Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What Does Matthew Chapter 14 Mean?

Matthew 14 begins with the news that Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas, has heard about Jesus’ fame and power. This is the son of Herod the Great, who once tried to have Jesus killed (Matthew 2:7, 13). Antipas was assigned, by the Romans, to govern the region of Galilee and Perea where Jesus lived and ministered.

Herod believes Jesus to be John the Baptist resurrected, possibly out of guilt or superstition. After noting Herod’s belief, Matthew provides a sort of “flashback” to explain Herod’s execution of John the Baptist. John was imprisoned after publicly condemning Herod’s marriage to his own sister-in law, Herodias (Mark 6:17–20). Herod hesitated to execute John because the prophet was popular with the people of Israel. He overcame that hesitation after making a foolish, likely drunken promise. Following her dance, performed for him and his guests, Herodias’s daughter is offered “anything” by Herod. Herodias prompted her daughter to ask for John’s head on a platter. Herod agreed (Matthew 14:1–12).

Knowing that Herod is aware of Him, Jesus leaves behind the crowds, moving toward a more desolate area along with the with the disciples, via boat. But when they arrive in Bethsaida, on the northeast shore, they find the crowds have run around the north side of the lake and are waiting. Jesus feels compassion for the people and spends the day healing them (Matthew 14:13–14).

Late in the day, the disciples suggest that Jesus send the people away to nearby villages to get food for themselves. Jesus tells the disciples to feed the people. It’s important to realize that this is an entirely impossible task, and Jesus knows it. The disciples are only able to muster five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus asks for those, tells everyone to sit on the grass, and begins to break the loaves and give them to the disciples to distribute to the people. By the time all the food is handed out and everyone has eaten all they want, twelve baskets of leftovers remain. When Christ commands something, He will also provide the power to see it done. Matthew notes that some five thousand men were fed in this miracle, in addition to the women and children. This would bring the total number fed to as many as twenty thousand (Matthew 14:15–21).

Immediately after that astounding miracle, Jesus sends the crowds away by foot and the disciples away by boat to the other side of the lake. He goes up onto a mountain and prays until late in the evening. The disciples have spent a long night rowing against a strong wind on rough seas. That struggle is not a result of their sin, or poor decision-making. Rather, it’s because of their obedience; this reminds us that not all hardships are the result of our own mistakes. Somewhere between 3 and 6 a.m. a figure emerges from the darkness walking on the water toward their boat. The disciples are afraid, but Jesus announces Himself (Matthew 14:22–27).

Peter then demonstrates both the advantage and disadvantage of his impulsive faith. He asks Jesus to command him to come walk on the water toward Him. Jesus says, “Come.” Peter climbs out of the boat and walks on the water, too, before becoming frightened by the wind and the waves. Rather than focusing on the miracle occurring at that moment, Peter’s human nature succumbs to doubts and fears. He sinks and cries for help. Jesus saves Peter and asks why he doubted. After the two climb into the boat, the wind immediate stops and the disciples worship Jesus. They tell Him, “Truly, you are the Son of God” (Matthew 14:28–33).

When the disciples and Jesus finally arrive at Gennesaret, on the northwest shore of the lake, the people there recognize Jesus and gather the sick and afflicted from around the region. They beg Jesus to allow them to touch the fringe of His garment. Perhaps the people had heard about the woman who did exactly that earlier in Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 9:20–22). Many, many people approach Jesus and are made well (Matthew 14:34–36).

Chapter Context
Matthew 13 included more of Jesus’ parables and an unfortunate incident where His own hometown rejected His ministry. Chapter 14 begins with news that Herod the tetrarch—the man who killed John the Baptist—is aware of Jesus’ fame and power. Jesus and the disciples intend to withdraw to somewhere desolate, but a crowd is waiting for them. Jesus heals people, miraculously feeds thousands, and walks on water. When they reach the other side, Jesus heals more people. Chapter 15 sees Jesus once again debating with His critics and performing more healings.

Verse By Verse

Verse 1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus,

Over the course of His ministry, Jesus became progressively more famous. This is not surprising. Not only was Jesus performing powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons, He was being followed from place to place by large crowds and beginning to publicly conflict with the religious leaders.

One of the people who heard of Jesus’ fame was Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas. This is not the same man, Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus as a baby after learning of His existence from the wise men (Matthew 2:7, 13). After his death, Herod the Great’s kingdom of Israel and surrounding territories was split by the Romans between three of his sons. The person described in this passage is one of those sons. Herod Antipas became the ruler over the part of the kingdom that included Galilee in the north and Perea along the east side of the Jordan River. Most of Jesus’ ministry so far has taken place within that territory. Antipas ruled from 4 BC To AD 39 and presided over one of the trials of Jesus (Luke 23:7–12).

Some scholars suggest Herod might have heard about Jesus from a man named Chuza, his household manager. Chuza’s wife Joanna is mentioned in Luke 8:1–3 as one of “some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities” who were travelling with and providing for Jesus and the disciples.

Verse 2 and he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Herod the tetrarch, also called Herod Antipas, is one of the rulers over Israel under the Romans. This is the son of the man who heard about Jesus’ birth and tried to have Him killed (Matthew 2:7, 13). Herod Antipas oversaw the territory of Galilee in the north and Perea, a strip of land along the east coast of the Jordan River. Both John the Baptist and Jesus carried out their ministry in areas under Herod’s control.

