see on ch. 14:24); thoughts of impatience and resentment toward Jesus had been driven from the hearts of the disciples.

33. Came and worshipped him. See on chs. 2:11; 8:2. This is the first, though by no means the last, occasion (see Matt. 20:20; 28:9; Luke 24:52) on which the disciples worshipped Christ. The wise men had done so (see Matt. 2:11), as had also various persons for whom Jesus performed miracles of healing (see chs. 8:2; 15:25; etc.). But in this case the disciples confessed for the first time the divine sonship of Jesus, and accorded Him the worship that men give to God. Furthermore, Jesus accepted their worship. Perhaps this confession of faith was all the more meaningful in view of the doubts and fears of the disciples during the preceding evening (see on ch. 14:24).

Son of God. See on Luke 1:35.

34. Gennesaret. Evidently the region, or plain, of Gennesaret is here intended rather than some town by that name. Concerning the Plain of Gennesaret see on Luke 5:1. In ancient times the city of Chinnereth was situated along the shore of this plain, and some have held that the name Gennesaret came originally from Chinnereth. So far as is known, the city of Chinnereth, whose ruins are known today as Tell el ФOreimeh, had ceased to exist by the time of Christ.

35. Had knowledge of him. That is, when they realized that this was Jesus, back among them again.

Diseased. See on Mark 1:34.

36. Touch the hem. See on Mark 5:27, 28. For the chronological setting of Matt. 14:35, 36 see on ch. 15:1.

Ellen G. White comments

1, 2 DA 223

1–11DA 214–225; EW 154

2     DA 729; EW 173

3, 4 DA 214

6     CT 340; Te 50

6, 7 DA 221

7, 8 Te 51

10   AA 143

10, 11  DA 222

13–21DA 364–371

14   CH 34

15   ML 223

5–207T 114

15–21ChS 153; COL 140; DA 809; Ed 107; Ev 524; MM 344; 2T 580; 6T 263, 465

16   DA 365; MH 45, 49; 6T 345

19   Ed 286

19, 20  DA 365; MH 46, 200; 7T 61

20   CD 271; ML 223

22–23DA 377–382

23   DA 379

25–31DA 381

27   Ev 18; FE 465; 4T 288, 530

29, 30  2T 273

30   DA 673

31        ML 12; 4T 558