Matthew 14:25
New International Version
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.

New Living Translation
About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.

English Standard Version
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

Berean Standard Bible
During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.

Berean Literal Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night, He went to them, walking on the sea.

King James Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

New King James Version
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

New American Standard Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.

NASB 1995
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.

NASB 1977
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.

Legacy Standard Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.

Amplified Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00-6:00 a.m.) Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

Christian Standard Bible
Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Around three in the morning, He came toward them walking on the sea.

American Standard Version
And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.

Contemporary English Version
A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples.

English Revised Version
And in the fourth watch of the night he came unto them, walking upon the sea.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Between three and six o'clock in the morning, he came to them. He was walking on the sea.

Good News Translation
Between three and six o'clock in the morning Jesus came to the disciples, walking on the water.

International Standard Version
Shortly before dawn, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.

Majority Standard Bible
During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.

NET Bible
As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea.

New Heart English Bible
And in the watch between three and six in the morning, he came to them, walking on the sea.

Webster's Bible Translation
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

Weymouth New Testament
But towards daybreak He went to them, walking over the waves.

World English Bible
In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went away to them, walking on the sea,

Berean Literal Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night, He went to them, walking on the sea.

Young's Literal Translation
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went away to them, walking upon the sea,

Smith's Literal Translation
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking upon the sea.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them walking upon the sea.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then, in the fourth watch of the night, he came to them, walking upon the sea.

New American Bible
During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea.

New Revised Standard Version
And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the water.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But in the fourth watch of the night, Yeshua came unto them while he was walking on the water.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

Godbey New Testament
And at the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea.

Haweis New Testament
Then at the fourth watch of the night came Jesus unto them, walking on the sea.

Mace New Testament
at the dawn of day, Jesus came to them walking on the sea.

Weymouth New Testament
But towards daybreak He went to them, walking over the waves.

Worrell New Testament
And, in the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea.

Worsley New Testament
but in the fourth watch of the night Jesus came to them walking on the sea:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Walks on Water
24but the boat was already far from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.…

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 6:19
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.

Job 9:8
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Isaiah 43:16
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,

Exodus 14:21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, / and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

Psalm 77:19
Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.

Psalm 107:29
He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

John 6:16-21
When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, / got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them. / A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated. ...

Mark 4:39-41
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. / “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” / Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Matthew 8:26-27
“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm. / The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Luke 8:24-25
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. / “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

Genesis 1:9-10
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. / God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

2 Kings 2:8
And Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up, and struck the waters, which parted to the right and to the left, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.

Joshua 3:15-17
Now the Jordan overflows its banks throughout the harvest season. But as soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, / the flowing water stood still. It backed up as far upstream as Adam, a city in the area of Zarethan, while the water flowing toward the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. / The priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed over the dry ground, until the entire nation had crossed the Jordan.


Treasury of Scripture

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

the fourth watch.

Matthew 24:43
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

Luke 12:38
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

walking.

Job 9:8
Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

Psalm 93:3,4
The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves…

Psalm 104:3
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:

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Matthew 14
1. Herod's opinion of Jesus.
3. Wherefore John Baptist was beheaded.
13. Jesus departs into a solitary place,
15. where he feeds five thousand men with five loves and two fishes.
22. He walks on the sea to his disciples;
34. and landing at Gennesaret,
35. heals the sick who touch of the hem of his garment.














During the fourth watch of the night
The "fourth watch" refers to the Roman division of the night into four parts, each lasting three hours. This watch would be approximately from 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM. The timing is significant as it represents the darkest part of the night, just before dawn. In a spiritual sense, this can symbolize the moments in our lives when we feel most vulnerable or in despair. The historical context of Roman timekeeping highlights the precision and order of the era, contrasting with the chaos the disciples felt in the storm. It reminds us that God’s timing is perfect, even when we are in our darkest hour.

Jesus went out to them
The phrase emphasizes the initiative and compassion of Jesus. He did not wait for the disciples to come to Him; He went to them. This action reflects the heart of the Gospel, where God reaches out to humanity. The Greek verb "went" (ἦλθεν) suggests a deliberate and purposeful action. Jesus' approach to the disciples in their time of need is a powerful reminder of His ever-present help and willingness to meet us where we are, regardless of our circumstances.

walking on the sea
This miraculous act demonstrates Jesus' authority over nature, affirming His divine identity. The sea, often seen as a symbol of chaos and danger in ancient Jewish thought, is under His feet, showcasing His power and control. The Greek word for "walking" (περιπατῶν) implies a calm and steady action, contrasting with the turbulent waters. This imagery reassures believers that no matter how tumultuous our lives may become, Jesus is sovereign over all creation. Historically, this miracle would have resonated deeply with the disciples, reinforcing their understanding of Jesus as the Messiah who commands even the natural elements.

(25) In the fourth watch of the night.--The Jews, since their conquest by Pompeius, had adopted the Roman division of the night into four watches, and this was accordingly between 3 A.M. and 6 A.M., in the dimness of the early dawn. St. John adds, as from a personal reminiscence, and as guarding against explanations that would minimise the miracle (such as that our Lord was seen on the shore, or was swimming to the boat), that they were about twenty-five or thirty furlongs from the point from which they had started--i.e., as the lake was five miles wide, nearly three-fourths of the way across.

Walking on the sea.--Here, again, we have to choose between the simple acceptance of the supernatural fact as another instance of His sovereignty, or rejecting it as a legend. On the former supposition. we may see in it something like an anticipation (not unconnected, it may be, with the intensity of that crisis in His life) of that spiritual body of which we see another manifestation in the Transfiguration, and which became normal after the Resurrection, reaching its completeness in the wonder of the Ascension. We speculate almost involuntarily on the nature, and, as it were, process of the miracle, asking whether the ordinary laws that govern motion were broken or suspended, or counteracted by higher laws. No such questions would seem to have suggested themselves to the disciples. They, as yet not free from the popular superstitions of their countrymen, thought that it was "a spirit" (better, a phantom, or spectre) taking the familiar form, it might be, to lure them to their destruction, or as a token that some sudden mischance had deprived them of that loved Presence, and, therefore, in their vague terror, they were troubled, and cried out for fear.

Verse 25. - And in the fourth watch of the night. Therefore some nine hours after sunset (ver. 23, note). They had been battling for hours, and had only gone about three miles and a half (John 6:19). Jesus went; came (Revised Version); η΅λθε, not ἀπῆλθε, with Received Text. Unto them, walking on the sea (ἐπὶ τὴν θάλθασσαν); contrast ver. 26 (ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης). Here there is more thought of motion (cf. ver. 29), but in the next verse the advance is almost forgotten, and the fact of Christ being on the water is all-important; "they saw him on the sea, walking."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
During the fourth
Τετάρτῃ (Tetartē)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5067: Fourth. Ordinal from tessares; fourth.

watch
φυλακῇ (phylakē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5438: From phulasso; a guarding or, the act, the person; figuratively, the place, the condition, or, the time, literally or figuratively.

of the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

night,
νυκτὸς (nyktos)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3571: The night, night-time. A primary word; 'night'.

[Jesus] went out
ἦλθεν (ēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

them,
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

walking
περιπατῶν (peripatōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4043: From peri and pateo; to tread all around, i.e. Walk at large; figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sea.
θάλασσαν (thalassan)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.


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Matthew 14:24
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