Matthew 14:28-30 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And Peter answered him, &c.— St. Peter, a man of a warm and forward temper, looking at Jesus walking upon the sea, was exceedingly struck with it, and conceived a mighty desire of being enabled to do the like; wherefore, without weighing the matter, he immediately begged that Jesus would bid him come to him on the water. He did not doubt but his Master would gratify him. Perhaps he thought he shewed him respect thereby, his request insinuating, that he would undertake any thing, however difficult, at Christ's command. There was no height of obedience to which Peter would not soar. That this was the true language of his actions, may be gathered from the circumstances before us; it would have been perfectly ridiculous in the Apostle to have asked such a proof of the person's being Jesus who spake to him, as, had it failed, would have become fatal to himself. No man in his senses can be supposed to have desired a proof of that kind; Peter's request therefore should have been translated, Lord, seeing it is thou, command me, &c. the particle ει being put for επι. (See Acts 4:9 in the Greek.) To shew Peter the weakness of his faith, and to bear down that high opinion which he seems to have entertained of himself, as well as to demonstrate the greatness of his power, Jesus granted his request: for, in supporting him on the water together with himself, Jesus appeared greater than in walking thereon singly. Besides, it might be designed to obviate the conceit of those ancient heretics, who from this passage of the Sacred History pretended to prove, that our Lord did not assume a real human body, but only the appearance of one. Peter being thus permitted to walk upon the sea, it flattered his vanity not a little, when, descending from the vessel, he found the water firm under his feet. Hence at the first he walked towards his Master with abundance of confidence: the wind becoming more boisterous than before, made a dreadful noise; and the sea raging at the same time, shook him in such a manner, that he was on the point of being overturned. His courage staggered; in the hurry of his thoughts he forgot that Jesus was at hand, and fell into a panic; and now the secret power of God, which, while Peter entertained no doubt, had made the sea firm under him, began to withdraw itself: in proportion as his faith decreased, the water yielded, and he sunk. In this extremity he looked round for Christ, and, upon the very brink of being swallowed up, cried out, in a great consternation of spirit, Lord, save me! Peter probably could swim, as most fishermen can (compare John 21:7.); and possibly he might venture on the attempt which he now made, with some secret dependence on his art, which God, for wise reasons, suffered to fail him. The verb καταποντιζεσθαι, rendered to sink, is very expressive, and may intimate, that he felt himself sinking with such a weight, that he had no hope of recovering himself, and expected nothing but that he should go directly to the bottom of the sea. See Macknight, Doddridge, Mintert, and the note on ch. Matthew 18:6.