Herod has heard about Jesus’ growing fame in the country and the miracles that Jesus has been performing. Some thought of Jesus as the return of Elijah or one of the prophets of old (Mark 6:15). Herod, though, was convinced that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod was sure that John’s return from the afterlife in the form of Jesus was what gave Him miraculous powers. Apparently, Herod’s superstition was driven by his own guilt: he is the one who had John the Baptist killed. The following verses tell that story.

Verse 3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip ‘s wife,

The last time Matthew wrote about John the Baptist, he explained how John sent a message to Jesus from Herod’s prison (Matthew 11:2–6). To begin this passage, Matthew looks back to explain how John the Baptist got there. In short, John was publicly criticizing Herod Antipas for unlawfully marrying his half-brother Philip’s former wife, Herodias. She seems to have taken great exception to this, manipulating her husband more than once to act against John (Mark 6:14–29). At first, Herod arrested, bound, and imprisoned John for the sake of Herodias’ anger.

Herod Antipas, called Herod the tetrarch here, was one of the sons of Herod the Great, who had ordered the death of the babies in Bethlehem shortly before his own death (Matthew 2:7, 13). Herod Philip was another of Herod the Great’s sons. Herod Antipas divorced his own wife and Herodias divorced Philip so the two could get married. Herod was Jewish, though, and Jewish law forbade marrying the wife of one’s brother while he was still living.

Herod likely imprisoned John at his hilltop fortress known as Machaerus, east of the Dead Sea.

Verse 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

John the Baptist had been arrested by Herod the tetrarch, ruler over the part of Israel that included Galilee and a strip of land along the Jordan River called Perea. Herod the tetrarch, also known as Herod Antipas, had divorced his own wife to marry his brother’s wife. John the Baptist had been publicly denouncing Herod and telling him it was not lawful for him to have the woman, called Herodias. For her sake, Herod had John seized, bound, and imprisoned in his fortress (Mark 6:14–19).

Jewish law forbade marrying a brother’s wife while he was still living. Herod’s action involved more than just breaking Jewish moral law, however. His first wife, the one he divorced, was the daughter of Aretas, the king of the Nabateans. The divorce led to fighting with the Nabateans, forcing the Romans to step in to save Herod. John’s public rebuke of Herod likely touched a sore subject. It may not have helped that John spoke forcefully about the coming kingdom of the Messiah, which may have sounded like a threat to the existing authorities in the region.

Verse 5 And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet.

Matthew is describing how John the Baptist came to be imprisoned and eventually killed by Herod the tetrarch, the Roman-appointed Jewish ruler of Galilee and Perea in Israel. Herod, also known as Herod Antipas, had divorced his wife and married his brother’s wife. John the Baptist had called him out publicly, saying that this was in violation of Jewish religious law. For the sake of that wife, Herod had John arrested and imprisoned (Mark 6:14–19).

Likely to please his wife Herodias, Herod had initially wanted to have John executed. As a ruler, though, he had to be aware of how the people of Israel might respond to this action. It’s not that Herod could be voted out of office, but his obligation under Roman rule was to maintain the peace in his region of Israel. He had the authority to arrest and execute anyone for nearly any reason, but he could not risk causing an uprising. Even if the people themselves didn’t succeed, such unrest would have brought great trouble from the Roman government.

Many people thought John the Baptist was a prophet sent from God like the Israelite prophets of old. Some, including Jesus, said John was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send Elijah again (Matthew 11:14). Herod was afraid to give the people reason to think that he was defying the will of God by killing His prophet. That fear was only temporary, however.

Verse 6 But when Herod ‘s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod,

Ancient Jewish people, so far as we know, invested little importance in annual birthdays. Celebrating the date of one’s birth, as is done in most modern cultures, was not common among Israelites of the New Testament era. The historian Josephus wrote—possibly exaggerating—that the practice was forbidden. The Jewish family of the Herods, however, was greatly influenced by Greek culture in many ways, including this one. Herod threw himself a lavish birthday party, likely at his fortress called Machaerus, found on the east side of the Dead Sea.

The Herod mentioned here is Herod Antipas, also known as Herod the tetrarch. His current wife, Herodias, had a daughter by her previous marriage—to Herod’s own brother Philip, known as Herod II. We know from history that the daughter’s name was Salome. Salome was likely a teenager at this time. She performed a dance for Herod and those gathered to celebrate his birthday. Some commentators suggest that this dance may have been very sensual, given the time and the setting, as well as the reaction (Matthew 14:7; Mark 6:22–23). However, Matthew’s gospel does not say this directly.

Verse 7 so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.

Herod Antipas, son of the Herod who once tried to kill Jesus (Mathew 2:7, 13) has thrown a lavish birthday party for himself. As a gift, his wife’s daughter by her previous marriage has danced for Herod and his guests. Some commentators speculate that the dance by this teenage girl may have been very sensual. It is also likely that Herod had been drinking freely. Those are possible reasons for his excessive response to the gift—whatever the circumstances, Herod was very pleased by the dance.

