Matthew 8:24 (ASV)

Passage

And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Matthew 8:24 And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Matthew 8:25 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Save, Lord; we perish.

Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "arose", "great", "tempest", "insomuch", "boat", "covered", and "waves". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "arose", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "And when he was entered into a..." into verse 25's "And they came to him and awoke...", so "behold" and "arose" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "arose" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.