Tuesday, 2 December 2025
So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Matthew 14:29
Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)
You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).
“And He said, ‘You come!’ And having descended from the boat, Peter, he walked upon the waters to come unto Jesus” (CG).
In the previous verse, Peter emphatically challenged Jesus that if it was Him, to command Peter also to come to Him on the waters. In response, we read Matthew’s continued words, “And He said, ‘You come!’”
The response is immediate. There was no “Wait, I wasn’t ready,” or “Sorry Peter, I didn’t bring enough miracle juice for two people.” Rather, the command was confident that Peter could and should come out to Him. Therefore, it next says, “And having descended from the boat.”
Imagine being on the waters as the waves slammed against the boat. The meaning is that the boat’s buoyancy allowed for the hull to be partly submerged in the water while the rest remained above the water. It wasn’t that the entire boat just sat on top of the water as if it were sitting on an ice bed.
In other words, the laws of nature were working as they should. The water surrounding the boat was unchanged, and the boat was doing what boats do. And yet, Peter descended from the boat, which was in, not on top of, the water, and was able to stand on the water without sinking.
The change, therefore, was in Peter, not in the water. This is evidenced with the next words, “Peter, he walked upon the waters.”
The words don’t say how long this occurred. They also don’t record the distance, be it ten feet or fifty. Jesus was close enough to be heard, but far enough to necessitate Peter’s effort to walk to Him. The testimony, however, declares that Peter did walk on the water. With that understanding, it next says, “to come unto Jesus.”
There is a slight difference in the texts here. Some say, “he came to Jesus,” others say, “to come to Jesus.” The writers of the Pulpit Commentary, having obviously been in the boat with the disciples, say –
“To go to Jesus; rather, and came to Jesus (Westcott and Hort; cf. margin of Revised Version). The true text states what did, in fact, happen, notwithstanding Peter’s lack of faith (cf. ver. 31).”
Because verse 31 says that Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and caught him, the Pulpit Commentary has deduced that Peter must have made it all the way to Jesus. How they can conclude that this is the “true text” based on that, while dismissing the contents of verse 30, is exceptional. While Peter was distracted with the waves, Jesus could have taken three steps toward him.
Life application: As has been noted in the past, take all commentaries on the Bible with a grain of salt until you think through what is being said. For the Pulpit Commentary to state that the Westcott and Hort text is the true text based on a couple of words that may or may not have been properly thought through is damaging.
Nobody is going to lose his salvation over this. Whether Peter got to Jesus or was still on his way to Jesus isn’t going to change someone’s life or the direction of his life. But for the commentators to adamantly claim that one is the true text immediately dismisses the other text. What if that is the true text? They have now determined that what isn’t God’s word has replaced God’s word!
That is not a sound attitude, nor is it a good place to be when we all must stand before the Lord and give an account for the lives we have lived. If we were not in the boat with the disciples, or flying a drone over the event, filming it while it was taking place, then we should reserve stating adamant words about texts as the Pulpit Commentary has done.
Only when there is no dispute in the text is there a reason to be adamant about what the text says. But even then, we need to be sure about our claims. After two thousand years of people looking over the word, new insights come up all the time, opening our eyes to new parallels, patterns, and points that may have never been considered before.
Lord God, it is beyond our imagination that we could just step onto the local body of water and tread on it as if it were dry land. But Jesus did it, and Peter did for a short span as well. How little our faith must be that we cannot do what You allowed Peter to do without a moment’s hesitation! Strengthen us in our walk of faith, O God. Amen.