In response, Herod makes a grand gesture. He promises to give the girl whatever she wants. Many kings had made impulsive, drunken promises like this down through history. Although Mark’s gospel calls Herod a king, his actual power was limited to what was allowed by the Roman government and what happened within the part of Israel he ruled over.

Herod had foolishly set himself up for a difficult situation. If the girl asked for something he could not give, he risked dishonoring himself before his guests on his birthday. He had put himself at the mercy of a teenage girl. In this case, that girl happened to be the daughter of an angry, spiteful woman (Mark 6:18–19).

Verse 8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”

Herodias had reason to hate John the Baptist. John had publicly called out Herod Antipas as a lawbreaker for marrying her, since Herodias had previously been married to Herod’s brother Philip. That criticism called her morals into question, as well, so it’s not surprising she took John’s declarations personally. Probably at her direct request, Herod has already arrested and imprisoned John inside his fortress (Mark 6:17). He would not go so far as to kill John the Baptist, however, because of his duty to keep the peace in his part of Israel. Many people in Israel believed John was a prophet sent from God.

Now, though, Herodias seizes an opportunity to have her ultimate revenge against John for declaring her sin to the world. Herod has made an impulsive and likely drunken promise to Herodias’ daughter. This is her child by Antipas’ brother, her former husband. Herod was so pleased with the girl’s birthday dance for him and his guests that he has promised to give her anything she asks.

Herodias tells the girl exactly what to ask Herod for: the head of John the Baptist on a platter. She puts the gruesome request in the mouth of the girl, forcing Herod to either dishonor himself before his guests or have John executed and risk the disfavor of the people.

Verse 9 And the king was sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given.

The king mentioned here is Herod Antipas, son of the man who once tried to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:7, 13). He controls part of Israel under an appointment from Roman authorities. He regrets an impulsive promise he made to a teenaged girl. This girl is his stepdaughter, a child of his wife Herodias by way of Herod’s brother, Philip. She has performed a birthday dance for Herod and his guests. Greatly pleased by the dance, Herod has made what was probably a drunken promise to give the girl anything she wants (Matthew 14:1–8; Mark 6:21–23).

Herodias seems only too ready for this moment. She instructs her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. This is her revenge against the prophet who publicly declared her marriage to Herod unlawful (Matthew 14:4; Mark 6:18). Getting her husband to arrest and imprison John was not enough. She not only wants John dead, she wants his death to be dramatic and humiliating.

Herod’s terrible choice is to either dishonor himself in front of his guests by breaking his promise to the girl or to risk civil unrest in his part of the kingdom by killing a man thought to be God’s prophet. Herod chooses to make his wife happy. He commands that John be killed.

This party is likely taking place at Machaerus, Herod’s fortress east of the Dead Sea. Conveniently, John is also imprisoned at the same location. Herod’s order will be obeyed immediately.

Verse 10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison,

Jesus said this to a crowd about His relative John the Baptist: “For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come” (Matthew 11:13–14). There’s no doubt that John was God’s man sent to deliver God’s message at God’s time. He was the one commissioned to prepare the way for the Messiah, and he had done exactly that.

Now John is killed in the least dignified of ways for calling out the sin of one of Israel’s rulers. Herod Antipas orders John to be beheaded in the prison that is likely inside his own fortress, on the very night and at the very place where Herod is holding a birthday party for himself. Herod has been cornered into this sudden execution by an impulsive promise made to the teenage daughter of his wife in front of his guests (Matthew 14:1–9; Mark 6:19–29).

Jewish law required a prisoner to receive a trial before execution. Scholars debate the extent to which beheading was meant to be used as a punishment. In multiple ways, Herod rejected God’s authority over him and over Israel.

Verse 11 and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

This is a gruesome picture to imagine, one imagined and captured by artists throughout history, including Caravaggio and other painters. John the Baptist has been ordered beheaded during the celebration of Herod’s birthday. The wicked king has done this to keep a promise to his stepdaughter, rather than to risk being dishonored before his guests. His wife Herodias trapped her husband by prompting her daughter to make the request (Matthew 14:6–10).

The order is carried out and John’s head is placed on a serving platter. It is brought to the party and presented to the girl. She takes the platter and hands it over to her mother, Herodias. Herodias has achieved her revenge against the prophet of God who called out her sin of marrying her husband’s brother (Matthew 14:3–4; Mark 6:17–19). Some historians suggest Herodias further abused John’s head after his death in full view of the partygoers, though that claim is not substantiated. Given her venom for John, that would not be out of character. Whatever else happened, Herodias’ reputation as a cruel and manipulative woman was set.

The death of John the Baptist is a blow that will land hard with his disciples.

Verse 12 And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.

John the Baptist has been executed, behead, by Herod Antipas, the Jewish tetrarch in Israel over Galilee and Perea. He did so following an impulsive promise made during his own birthday party (Matthew 14:6–8), but John’s death still amounted to a state execution. In violation of Jewish law, it was performed by decapitation and happened without a trial.

John was the last of Israel’s prophets before the arrival of the Messiah, and his death at the hands of Israel’s ruler puts him firmly in the company of those prophets. Many of the messengers sent by God were persecuted or killed by wicked kings (Matthew 23:31; Acts 7:51–52). This incident, while tragic and heartbreaking, also probably confirmed to many people that John was sent from God.

