King James Version

What Does Matthew 14:33 Mean?

Matthew 14:33 in the King James Version says “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” — study this verse from Matthew chapter 14 with commentary, cross-references, and original Greek word analysis.

“Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:33 · KJV

Truth

Context

31

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

32

And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

33

Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34

And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

35

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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Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him (οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ)—The verb προσκυνέω (proskyneō) means 'to prostrate, to worship, to pay homage.' This worship response is qualitatively different from earlier amazement (8:27). Having witnessed Jesus walk on water, calm Peter's sinking, and instantly still the storm, they now worship—the only proper response to manifest deity. Matthew uses προσκυνέω exclusively for worship directed to God or falsely to Satan (4:9-10), never for mere human respect.

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).

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Historical & Cultural Context

This boat confession occurs roughly midway through Jesus's ministry (ca. AD 29), after the disciples had been with Him for over a year. They had witnessed many miracles but had not yet clearly confessed His deity. The Jewish strict monotheism made such a confession momentous—they were acknowledging Jesus as Yahweh incarnate, not merely a prophet or messiah in a purely human sense. This prepared them for later post-resurrection worship (28:9, 17).

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you moved from amazement at Jesus's works to worship of His person?
  2. What experiences have brought you to deeper confession of Christ's deity beyond intellectual assent?

Original Language Analysis

Greek · 13 words
οἱ1 of 13
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

δὲ2 of 13

“Then”

G1161

but, and, etc

ἐν3 of 13

“they that were in”

G1722

"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc

τῷ4 of 13
G3588

the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)

πλοίῳ5 of 13

“the ship”

G4143

a sailer, i.e., vessel

ἐλθόντες6 of 13

“came”

G2064

to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)

προσεκύνησαν7 of 13

“and worshipped”

G4352

to fawn or crouch to, i.e., (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)

αὐτῷ8 of 13

“him”

G846

the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons

λέγοντες9 of 13

“saying”

G3004

properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an

Ἀληθῶς10 of 13

“Of a truth”

G230

truly

θεοῦ11 of 13

“of God”

G2316

a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)

υἱὸς12 of 13

“the Son”

G5207

a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship

εἶ13 of 13

“thou art”

G1488

thou art

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Matthew. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Matthew 14:33 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Matthew 14:33 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

John 11:27Psalms 2:7Romans 1:4John 1:49Mark 1:1John 6:69

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