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Wednesday, May 14th, 2025
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Matthew 14:26

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Galilee;   Jesus, the Christ;   Miracles;   Sea;   Superstition;   Scofield Reference Index - Miracles;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Miracles of Christ, the;   Water;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Miracle;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Joseph;   Peter;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ghost;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Apparition;   Mss;   Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Amazement;   Apparition;   Walk (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Miracles;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Spirit;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apparition;   Fear;   Jesus Christ (Part 2 of 2);   Spirit;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Medeba;   New Testament;   Simon Cephas;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.
King James Version (1611)
And when the Disciples saw him walking on the Sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried out for feare.
English Standard Version
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.
New American Standard Bible
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
New Century Version
When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, "It's a ghost!" and cried out in fear.
Amplified Bible
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when his disciples sawe him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit, and cried out for feare.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
Berean Standard Bible
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said, and cried out in fear.
Contemporary English Version
When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming.
Complete Jewish Bible
When the talmidim saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said and screamed with fear.
Darby Translation
And the disciples, seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition. And they cried out through fear.
Easy-to-Read Version
When they saw him walking on the water, it scared them. "It's a ghost!" they said, screaming in fear.
George Lamsa Translation
And his disciples saw him walking on the water, and they were scared, and they said, It is a false vision; and they cried out because of their fear.
Good News Translation
When they saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said, and screamed with fear.
Lexham English Bible
But the disciples, when they saw him walking on the sea, were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear.
Literal Translation
And seeing Him walking on the sea, the disciples were troubled, saying, It is a phantom! And they cried out from the fear.
American Standard Version
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear.
Bible in Basic English
And when they saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they gave cries of fear.
Hebrew Names Version
When the talmidim saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.
International Standard Version
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, "It's a ghost!" And they screamed in terror.Job 1:9:8;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And the disciples beheld him walking on the waters, and they were troubled, saying, That it was a spectre; [fn] and from fear they cried out.
Murdock Translation
And his disciples saw him as he walked upon the waters, and they were perturbated: and they said, What we see is a spectre: and they cried out through fear.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And when the disciples sawe hym walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, it is a spirite: and they cryed out for feare.
English Revised Version
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is an apparition; and they cried out for fear.
World English Bible
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out for fear.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the disciples seeing him walking on the sea, were troubled, saying, It is an apparition: and they cried out for fear.
Weymouth's New Testament
When the disciples saw Him walking on the waves, they were greatly alarmed. "It is a spirit," they exclaimed, and they cried out with terror.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei, seynge hym walking on the see, weren disturblid, and seiden, That it is a fantum; and for drede thei crieden.
Update Bible Version
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear.
Webster's Bible Translation
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
New English Translation
When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, "It's a ghost!" and cried out with fear.
New King James Version
And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
New Living Translation
When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!"
New Life Bible
When the followers saw Him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, "It is a spirit." They cried out with fear.
New Revised Standard
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the disciples, seeing him, upon the lake walking, were troubled, - saying - It is, a ghost; and, by reason of their fear, they cried out.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they seeing him walking upon the sea, were troubled, saying: It is an apparition. And they cried out for fear.
Revised Standard Version
But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for fear.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And when his disciples sawe him walkynge on the see they were troubled sayinge: it is some spirite and cryed out for feare.
Young's Literal Translation
and the disciples having seen him walking upon the sea, were troubled saying -- `It is an apparition,' and from the fear they cried out;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And whan his disciples sawe him goinge vpon the see, they were afrayed, sayenge: It is some sprete, and cried out for feare.
Mace New Testament (1729)
the disciples seeing him walking on the sea, cry'd out in a fright, an apparition; and they scream'd for fear.
Simplified Cowboy Version
The cowboys saw him and thought for sure a ghost was comin' for 'em. They started screamin' and bellowin' like the end was near.

Contextual Overview

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they were: 1 Samuel 28:12-14, Job 4:14-16, Daniel 10:6-12, Mark 6:49, Mark 6:50, Luke 1:11, Luke 1:12, Luke 24:5, Luke 24:45, Acts 12:15, Revelation 1:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:18 - the men Genesis 45:3 - for they Job 4:15 - a spirit Mark 16:6 - Be not Luke 24:37 - General John 6:19 - walking

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,.... It being now morning, and perhaps might have moon light; and besides, there is always more light upon the water than land; they were able to discern something like a man, walking upon the surface of the sea, but had not light enough to distinguish what, or who it was; and, moreover, had no thought of Christ, or expectation of seeing him; and the appearance of a man walking upon the waters being so unusual, and astonishing,

they were troubled, saying it is a spirit: a nocturnal apparition, a demon in human form. The Jews, especially the sect of the Pharisees, had a notion, from whom the disciples might have their's, of spirits, apparitions, and demons, being to be seen in the night; hence that rule u,

"it is forbidden a man to salute his friend in the night, for we are careful, lest שד הוא, "it should be a demon".''

They say a great many things of one לילית, "Lilith", that has its name from לילה, "the night", a she demon, that used to appear in the night, with an human face, and carry off young children, and kill them. Some such frightful notions had possessed the minds of the disciples:

and they cried out for fear, as persons in the utmost consternation, in the greatest danger, and in want of help: the fear of spirits arises from the uncommonness of their appearance; from their superiority to men in power and strength; from the enmity there is between men and evil spirits; and from a general notion of their doing hurt and mischief: hence, demons are, by the Jews, called

מזיקין, "hurtful", or "hurting", all their study being to do hurt to men; and the same word is here used in Munster's Hebrew Gospel: add to all this, that the fear of the disciples might be increased, through a vulgar notion among seafaring men, that such sights are ominous, and portend evil to sailors; and they might the more easily be induced to give credit to this, and fear, since they were already in such imminent danger.

u T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 3. 1. Sanhedrim, fol. 44. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They were troubled - They were afraid. The sight was remarkable. It was sufficient to awe them. In the dark night, amid the tumultuous billows appeared the form of a man. They thought it was a spirit an apparition. It was a common belief among the ancients that the spirits of people after death frequently appeared to the living.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 14:26. It is a spirit — That the spirits of the dead might and did appear, was a doctrine held by the greatest and holiest of men that ever existed; and a doctrine which the caviliers, free-thinkers and bound-thinkers, of different ages, have never been able to dispove.


 
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