King James Version
Matthew 14
36 verses with commentary
The Death of John the Baptist
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, tetrarch: or, governor over four provinces
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And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. do: or, are wrought by him
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For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
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For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.
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And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
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But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them , and pleased Herod. before: Gr. in the midst
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Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.
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And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger.
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And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.
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And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
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And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother.
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And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
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Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart : and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
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And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
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And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
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But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart ; give ye them to eat.
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And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
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He said, Bring them hither to me.
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And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
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And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
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And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
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Jesus Walks on Water
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.
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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.
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But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
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And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
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And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying , It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
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But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
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And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
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Peter alone among the Twelve had the audacity to request this miracle. His impulsive faith, though imperfect, moved him to attempt what seemed impossible. This verse captures Peter's character—passionate, impetuous, willing to risk failure rather than miss opportunity. Jesus honors such faith-filled boldness, even when tinged with human weakness.
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
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For several steps, Peter experienced what only Christ could do naturally—mastery over creation. This walking on water wasn't mere levitation but participation in Christ's divine power through faith. The miracle demonstrates that Christ's word alone ('Come') transforms impossibility into reality. Faith activates divine power, enabling believers to accomplish what contradicts natural law when called by Christ.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. boisterous: or, strong
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Peter's cry 'Lord, save me' is the essential gospel prayer—acknowledging both Christ's lordship and our desperate need. Though his faith wavered, Peter knew where to turn in crisis. This three-word prayer contains the essence of salvation: recognizing Christ's authority ('Lord'), our helplessness (implicit in 'save'), and personal need ('me').
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
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And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
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The immediate calming contrasts with the disciples' earlier amazement (8:27) when He calmed the storm by command. This time the storm ceases at His presence, showing progressive revelation of His deity. The wind that had battered them (v. 24) and terrified them (v. 26) obeys its Creator. Where Christ enters, chaos submits to order.
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
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Saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God (λέγοντες, Ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ)—The adverb ἀληθῶς (alēthōs, 'truly, really, of a surety') emphasizes their conviction. The anarthrous θεοῦ υἱός ('Son of God') may be either definite by nature of the title or qualitative ('a divine son'), but the context—worship and storm mastery—demands the messianic, ontological sense: Jesus is the unique Son who shares the Father's divine nature (Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14). This confession anticipates Peter's later declaration (16:16).
And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.
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The journey from the eastern shore (where they fed the 5,000, cf. Mark 6:45, 53) to Gennesaret shows Jesus's intentional movement back to Jewish territory after the miracle. The plain was known for fertility—Josephus described it as a paradise with temperate climate and diverse crops. Jesus entered a place of plenty, yet the people's greatest need wasn't food but healing (vv. 35-36).
And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;
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They sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased (ἀπέστειλαν εἰς ὅλην τὴν περίχωρον ἐκείνην καὶ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ πάντας τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας)—The verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō, 'to send with a commission') shows organized effort. They sent messengers throughout the περίχωρος (perichōros, 'surrounding region') and brought (προσφέρω, prospherō) all the κακῶς ἔχοντας ('badly having,' idiom for 'sick' or 'ill'). Their faith contrasts with Nazareth's unbelief (13:58)—they acted on Jesus's reputation, gathering the sick for healing.
And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
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And as many as touched were made perfectly whole (καὶ ὅσοι ἥψαντο διεσώθησαν)—The verb διασώζω (diasōzō, 'to save thoroughly, to bring safely through, to cure') in aorist passive indicates complete healing. The phrase ὅσοι ἥψαντο ('as many as touched') emphasizes the universality—everyone who touched in faith was healed. No power was lost from Jesus despite multiple recipients. His healing wasn't like a finite battery draining but like an inexhaustible fountain—the more who drew from Him, the more remained available. This validates both Christ's deity and the efficacy of faith-filled contact with Him.