Despite being imprisoned, John still had disciples who were loyal to him and lived by his teaching. At least one of Jesus’ disciples had formerly been a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35–42), and others continued under John’s training even after Jesus began His ministry and John was imprisoned.

Now those disciples come and take John the Baptist’s headless body away from the fortress of Herod to give it a proper burial. This may have been a risky act for them to carry out since it associated them with an executed criminal and enemy of Herod. They still did so, and then they reported John’s death to Jesus.

That brings Matthew’s story back to where he began. When hearing about Jesus’ power and fame, Herod declared his superstition that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead (Matthew 14:2). This clearly does not make sense, given that Jesus had been alive and involved in public ministry while John was alive and in Herod’s prison. It does suggest Herod carried great guilt and perhaps fear over what he did to John. He believed that John lived on somehow in great power despite being executed.

Context Summary
Matthew 14:1–12 describes how Herod the tetrarch, ruler over Galilee, has heard of Jesus’ fame and power. He believes Jesus is a resurrected John the Baptist. Matthew then explains that Herod had arrested John the Baptist. His “crime” was publicly condemning Herod’s marriage to his own brother’s wife. Later, Herod was manipulated into a promise by his wife’s daughter, after she danced for him and his guests. On behalf of her mother, she asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter (Mark 6:14–29). Herod agreed and had John executed immediately. John’s disciples came and buried him, then went and told Jesus the news of his death.

Verse 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

What did Jesus hear that prompted Him to withdraw to a desolate place? Merely starting at the previous verse might suggest He was responding to the death of John the Baptist, as reported by John’s disciples. However, Matthew began this chapter with Herod’s remarks on Jesus’ fame and power, which he associated with John the Baptist. What follows was the backstory about John’s death. Now Matthew seems to pick up where verse 2 left off. In short, the “this” which Jesus is hearing about seems to be Herod’s notice, not the death of John.

Jesus lived and ministered in the territory under the rule of Herod Antipas, who had been manipulated into killing John (Matthew 14:3–12). It was probably Herod’s attention which motivated Jesus to move away from busy Capernaum to a sparsely populated area. The disciples remained with Jesus; He was by Himself in the sense that He was away from the crowds of people that constantly followed Him. He wouldn’t be away from them for long, however.

We know from the same account in Luke that the lonely place Jesus headed for was Bethsaida (Luke 9:10). It was on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. The crowds of people, though, figured out where Jesus and the disciples were headed. As they travelled by boat, the crowds ran along the shore of the lake from Capernaum up and over the Jordan river and down to Bethsaida. When Jesus arrived for some alone time with the disciples, He found the crowds waiting for Him.

Verse 14 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Jesus has travelled with His disciples by boat for the specific purpose of getting away from the ever-present crowds of people wanting to be healed and to hear His teaching. The people figured out where Jesus was headed and ran along the shore on foot to be in Bethsaida when He arrived. Bethsaida was on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee.

How would Jesus respond? It would seem reasonable to us and, perhaps to the disciples, that Jesus would find another way to escape the demanding crowds. Perhaps they could sail on to another lonely place. After all, that’s why they left Capernaum.

Jesus, though, seeing the great crowd waiting for Him on shore is filled with compassion. Paul described Jesus as the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He shows us what God the Father is like. Jesus reveals in this moment and countless others that God is the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4). Jesus had come, in part, to minister to Israel, and here were the people of Israel waiting for Him. He would not turn them away, no matter how great His desire to be alone by Himself.

Verse 15 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

It wasn’t the plan for Jesus and His disciples to spend the day healing sick people on the northeast shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had set out for a desolate spot in Bethsaida to get away from the crowds. The people, though, found them. Jesus, full of compassion, spent the day healing people anyway.

Here, the disciples have identified a complication in Jesus’ impromptu action. It was late in the day, and nobody had any food to eat for an evening meal. The crowds do not seem to have planned to spend the day so far away from any towns. They have simply stayed to receive Jesus’ healing of their sick.

The disciples have a plan that is perfectly reasonable, if a little callous: send the people away to go into the closest villages to get food for themselves. Jesus will say no. He has another plan.

Verse 16 But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.”

The disciples literally lived to serve Jesus. Their primary work was to learn from Him, but a disciple of any master also agreed to serve him in exchange for their training. Jesus’ disciples, especially, had begun to understand they would spend their entire lives serving Jesus by ministering to others.

Expected or not, this would have been difficult at times. In this case, the men planned to arrive at a desolate place to be alone, not to spend the day serving Jesus as He healed crowds of sick people. Now it was time for the evening meal and neither they nor the crowds had food to eat. Very reasonably, if not very compassionately, they suggested to Jesus that He send the people to nearby villages to get themselves food.

Jesus rejects that plan. The people don’t need to leave. The disciples should give them food, Jesus says. The disciples knew for a fact that this was impossible. They simply did not have the resources to do what Jesus asked. Other gospels include their understanding that this would have required far more bread, and far more money, than were available (Mark 6:37; John 6:6–7). He would show them that His power makes anything possible.

Verse 17 They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.”

