Matthew 8:27

27 And men wondered, and said [saying], What manner man is this, for the winds and the sea obey to him?

Matthew 8:27 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 8:27

But the men marvelled
Mark says, "they feared exceedingly"; and Luke, "they being afraid, wondered": they were filled with astonishment and fear, or reverence: there was such a shine of majesty, such a lustre of divine power appeared in this affair. The other two evangelists seem to refer this to the disciples, which Matthew seems to ascribe to the men, the mariners that were in the ship; it is likely it had the same effect on both; and both were abundantly convinced of his deity and dignity, saying,

what manner of man,
or person

is this?
For the word "man", is not in the text; of what qualities, perfections and powers, is he possessed? Surely he must be more than a mere man; he can be no other than the mighty God,

that even the winds and the sea obey him:
which can be said of no other, than the most high God: never was such a thing heard of, that the winds and sea should be rebuked by a mere creature, and should obey. That man must be infidel to "revelation", that can read this account, and deny the deity of Christ; to one or other of these he must be drove, either to deny the truth of the fact, and the circumstances of it, or believe that Jesus Christ is truly and properly God, as the disciples and mariners did.

Matthew 8:27 In-Context

25 And his disciples came to him, and raised him, and said [And his disciples came nigh to him, and raised him, saying], Lord, save us; we perish.
26 And Jesus said to them, What be ye of little faith aghast [+And Jesus saith to them, What be ye of little faith afeared]? Then he rose [up], and commanded to the winds and the sea, and a great peaceableness was made.
27 And men wondered, and said [saying], What manner man is this, for the winds and the sea obey to him?
28 And when he was come over the water into the country of men of Gergesenes, two men met him, that had devils, and came out of graves, full mad, so that no man might go by that way. [+And when he had come over the water into the country of men of Gergesenes, two men having devils ran to him, going out from burials, full fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.]
29 And lo! they cried, and said [saying], What to us and to thee, Jesus, the Son of God? art thou come hither before the time to torment us?
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.