“Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?”
The full verse · Mark 4:40 · KJV
he unto , are ? how is that ye ?
Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, who had just rebuked the wind and calmed the sea (Mark 4:39)
Asked to
Disciples: "his disciples" (Mark 4:34), in the ship with Jesus, who had woken Him saying, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?" (Mark 4:38); He had just rebuked the wind and there was "a great calm" (Mark 4:39)
The Scene
Right after Jesus rebuked the wind and "there was a great calm," He turned to His disciples in the ship (Mark 4:39).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus asked to make His disciples look beneath the storm to the cause of their fear. Gill says they had no reason for such fear, "since he was with them in person, whose power to keep and preserve them, they had no room to question." Jesus had also given His word before they set out: "Let us pass over unto the other side" (Mark 4:35).
The second question presses on their faith. Gill explains "no faith" as "That is, in exercise: faith they had, but it was very small, and scarcely to be called faith." Matthew Henry adds a careful word on the first question: "Though there may be cause for some fear, yet not for such fear as this."
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe disciples gave Jesus no answer. Instead, "they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mark 4:41). Their fear of the storm turned into awe at Him. Matthew records Jesus' words as "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26), and Luke as "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25).
Historical Context
The world behind the words"Fearful" translates deiloi, which Thayer defines as "timid, fearful." It is a different word from the fear the disciples feel in Mark 4:41.
The KJV follows the Greek text known as the Textus Receptus, which reads "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?" Other Greek editions read oupō, "not yet," which is why the ESV says "Have you still no faith?" Both forms ask why their faith failed after all they had seen.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus calmed the storm before He corrected His disciples. His rebuke came after His rescue, not instead of it. His questions point them back to His presence and His word.
His word proved true. He had said, "Let us pass over unto the other side" (Mark 4:35), and they arrived "over unto the other side of the sea" (Mark 5:1). The disciples would struggle with the same lesson again: after another night on the sea, they were "sore amazed," for "their heart was hardened" (Mark 6:51-52). Matthew Henry writes, "Faith and fear take their turns while we are in this world; but ere long, fear will be overcome, and faith will be lost in sight."
Look Closer
Why did the disciples have reason not to be so afraid?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You asked Your disciples why they were so fearful; what fear in me are You asking me to bring into the light of Your presence and Your word?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Jesus asked about the cause of their fear, not just the storm. What usually lies underneath your fear when things go wrong?
- Tell about a time Jesus' presence or a promise from His word steadied you in a hard situation.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus cares about why you are afraid. His questions invite you to look past the storm to what you believe about Him. When fear rises, remember who is in the boat with you and what He has said.
Feeling fear is not the same as having no faith. Matthew Henry notes there may be cause for some fear; the problem is fear that crowds out trust. Gill's comfort is that the disciples' faith was small, not gone. Small faith can grow.
So do not hide your fear from Jesus. Bring it to Him, and let Him point you back to His presence and His promises.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?”
“Where is your faith? What manner of man is this!”
“Master, carest thou not that we perish?”
“What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”