Jesus has told his closest disciples to do an impossible thing: give the crowds of people gathered in this desolate place something to eat. This is not merely a large gathering; the total number of men, women, and children in this space might have been as many as 15–20,000 (Matthew 14:21).

The disciples likely have only enough food for themselves to eat. Beyond that, at best, they’ve located five loaves of bread and two fish. These were acquired by Andrew, who received the donation from a boy in the crowd (John 6:8–9). That would make for a meager meal even if no other people were with them, let alone the thousands gathered in this empty country.

Perhaps the disciples thought that when Jesus had the facts, He would change His mind and agree to their plan. There is no question that they lack the physical resources to do what’s being asked of them. This is not a question of being frugal, clever, or resourceful. Jesus is literally asking them to accomplish a task their current abilities will not achieve. It was impossible…for them. Part of the point of this miracle, in fact, is that nothing is impossible through the power of God.

Verse 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.”

Disciples of Jesus have just been instructed to perform an impossible task. They are to feed thousands of people gathered in a desolate place at dinner time (Matthew 14:13–16). Later we will learn that the adult men number some five thousand, meaning the total of men, women, and children could have been as many as twenty thousand! The disciples have reported the facts: all they’ve been able to acquire are five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:17; John 6:8–9). Jesus now asks that they give this tiny amount of food to Him.

In Mark’s account of this same moment (Mark 6:37), the disciples also point out that they don’t have enough money to even go into a village themselves and buy bread for the crowds. It’s not that the disciples had not done the math. They knew what it would take to obey Jesus’ instruction. They also knew it could not be done with their limited resources. This is not a brain teaser, or a test of their creativity. This task is literally, clearly, and obviously beyond the means of the disciples. Yet Jesus asks, anyway.

That, in fact, is the point of the miracle. Jesus was about to show them how unlimited His resources are, when we faithfully give Him what little we have.

Verse 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

Jesus has asked His disciples to do something which, for those men, is absolutely impossible (Matthew 14:13–18). He has told the disciples to give the crowds something to eat. The end of the story reveals that the crowd consists of 5,000 men, in addition to women and children—possibly twenty thousand in all (Matthew 14:21). The disciples have located five loaves of coarse bread and two fish (John 6:8–9). The disciples do not lack imagination or sincerity. This is not a task for creative problem solving; it’s something Jesus knows full well they cannot do on their own.

However, it’s not Jesus’ intent that they do this alone. Rather, He has asked them to accomplish something, and the proper response is to give Him all they have. So, Jesus takes the bread and the fish and creates some order. He tells everyone to sit down on the grass. He looks up to heaven, in the direction of God the Father, and says a blessing. Then Jesus breaks the loaves in the customary way of sharing bread and gives the broken pieces to the disciples to distribute to the crowds. The disciples do exactly that—just as instructed, they begin to feed the mass of people.

And, as it turns out, they not only finish feeding the people, they must be careful not to waste the leftovers (Matthew 14:20).

It’s not clear from the story exactly where the miracle happens. Does Jesus keep reaching into a bag and pulling out loaves of bread after the first five are gone? Do parts of loaves keep popping into the disciples’ baskets as they worked their way through the crowd of thousands of people handing them out? We don’t know. All we’re told in the following verses is that everyone eats. Everyone ends up full.

Verse 20 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

This miracle is impressive for several reasons. First, it begins with an impossible command to Jesus’ closest followers. He seems to want them to understand that what He is asking them cannot be done—not by their own power or resources—and then for them to see Him do it. Lacking a clear supernatural miracle, there’s no way five loaves of bread and two fish should be able to fill up thousands of people for an evening meal.

The miracle is also impressive because it replicates and adds to the miracle God did through in Elisha in 2 Kings 4:42–44 where a hundred men ate and had leftovers from 20 loaves of barley bread and some grain in a sack. What Jesus does makes that look quaint by comparison. If Elisha feeding a hundred with 20 loaves showed he had the power of God, then Jesus feeding thousands with even less food shows even more power.

Not just a little was left over. After everyone had eaten their fill, twelve full baskets of broken pieces were left over, one for each of the core disciples. The message of this miracle is both challenging and uplifting: when Christ asks us to accomplish, and give Him what little we have, He’ll empower us to accomplish that task above and beyond what we could have imagined.

Verse 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

The total number of people who ate the food Jesus created from five loaves and two fish could easily have been 15–20,000. This verse reveals that five thousand “men” were present, specifically not counting the women and children. How did they come up with such a precise number of men since crowds are notoriously difficult to count? Mark’s telling of the story shows that Jesus had the men sit in groups by hundreds and fifties (Mark 6:40). Jesus wanted the disciples to be able to come up with an accurate number of those fed to be able to provide a reliable report about the miracle.

One other reason this miracle is so impressive: God fed His people food. During a time when poverty was commonplace, Jesus showed that He could create food to provide for His people. That’s a thing that God does. Jesus’ ability to do this was likely to make the people even more eager to crown Him as Messiah and King. In fact, John’s telling of this event ends with Jesus “perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king” (John 6:15). Jesus and His disciples quickly left the area.

