Matthew 8:24 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

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

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

Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: 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", "ship", "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 his disciples came to him and...", 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.