Mark 6:49
New International Version
but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

New Living Translation
but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost.

English Standard Version
but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out,

Berean Standard Bible
but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost—

Berean Literal Bible
And having seen Him walking on the sea, they thought that it is a ghost, and cried out.

King James Bible
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

New King James Version
And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;

New American Standard Bible
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out;

NASB 1995
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

NASB 1977
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

Legacy Standard Bible
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and cried out;

Amplified Bible
But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out [in horror];

Christian Standard Bible
When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out;

American Standard Version
but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;

Contemporary English Version
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they thought he was a ghost, and they started screaming.

English Revised Version
but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was an apparition, and cried out:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When they saw him walking on the sea, they thought, "It's a ghost!" and they began to scream.

Good News Translation
but they saw him walking on the water. "It's a ghost!" they thought, and screamed.

International Standard Version
but when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and began to scream.

Majority Standard Bible
but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost?

NET Bible
When they saw him walking on the water they thought he was a ghost. They cried out,

New Heart English Bible
but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and began to scream;

Webster's Bible Translation
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out.

Weymouth New Testament
They saw Him walking on the water, and thinking that it was a spirit they cried out;

World English Bible
but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they having seen Him walking on the sea, thought [it] to be an apparition, and cried out,

Berean Literal Bible
And having seen Him walking on the sea, they thought that it is a ghost, and cried out.

Young's Literal Translation
And they having seen him walking on the sea, thought it to be an apparition, and cried out,

Smith's Literal Translation
And having seen him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition, and cried out:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But they seeing him walking upon the sea, thought it was an apparition, and they cried out.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition, and they cried out.

New American Bible
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out.

New Revised Standard Version
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But when they saw him walking on the water, they thought it was a false vision, and they cried out;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
They saw him that he was walking on the water, and they thought to themselves that he was a hallucination and they cried out,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a specter, and cried out;

Godbey New Testament
But they, seeing Him walking on the sea, thought it was a specter, and cried out.

Haweis New Testament
But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition, and screamed out:

Mace New Testament
when they saw him walking upon the sea, they thought it was an apparition,

Weymouth New Testament
They saw Him walking on the water, and thinking that it was a spirit they cried out;

Worrell New Testament
but, seeing Him walking on the sea, they supposed that it was a ghost, and they cried out;

Worsley New Testament
But they seeing Him walking upon the water, thought it was an apparition, and cried out: for they all saw Him and were frighted.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Walks on Water
48He could see that the disciples were straining to row, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them, 49but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost— 50for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”…

Cross References
Matthew 14:26
When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and cried out in fear.

John 6:19-20
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified. / But Jesus spoke up: “It is I; do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:25
During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the sea.

John 6:16-18
When evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, / got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet gone out to them. / A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated.

Exodus 14:10
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified and cried out to the LORD.

Job 9:8
He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Luke 24:37
But they were startled and frightened, thinking they had seen a spirit.

Psalm 77:19
Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.

Isaiah 43:16
Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the surging waters,

Matthew 14:27
But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

John 6:21
Then they were willing to take Him into the boat, and at once the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Psalm 107:29-30
He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed. / They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.

Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Matthew 8:23-27
When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. / Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves. But Jesus was sleeping. / The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” ...


Treasury of Scripture

But when they saw him walking on the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:

they saw.

Job 9:8
Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.

supposed.

Job 4:14-16
Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones to shake…

Matthew 14:25,26
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea…

Luke 24:37
But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

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Apparition Cried Cry Ghost Lake Sea Spirit Supposed Thinking Thought Walking Water
Mark 6
1. Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country.
7. He gives the twelve power over unclean spirits.
14. Various opinions of Jesus.
16. John the Baptist is imprisoned, beheaded, and buried.
30. The apostles return from preaching.
34. The miracle of five loaves and two fishes.
45. Jesus walks on the sea;
53. and heals all who touch him.














but when they saw Him
This phrase marks a pivotal moment of recognition. The Greek word for "saw" is "εἶδον" (eidon), which implies more than just physical sight; it suggests a perception or understanding. The disciples' ability to see Jesus in this miraculous context is significant, as it challenges their understanding of His divine nature. In a broader scriptural context, seeing often symbolizes spiritual insight or revelation, as seen in passages like John 9:39, where Jesus speaks of spiritual blindness and sight.

walking on the sea
The act of "walking" (Greek: περιπατέω, peripateo) on the "sea" (Greek: θάλασσα, thalassa) is a profound demonstration of Jesus' authority over nature. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the sea often symbolized chaos and danger. By walking on it, Jesus reveals His mastery over the natural world, echoing Old Testament themes where God alone treads upon the waves (Job 9:8). This miracle serves as a testament to His divine identity, reinforcing the belief in His sovereignty and power.

they cried out
The disciples' reaction is one of fear and astonishment. The Greek word for "cried out" is "ἀνακράζω" (anakrazo), which conveys a loud, urgent shout. This response highlights their human frailty and limited understanding of Jesus' divine nature. It also reflects a common biblical theme where encounters with the divine often provoke fear or awe, as seen in Isaiah 6:5 and Revelation 1:17.

thinking He was a ghost
The term "ghost" (Greek: φάντασμα, phantasma) reflects the disciples' struggle to comprehend the supernatural event unfolding before them. In the cultural and historical context of the time, spirits or apparitions were often associated with fear and the unknown. This misunderstanding underscores their lack of faith and insight, despite witnessing Jesus' previous miracles. It serves as a reminder of the disciples' journey towards deeper faith and understanding, a journey that mirrors the spiritual growth of believers today.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

when they saw
ἰδόντες (idontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

Him
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

walking
περιπατοῦντα (peripatounta)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4043: From peri and pateo; to tread all around, i.e. Walk at large; figuratively, to live, deport oneself, follow.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sea,
θαλάσσης (thalassēs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.

they cried out,
ἀνέκραξαν (anekraxan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 349: To shout aloud, cry out. From ana and krazo; to scream up.

thinking
ἔδοξαν (edoxan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1380: A prolonged form of a primary verb, doko dok'-o of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem.

[He] was
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

a ghost—
φάντασμά (phantasma)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5326: An apparition, ghost, spirit, phantom. From phantazo; a show, i.e. Spectre.


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Mark 6:48
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