Context Summary
Matthew 14:13–21 begins with Jesus and His disciples leaving behind the crowds to escape by boat to desolate place. Instead, they find the crowds waiting there for them. Jesus heals people and eventually tells the disciples to feed everyone. The disciples have no food beyond five loaves and two fish. Jesus miraculously feeds more than 5,000 from that simple meal. Twelve baskets full of leftovers remain after everyone has eaten as much as they want. This miracle is recorded in all the four Gospels (Mark 6:30–44; Luke 9:10–17; John 6:1–14).

Verse 22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.

Jesus has just performed the astounding miracle of feeding five thousand men plus women and children from five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:13–21). John’s telling of that event ends with Jesus realizing the people “were about to come and take him by force to make him king” (John 6:15). That’s likely why this verse begins with the word “immediately.” Jesus knew He had not come to take the earthly throne of Israel at this time, so He acts quickly to send the disciples away and send the crowds home.

Matthew uses a forceful Greek word here, ēnankasen, which can be literally translated as “compelled” or even “forced,” translated by the ESV as “made.” This is a commanding order: Jesus urgently sent the disciples away in the boat with apparent instructions to meet Him on the other side. One reason is that He wanted time alone, truly by Himself, to go up on a nearby mountain to spend time in prayer.

Verse 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,

After performing an astonishing miracle, Jesus immediately sent the crowds of people away on foot. He ordered the disciples away by boat (Matthew 14:13–22). He is eager for some time alone on the high hills near Bethsaida (John 6:15). More specifically, Jesus wanted time alone with His Father in prayer. Matthew doesn’t tell us what Jesus prayed about, but the fact that Jesus was aware of His need for prayer, even as the Son of God, should motivate those who follow Him to seek out time to pray, as well.

Jesus was still alone “when evening came.” The period known as “evening” in this era began in late afternoon and lasted through sunset. Evening had already started when the disciples first brought up the issue of food for the people (Matthew 14:15), so Matthew probably means this was nearing dusk. It was late in the evening as Jesus prayed alone on the mountain. By this time, the disciples were stuck rowing on a rough sea against a strong wind as they worked their way across the Sea of Galilee.

Verse 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.

After putting the disciples in the boat, Jesus went up onto a mountain to pray by Himself. He prayed late into the evening (Matthew 14:22–23). By the time He finished, the disciples were a long way from land and making slow progress against a strong wind. The rough waves were pushing against them.

It is unclear how the disciples expected Jesus to meet them on the other side of the lake or where specifically they intended to land. They eventually arrive in Gennesaret on the northwest shore of the lake (Matthew 14:34). For now, though, they find themselves somewhere in the middle of the lake battling against the wind.

It’s important to note that the struggle these men are experiencing is not the result of their disobedience. On the contrary, they are facing resistance because they obeyed Christ’s direct command. Not all moments in a Christian’s life are “smooth sailing,” and not all hardships are the result of poor choices.

Verse 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.

In the Roman world, night watches were divided into four periods, with the final one being between the hours we now call 3 and 6 a.m. This means the disciples have been in the boat, battling a strong wind, for most of the night. They are somewhere in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and likely exhausted. This condition is not their fault, in the sense that they’ve made some kind of mistake. They’re here because Jesus explicitly ordered them to take the boat across the lake at that time (Matthew 14:22).

Suddenly, Jesus approaches the disciples in the boat on foot. He is walking on top of the water. John’s telling of this moment includes the detail that the disciples had rowed three or four miles by this point (John 6:19). That’s a long way from shore. This incident was not an illusion or some easy trick. Jesus walked on water—standing on top of a liquid surface—for miles.

Verse 26 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.

The disciples had been in their boat for hours, rowing across the Sea of Galilee because the wind was against them. They had left Jesus behind in Bethsaida, where He spent time praying alone on a mountain. It’s unclear how the disciples expected Jesus to get to the other side of the lake to meet them. All they know is that He specifically instructed them to take the boat across the water (Matthew 14:22). Perhaps they assumed He would walk around the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus chose a more direct route.

We know from John’s telling of this event that the disciples were two or three miles out from the shore. Matthew has said that it is between 3 and 6 a.m. Suddenly, a figure emerges from the darkness of the lake walking toward them. Matthew, who was there, says that they were terrified, which seems like a reasonable reaction. One can only imagine what it would have been like to catch a glimpse of a figure out on the water, only to see that it really is a person approaching by walking on the waves.

As one would expect, the men cried out in fear. Someone said the figure approaching them was a ghost. Jewish theology mostly did not allow for ghosts, but many people in the ancient world believed in them. They certainly did not have another explanation for a figure walking toward them on the water—until Jesus spoke to them (Matthew 14:27).

Verse 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

The disciples are exhausted and terrified. They have been rowing on rough seas against a strong wind for hours (Matthew 14:22). It is between 3 and 6 a.m., they are a few miles from land, and have just noticed a figure walking toward them on the water. They cry out in fear, and someone says that the figure is a ghost. Considering their situation, that’s not an unexpected reaction, and it was probably a terrifying sight, at first.

As it turns out, the figure is Jesus. He has walked from the place they left Him behind earlier in the evening to catch up with them in the boat. As He approaches, He reassures them. He wants them to take heart and not be afraid. This miracle must be the most surprising and unexpected thing they have seen Jesus do up to this point. Peter’s reaction to seeing Jesus do this is almost equally as surprising (Matthew 14:28–29).

