Section 878
I. The disciples were at this time in great danger and distress
Which appear not only from this expression of theirs, We perish, but also from the narrative of their case in the context: For,
1. It is said, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea (Matthew 8:24); a great tempest, μεγας, a great concussion, or shaking. The same word is frequently used both in scripture (Matthew 24:7 and 28:2), and in other writers,[4547] for the Terræ'dipus motus, or earthquake. Here it is ascribed to the sea; such a shaking we read of in the prophecy of Haggai (Haggai 2:6), which had now, at least in part, its literal accomplishment; and when the Messiah, the desire of all nations, should come, Jehovah would shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land. The stormy wind agitated and moved the sea, and the waves thereof; and both wind and sea shook the ship, and the men that were in it: which threw them into great surprise and fear. One of the other evangelists (Luke 8:23) calls this tempest, a storm of wind; and another (Mark 4:37), a great storm of wind; and both of them use the word λαιλαψ, læ'dipuslaps, which is a particular kind of wind, or is rather a conflict of many winds.[4548] The Philosopher says, that læ'dipuslaps, as also strobilus, is a wind that is suddenly whirled, and rolled about, downwards and upwards. It is defined by a learned Grecian, to be "a storm, or tempest of wind, with rain." It seems to be a whirlwind, and hurricane, in which the disciples were. All the views of it, shew them to be in imminent danger.
It is also said, that this tempest arose. Could we give into a vulgar notion, that winds may be, and sometimes are raised by Satan, we should be tempted to think, that this storm was raised by him, with a malicious intent to destroy Christ and his disciples at once; since he was always seeking an opportunity to take away the life of Christ, and put different persons upon different methods of doing it, and at last accomplished his end. But we shall have occasion to observe hereafter, in this discourse, that Satan has no power to raise, continue, restrain, or lay a wind. Nor did this tempest arise by chance; it was no fortuitous event, but was ordered to be, at this very juncture, by the all-wise, and all-governing providence of that God, who commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, for the trail of the faith of the disciples of Christ; and that he might have an opportunity of giving proof of his Deity on the sea, as he had lately done in several instances on the dry land. The evangelist Luke says (Luke 8:23), that this storm of wind came down: He seems to refer to the course and motion of the winds, which are exhalations from the earth, raised up into the middle region of the air; from whence they are repelled, by a superior force, to the lower region; and from thence move, in an oblique, slanting manner, downwards. So we read of a dry wind of the high places, even a full wind from those places not to fan, nor to cleanse (Jeremiah 4:11, 12). This violent wind came down with great force into the sea, and lifted up its waves, which beat into the ship, and pressed it much, so that it was in great danger of being sunk by them.
The place where this tempest arose, or into which this storm of wind came down, is here said to be the sea. The evangelist Luke (Luke 8:23), calls it a lake; and is the same with the lake of Genesareth, he elsewhere makes mention of (Luke 5:1). But both the evangelists, Matthew and Mark, call it the sea; and is what is sometimes in scripture call the sea of Tiberius (John 6:1, 21:1), and the sea of Galilee; agreeable to the language of the Jewish writers, when they have occasion to speak of it; and was, as Pliny says, about sixteen miles long, and six broad. Now, to be in a storm on land is terrible, but to be in one out at sea is much more so.
To all this, the word behold is prefixed; which is sometimes used, when something extraordinary and preternatural is spoke of (See Isaiah 7:14). This storm seems to have been more than an ordinary one, at least, it was sudden, and unexpected. When the disciples entered the ship, the air was serene, the sea still and quiet, there was no appearance or likelihood of a tempest; but quickly after they had set sail, at once, on a sudden, at unawares, this storm came down upon them; which must needs throw them into great consternation and distress.
2. The ship was covered with the waves, which so beat into it, as another Evangelist expresses it (Mark 4:37), that it was now full of water; yea, it is said (Luke 8:23), that they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy, or in great danger; which, perhaps, respects the other little ships (Mark 4:36), that were in company with this, and were so ordered by divine providence, to be witnesses of this wondrous event. In one of the copies, of one of the evangelists, the word βυθιζεθαι is used; which signifies, that not only the ship was covered and filled with water, but that it was immersed, or just sinking into the deep; so that the disciples were brought to the utmost extremity.
3. What greatly added to, and increased their distress, it is observed, that Christ was asleep; all the evangelists agree in this, though they do not use the same word. The evangelist Mark mentions the place where he was asleep, in the hinder part of the ship, επι τη πουμν, in the stern, where he, as Lord and Master, should be; but, to the great concern of the disciples, he was there asleep, and that in a dead, deep, sound sleep, as the word, which the evangelist Luke makes use of, signifies; and is confirmed by the loud cries, and repeated calls of the disciples to him, saying, Master, Master, We perish. This sleep, doubtless, arose from natural causes, and was more easily brought upon him, through his very great fatigue in preaching his sermon upon the mount, from whence he was just come down; and trough the great resort of people to him, to heal the sick, and cast out devils. He seems to signify, that he was in great uneasiness, and weariness of body, to a certain man, just before he entered into the ship, who said to him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest; who is thus answered by him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head (Matthew 8:19, 20); intimating, as though he wanted an opportunity to lie down, and take some rest: And accordingly, when he was come into the ship, placing himself at the stern, finds a pillow, lays down his head upon it, and falls fast asleep. But, though this sleep of his was natural, yet it was so ordered by the providence of God, that it should in this manner come upon him, at this time, for the further trail of the faith of his disciples.
4. The great distress they were in expressed in these words, We perish, απολλυμεθα (So the word is rendered, in Luke 19:10, 2 Corinthians 4:3), we are lost; a way of speaking still in use among seafaring men, and indeed, in common use with others. Nothing is more frequent that for us to say, such a vessel, or such a ship's crew, or such a person were lost, at such a time, and in such a place. It is also to be observed, that they do not say, we are in danger of being lost, or we are ready to be lost, or we shall be lost, but we are lost; which shews what apprehensions the had of their condition, and that their case was like that of the apostle Paul, and the mariners with him, when all hope, that they should be saved, was taken away (Acts 27:2). So the disciples saw no probability of escaping by any natural, rational methods; they looked upon themselves as lost. Christ was their last shift, and he was asleep; however, they resolve to betake themselves to him: Which brings me,