Matthew 8:24 (DBY)

Passage

and behold, [the water] became very agitated on the sea, so that the ship was covered by the waves; but *he* slept.

Nearby Context

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

Matthew 8:23 And he went on board ship and his disciples followed him;

Matthew 8:24 and behold, [the water] became very agitated on the sea, so that the ship was covered by the waves; but *he* slept.

Matthew 8:25 And the disciples came and awoke him, saying, Lord save: we perish.

Matthew 8:26 And he says to them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then, having arisen, he rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "water", "became", "very", "agitated", "ship", "covered", and "waves". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "water", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "And he went on board ship and..." into verse 25's "And the disciples came and awoke him...", so "behold" and "water" 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 "water" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.