Verse 28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Peter, Matthew, and the other disciples are in a boat working their way very slowly across the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:22). A strong wind against them has created rough seas and forced them to row well into the night (Matthew 14:24). Their exhaustion turns to terror when they see a figure emerging from the darkness, on foot somehow, and approaching their boat by walking on waves (Matthew 14:25–26). Finally, Jesus says that it is Him and tells them not to be afraid (Matthew 14:27).

Peter’s response is dramatic and would have been totally unexpected from any other person. Given Peter’s impulsive nature, though, it’s very much in his nature. He calls out to the figure on the water, asking that if it really is Jesus, He would command Peter to come to Him on the water. He seems to be testing the figure’s identity by asking Him to let Peter walk on water, too.

While this seems like an odd way to establish that the person is really Jesus, it’s not as bizarre as it may sound. Some scholars suggest that Peter’s real meaning was not “if,” as in “should it happen to be true,” but as in “since it’s you, let me come to you on the water.” It helps to remember that Peter and the other disciples had already been sent out and had performed some of the same miracles that Jesus had done (Matthew 10:1).

Thanks to some combination of fear, faith, and impulse, Peter is willing to attempt to walk on water, himself, so long as he knows it’s Christ giving him the command.

Verse 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.

This section of Matthew 14 is full of unexpected events. First, Jesus shows up walking on the water in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. This is in the very early hours of the morning after the disciples have been rowing against a rough wind all night long. They believe Jesus to be a ghost until He speaks and identifies Himself. Peter, apparently convinced, has asked Jesus to command him to come out to Him and walk on the water, too (Matthew 14:22–28).

On the one hand, Peter’s request shows great faith in God’s power and great enthusiasm to participate with Jesus in this exciting moment. His response to a chaotic moment is to declare his confidence that Christ will grant the power to do anything Christ commands. That’s very much in keeping with the miracle these men have recently witnessed (Matthew 14:13–21), as well as those Jesus empowered them to perform earlier (Matthew 10:1).

Jesus grants Peter’s request. He says, simply, “Come.” Amazingly, Peter comes. He climbs out of the boat and does not immediately fall through the water. He really, truly walks on the water, as Jesus had been doing. He does the impossible by the power of God. Just as an “unachievable” task of feeding thousands was accomplished through obedience, Peter does what should be hopelessly ridiculous by following the commands of Jesus.

On the other hand, Peter’s impulsive faith is subject to impulsive doubts, nearly resulting in disaster (Matthew 14:30).

Verse 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

Peter walked on the water. When he realized it was Jesus walking toward the disciples’ boat (Matthew 14:22–27), Peter wanted to do what Jesus was doing. He believed it was possible, and asked Jesus to tell him to get out of the boat and walk on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:28–29). Peter, after all, had been sent by Jesus to do other miracles with Jesus’ power and under Jesus’ authority (Matthew 10:1). He’d helped to feed thousands of people with a tiny portion of bread and fish (Matthew 14:13–21). In Peter’s mind, there was no reason he couldn’t do this, as well, so long as Christ was the One making it happen.

When Jesus said, “Come,” Peter climbed over the side of the boat and walked on water. Aside from Jesus, no other person in human history had ever done such a thing—not even the greatest of Israel’s prophets.

That moment of victory didn’t last long, though. At some point between leaving the boat and making it to Jesus’ side, Peter’s human doubt seems to catch up with his enthusiastic faith. He suddenly notices the ferocious wind and the size of the waves it was driving up. Fear takes over his faith, and when you’re trying to walk on water, there’s no margin of error. Peter begins to sink, crying out to Jesus to save him.

It’s essential to notice that Peter’s total confidence in the power of Jesus allowed Him to walk on the water, as Jesus did. It was fear replacing confidence which caused him to sink.

Verse 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Several things are happening in this short verse.

First, Jesus saves Peter, making the miracle of walking on the water even more impressive (Matthew 14:24–25). Peter was sinking (Matthew 14:28–30), and Jesus was able to take hold of him without sinking into the water himself. To do this, Jesus must have been firmly planted on top of the water. It must have been an amazing thing to witness.

Second, Jesus once again counters our normal human expectations. He does not respond to Peter the way we might assume. Peter had just walked on water. We’re not told how far he walked, but he did it. He put his full confidence in Jesus’ power to work through him and make it possible for him to walk on water, too. No other person who was not the Son of God had ever done such a thing. It was remarkable.

We might expect Jesus to say, “Well done.” Or even, “Well done, but…” Instead, Jesus offers no praise. After saving Peter from drowning, He says famously, “O you of little faith.” He rebukes Peter’s lack of faith instead of praising the faith with which he began. Jesus adds, “Why did you doubt?”

As readers, we may be impressed by Peter’s initial faith, but Jesus is more concerned about what stopped Peter from continuing to trust Him. Peter walked on water in the power of God! What could have possibly made him think that he could not walk on water in the power of God once he had already begun to do it? The previous verse provides the answer: Peter’s fear took over his faith. Fear was the point of weakness that kept him from continuing to trust Jesus to give him the power to do the impossible.

Jesus’ response may seem harsh, but it pointed a bright light on what Peter needed to recognize: Faith in Jesus makes anything possible, but fear kills faith.

