Luke 8:22-25 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

It came to pass on a certain day According to Mark, the same day, when the evening was come; he went into a ship with his disciples With a view to cross the lake. And they launched forth Attended by a number of other little boats, which were full of people, Mark 4:36. But as they sailed, he fell asleep In the stern of the vessel, fatigued with the work of the day. And there came down a storm, &c. The weather suddenly changed, and a storm came on, which threatened to sink them to the bottom. The tempest increased the horrors of the night; the sky lowered; the wind roared, the sea and clouds were driven with the fury of the storm. Now they were tossed up to the top of the billows, then sunk down to the bottom of the deep, buried among the waves. The disciples exerted their utmost skill in managing their vessel, but to no purpose; the waves, breaking in, filled her so that she began to sink. Being now on the very brink of perishing, and ready to give themselves up for lost, they ran to Jesus, crying out, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose and rebuked the wind Which instantly became silent; and the raging of the water The huge waves of which sunk down on every side in a moment. And there was a calm The sea was perfectly still around them, and not a breath of wind moved, nor was the least sound heard, except from the oars and sails of the boats which composed this little fleet. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? In Mark it is, How is it that ye have no faith? As if he had said, After having seen me perform so many miracles, it is extremely culpable in you to be thus overcome with fear. Did you doubt my power to protect you? When they first awoke him, and before he had stilled the storm, he said, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? but their confusion and dismay, it seems, prevented their deriving any benefit from the rebuke: he therefore now repeats it, when the storm was over, and they had leisure to attend to it: and doubtless it contributed to make them more sensible of the evil of their fear. And they being afraid, wondered, &c. When by the continuance of the calm they found what a great miracle was wrought, they were inexpressibly amazed, and their amazement was mixed with fear, because he had rebuked them so sharply. See this miracle more fully elucidated, on Matthew 8:23-27; and Mark 4:35-41.