Matthew 14
1 At that time, Herod the tetrarcha heard reports about Jesus, 2 and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Immerser! He was woken from among the dead, and that’s why powers are at work in him!” 3 You see, Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him away in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Phillip’s wife. 4 John had told him continually, “For you to have her is not right.”b 5 Herod had wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people because they considered him to be a prophet. 6 At Herod’s birthday feast, Herodias’ daughter danced among them and pleased Herod, 7 which prompted him to agree by oath to give her whatever she requested. 8 Having been urged by her mother to do so, she said, “Give me—here on this platter—the head of John the Immerser!” 9 Although the kingc was distressed,d he ordered it to be given because of his oath and the guests. 10 By sending the order, he beheaded John in the prison. 11 John’s head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 John’s students came and carried his body away, buried him, and went to bring the news to Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard, he withdrew from there in a boat to somewhere private. After the people heard about it, they left their towns and followed him on foot. 14 As he disembarked,e he saw the large crowd, and he was deeply moved with compassionf for them and healed those of them who were sick.g 15 When evening arrived, his students came to him and said, “This place is remote, and the time is already late. Send the people away, so they can get to the villages to buy food for themselves.”
16 But he replied, “They don’t need to leave. You give them something to eat.”
17 His students responded, “We don’t have anything here except five loaves of bread and two fish.”
18 So he said, “Bring them here to me,” 19 and he directed the crowds to reclineh on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, and looking up to the heavens, he spoke praise, and after breaking them, he gave the loaves of bread to his students, and the students gave them to the crowds. 20 Everyone ate and was satisfied, and they picked up twelve full baskets of leftover pieces. 21 5000 men had eaten, plus women and children.
22 Immediately afterward, Jesus had his students get in the boat and go ahead of him to the opposite shore while he dismissed the crowds. 23 After he dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. He was there alone until late. 24 The boat was a long distance from the shore by then, being pummeled by waves because the wind was against it.
25 In the final hours of the night,i Jesus caught up with them walking on the sea. 26 When the students saw him walking on the sea, they were horrified, saying it was an apparition,j and shrieked in fear. 27 Jesus spoke to them right away. He said, “Take courage! It’s me!k Don’t be afraid.”
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it’s you,l tell me to come to you on the water.”
29 So Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and went toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the strong wind scared him, and when he started to sink, he shrieked, “Lord, save me!”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, and he said to him, “You hardly trusted.m Why did you hesitate?”
32 They got into the boat, and the wind went calm. 33 Then everyone in the boat bowed down to him, saying, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”n
34 Crossing the rest of the way, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 When the people there learned who he was, they sent people to notify the whole area and brought everyone to him who was unwell. 36 They pleaded with him just to hold the tassel on his clothing, and whoever did so was restored.o
FOOTNOTES:
a A tetrarch was a Roman position, lower in rank than a king, as a governor over a quarter/quadrant. He was the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. Perea was the Roman province east of the Jordan River.
b See Leviticus 18:16; 20:21
c Either this is stated sarcastically or is simply the common way the people referred to Herod because his official title was not ‘king.’ It was tetrarch, as is used in 14:1.
d Traditionally, ‘grieved.’ While ‘grieved’ can be an appropriate translation of lupeo in some contexts, in Greek, lupeo can mean “to cause pain” or “to experience distress or sorrow,” with a root idea of discomfort or agitation from external circumstances, ranging from sadness to a broader unease. The English translation is dependent on context, and ‘grieved’ does not fit the context of someone who “wanted to kill John.”
e Very literally, ‘came out.’ The implication is that he returned at some point, and as he was getting out of the boat, he saw all the people. It’s not that seeing the people made him end his solitary time early.
f Literally related to lower abdominal organs, including the uterus and intestines. It is often said to describe ‘motherly love,’ relating it to the care of the womb.
g Or ‘weakened’ or ‘sickly’
h This was the customary position for eating meals, even in homes, for the culture.
i Literally, “in the fourth watch of the night” referring to when people stood guard through the night in shifts. Fourth Watch would have been the final shift before daylight.
j In the ancient Near Eastern and Greek contexts, the term phantasma refers to an apparition or spectral figure, often appearing in moments of intense fear or in supernatural settings. Like in this passage, where Jesus walks on water and the disciples initially mistake him for an apparition, phantasma describes a visual manifestation perceived as otherworldly or supernatural, evoking a dream-like or ghostly quality. Unlike the modern Western concept of a "ghost" as the disembodied soul of the deceased, phantasma in the first-century cultural context did not carry connotations of a departed human spirit. Rather, it denoted a transient and extraordinary sight, often causing immediate alarm due to its association with the unknown or divine realms.
k Literally, “I am.” It was a common way to convey what is expressed in English as “It’s me” or “I am here.” Although “It is I” is the more grammatically correct, “It’s me” is the way most English speakers would phrase it here.
l Literally, “if you are.”
m This phrase is a single word in Greek, oligopiste, used as a form of address meaning ‘little-trusters’ or ‘you who hardly trust.’ Throughout Jesus’ teachings, there’s a strong connection between trusting God and being trustworthy or faithful in following God’s Path. The Greek word pistis holds both meanings, though it’s challenging to capture both in English, so each instance emphasizes one or the other based on context. Here, the word oligopiste combines oligos (‘little’) and pistos (‘one who trusts’ or ‘is faithful/trustworthy’).
n “The Son of God” was a nickname for the emperor, a title taken on originally by Augustus Caesar, the son of Julius Caesar who was worshiped as divine, and was then used by each subsequent Caesar.
o This word is diasozo, related to sozo, which is the one traditionally translated as ‘save’ but can also be ‘heal’ or ‘rescue’ or ‘make well’ or ‘restore’ or ‘liberate’ or ‘protect.’ This word has a similar meaning but emphasizes the idea of ‘getting through it,’ protecting from lasting effects of harm, as opposed to remedying harm that has happened as if it had not taken place.