Verse 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

The disciples had seen Jesus shut down a dangerous storm at least once before (Matthew 8:23–27). That storm was so bad they all feared for their lives while Jesus napped. When He woke up, Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and suddenly there was great calm. He said they were men of little faith. They asked each other “what kind of man is this?”

Now something similar happens. As soon as Jesus and Peter climb into the boat (Matthew 14:26–31), the wind stops dead. The disciples had rowed against that wind into the early hours of the morning trying to get to the other side of the Galilee. This was at Jesus’ command (Matthew 14:22). As soon as Jesus entered their boat, the wind stopped. Peace was restored. Their response to these displays of God’s power in Jesus will be different than asking who He is. Now they know.

Verse 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

On a previous occasion, the disciples asked each other what kind of man Jesus was after seeing Him rebuke a wild storm into calm submission (Matthew 8:23–27). Now they know who He is, and they respond to His display of God’s power in an entirely different way.

The disciples have just seen Jesus walk on top of the water of the Sea of Galilee during a raging windstorm. They know He had to have walked two or three miles to reach them. At His call, Peter was also able to walk on water (Matthew 14:27–31). Then, as soon as Christ climbed into their boat, the wind they had been battling all night instantly stopped. This time, the men responded in the only way that made sense. They worshiped Jesus. They told Him, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Worship is still the most rational response to recognizing God’s power at work in our world. Worship still involves simply saying to God who He is.

Context Summary
Matthew 14:22–33 contains the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. Immediately after feeding thousands of people from a single small portion, Jesus goes up to a mountain to pray. The disciples spend a long night rowing against a strong wind. Jesus walks across the lake to meet them. Peter walks on the water with Jesus briefly before becoming afraid of the wind and waves and beginning to sink. Jesus saves Peter and asks why he doubted. The wind stops when Jesus gets in the boat, and the disciples worship Him as the Son of God.

Verse 34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

The disciples were recently in the region of Bethsaida, on the northeast shore of Galilee. After Jesus fed thousands in a miraculous display of power (Matthew 14:13–21), He commanded the disciples to cross the Sea of Galilee by boat (Matthew 14:22). He then walked on water to meet them, as they struggled against a heavy wind (Matthew 14:24–32). After a long night, the disciples, along with Jesus, finally reach the other side. The disciples may be exhausted, but they are also fully convinced that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 14:33).

Now they arrive at Gennesaret on the northwest shore of the lake. Gennesaret is said to be a fertile plain of prime land southwest of Capernaum. Jesus is famous there, as well.

Verse 35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick

Crowds of people seem to show up everywhere Jesus goes in the region of Galilee (Matthew 5:1; 14:13–21; Mark 2:4; Luke 5:1). The people might not understand, as the disciples do, that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 14:33). They do know, though, that Jesus can miraculously, powerfully, instantly heal those who are sick or disabled or in pain. This is one of the predicted signs of the Messiah, according to the Old Testament (Matthew 11:2–5; Isaiah 35:5–6).

When the disciples and Jesus land their boat at Gennesaret, some men quickly recognize Him and recognize an opportunity to find healing for the hurting people in their region. The word spreads, and the people come. This happens again and again in Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 12:15; 19:2; Mark 6:56; Luke 6:17–19). Sadly, many who come in search of healing or food (Matthew 14:13–21), have no interest in Jesus’ deeper message. While Matthew does not deal with that issue, in this passage, it is seen in other incidents during Jesus’ ministry (John 6:26, 66).

Verse 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Jesus once praised the faith of a woman who stealthily touched the hem of His clothes, seeking to be healed from a twelve-year affliction (Matthew 9:20–22). Perhaps her story had spread, because the people of the Gennesaret region implore Jesus to allow them to touch the fringe of His garment to be healed from their afflictions, as well. This reiterates Jesus’ fame, but it also demonstrates the human capacity for superstition. The fact that people want to exactly duplicate the actions of the healed woman suggest they see touching of Jesus’ hem as an integral part of the miracle. Avoiding those notions is likely one reason Jesus used varied methods in other healings (Matthew 9:27–31; Mark 8:22–26, John 9:6).

For the time being, however, what matters is that the people need help. So, Jesus agrees, and everyone who touches His garment is made well. As was the case with that woman, these people are displaying great faith in Jesus’ power to make them well. Jesus’ fame and stature continues to grow. In turn, the Pharisees will step up their attempts to take Jesus down.

Context Summary
Matthew 14:34–36 finds Jesus and the disciples finally arriving at Gennesaret after their long night on the Sea of Galilee. The people of the region recognize Jesus and gather the sick and afflicted to be healed by Him. They beg Jesus to allow them to touch the fringe of His garment so they can be healed. All who do so are made well.

Chapter Summary
Matthew 14 begins with a backstory about the arrest and execution of John the Baptist by Herod the tetrarch, the Jewish ruler of the region. Jesus and the disciples take a boat to a desolate place only to find crowds waiting. Jesus heals many and then feeds as many as twenty thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Later, the disciples row against a strong wind until Jesus walks on the water to meet them and calm the wind. Peter walks on water briefly and then doubts and begins to sink. The disciples worship Jesus. On the other side of the lake, Jesus continues to heal the sick.