Matthew 8:24 (WEB)

Passage

Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

Nearby Context

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

Matthew 8:23 When he got into a boat, his disciples followed him.

Matthew 8:24 Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that the boat was covered with the waves, but he was asleep.

Matthew 8:25 They came to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are dying!”

Matthew 8:26 He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "When he got into a boat his..." into verse 25's "They came to him and woke him...", so "behold" and "violent" 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 "violent" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.