Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
G2424
Ἰησοῦς
Jesus
Strong's:
G2424
Word #:
4 of 16
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 16
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
χεῖρα
his hand
G5495
χεῖρα
his hand
Strong's:
G5495
Word #:
7 of 16
the hand (literally or figuratively (power); especially (by hebraism) a means or instrument)
ἐπελάβετο
and caught
G1949
ἐπελάβετο
and caught
Strong's:
G1949
Word #:
8 of 16
to seize (for help, injury, attainment, or any other purpose; literally or figuratively)
αὐτῷ
him
G846
αὐτῷ
him
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
9 of 16
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
10 of 16
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
λέγει
said
G3004
λέγει
said
Strong's:
G3004
Word #:
11 of 16
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an
αὐτῷ
him
G846
αὐτῷ
him
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
12 of 16
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
Ὀλιγόπιστε
O thou of little faith
G3640
Ὀλιγόπιστε
O thou of little faith
Strong's:
G3640
Word #:
13 of 16
incredulous, i.e., lacking confidence (in christ)
εἰς
wherefore
G1519
εἰς
wherefore
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
14 of 16
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
Cross References
Psalms 138:7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.Matthew 8:26And 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.Matthew 17:20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.Genesis 22:14And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.Isaiah 63:12That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm, dividing the water before them, to make himself an everlasting name?Acts 4:30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.Mark 1:31And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.Mark 5:41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.Matthew 16:8Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?Mark 1:41And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Historical Context
Peter's water-walking (vv. 28-30) showed real faith—he left the boat's safety at Jesus' word. But seeing wind and waves (focusing on circumstances rather than Christ) produced doubt and sinking. Jesus' rebuke addressed the doubt, not the initial boldness. 'Little faith' suggests real but insufficient trust. The immediate rescue shows grace toward weak faith.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you started well in faith but sank due to circumstantial focus?
- How does Jesus' immediate rescue encourage you despite 'little faith'?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Jesus' response to sinking Peter—'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?'—identifies the problem: not complete faithlessness but 'little faith' and doubt. Peter's initial faith enabled walking on water, but his focus shift from Jesus to circumstances caused sinking. The rhetorical 'wherefore didst thou doubt?' prompts self-examination. Jesus immediately caught him, showing that even 'little faith' receives divine rescue. This teaches that faith's object (Jesus) matters more than faith's strength.