Matthew 14:33
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
Original Language Analysis
οἱ
G3588
οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 13
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
τῷ
G3588
τῷ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 13
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἐλθόντες
came
G2064
ἐλθόντες
came
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
6 of 13
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
προσεκύνησαν
and worshipped
G4352
προσεκύνησαν
and worshipped
Strong's:
G4352
Word #:
7 of 13
to fawn or crouch to, i.e., (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)
αὐτῷ
him
G846
αὐτῷ
him
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
8 of 13
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
λέγοντες
saying
G3004
λέγοντες
saying
Strong's:
G3004
Word #:
9 of 13
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e., (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas g2036 and g5346 generally refer to an
θεοῦ
of God
G2316
θεοῦ
of God
Strong's:
G2316
Word #:
11 of 13
a deity, especially (with g3588) the supreme divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; exceedingly (by hebraism)
Cross References
Psalms 2:7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.John 11:27She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.John 1:49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.Mark 1:1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;Romans 1:4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:Matthew 16:16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.John 6:69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.Mark 15:39And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.Matthew 26:63But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.Matthew 28:17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Historical Context
This boat confession occurs roughly midway through Jesus's ministry (ca. AD 29), after the disciples had been with Him for over a year. They had witnessed many miracles but had not yet clearly confessed His deity. The Jewish strict monotheism made such a confession momentous—they were acknowledging Jesus as Yahweh incarnate, not merely a prophet or messiah in a purely human sense. This prepared them for later post-resurrection worship (28:9, 17).
Questions for Reflection
- Have you moved from amazement at Jesus's works to worship of His person?
- What experiences have brought you to deeper confession of Christ's deity beyond intellectual assent?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him (οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ)—The verb προσκυνέω (proskyneō) means 'to prostrate, to worship, to pay homage.' This worship response is qualitatively different from earlier amazement (8:27). Having witnessed Jesus walk on water, calm Peter's sinking, and instantly still the storm, they now worship—the only proper response to manifest deity. Matthew uses προσκυνέω exclusively for worship directed to God or falsely to Satan (4:9-10), never for mere human respect.
Saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God (λέγοντες, Ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ)—The adverb ἀληθῶς (alēthōs, 'truly, really, of a surety') emphasizes their conviction. The anarthrous θεοῦ υἱός ('Son of God') may be either definite by nature of the title or qualitative ('a divine son'), but the context—worship and storm mastery—demands the messianic, ontological sense: Jesus is the unique Son who shares the Father's divine nature (Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14). This confession anticipates Peter's later declaration (16:16).