And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
he arose.
Exodus 14:16,22,28,29 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea…
Job 38:11 And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
Psalm 29:10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever.
rebuked.
Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
Nahum 1:4 He rebuketh the sea, and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers: Bashan languisheth, and Carmel, and the flower of Lebanon languisheth.
Luke 4:39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
the wind.
Psalm 89:9 Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
Lamentations 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
“Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!”
Jesus' command is direct and authoritative, reflecting His power over the natural world. The words "Silence!" and "Be still!" are imperative, showing that creation responds to His voice. This echoes the authority of God's word in creation, as seen in Genesis 1, where God speaks and it comes to be. The command also foreshadows the peace Jesus brings to the spiritual chaos in human lives, as seen in His ministry of healing and deliverance. The calming of the storm can be seen as a type of Christ's ultimate victory over chaos and evil.
And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
The immediate response of the wind and sea to Jesus' command underscores His divine nature. The phrase "perfectly calm" indicates a complete and miraculous transformation, emphasizing the totality of Jesus' power. This calmness can be seen as a metaphor for the peace that Jesus offers to believers, as referenced in Philippians 4:7, where the peace of God surpasses all understanding. The calming of the storm also serves as a sign to the disciples of Jesus' true identity, reinforcing their faith and understanding of Him as the Messiah.
• The Lord had been sleeping on a cushion (Mark 4:38), showing genuine human fatigue, yet perfect divine peace.
• His immediate rising demonstrates readiness to answer His disciples’ plea, just as Psalm 121:4 reminds us that “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
• Standing amid the storm, Jesus embodies the truth that God is ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).
• “Rebuked” is the same word used when Jesus silences demons (Mark 1:25), underscoring His unrivaled authority over both spiritual and natural realms.
• Job 38:11 records God setting boundaries for the sea; here, Jesus exercises that same prerogative, affirming His deity.
• Psalm 89:9 declares, “You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them,” now fulfilled before the disciples’ eyes.
• Jesus speaks a direct, concise order—no rituals, no incantations, only sovereign command.
• Creation must obey its Creator (Colossians 1:16-17).
• In Luke’s parallel account the disciples address Him as “Master, Master” (Luke 8:24), highlighting that mastery through a single spoken word.
• The verb evokes Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The disciples are about to know this in real time.
• Christ not only quiets external chaos but also offers inner stillness (John 14:27).
• His two-fold command—first muzzle the wind, then hush the sea—covers every facet of the turmoil, a reminder that no part of life lies outside His control.
• Instant obedience reveals that nature recognizes the voice that called it into existence (Genesis 1:9-10).
• The sudden calm contrasts sharply with the previous “furious squall” (Mark 4:37), illustrating the completeness of Jesus’ deliverance (Psalm 107:29).
• “Perfectly” (literally “great”) mirrors the “great windstorm,” turning great fear into great peace.
• Hebrews 1:3 proclaims Jesus “sustains all things by His powerful word”; the sea now rests because that sustaining word has spoken.
• The scene foreshadows the ultimate peace of the new creation where “there will be no more sea” threatening God’s people (Revelation 21:1).
Mark 4:39 presents Jesus as fully awake to our need, fully authoritative over every force, and fully capable of turning raging chaos into complete calm. The verse invites trust in the One whose spoken word rules wind, wave, and heart alike.
(39) Peace, be still.--Literally, be still, be silenced, The latter word is the same as that used of the man who had not on a wedding garment, and was "speechless" (Matthew 22:12). Note the vividness with which St. Mark gives the very words addressed to the raging sea, as though it were a hostile power rising in rebellion against its true Lord.The wind ceased.--Better, lulled.
Verse 39. - And he arose - literally, he awoke (διεγερθεὶς) - and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still (Σιώπα πεφίμωσο); literally, Be silent! be muzzled! The Greek perfect implies that before the word was uttered, the thing was done by the simple fiat of his will preceding the word. The combined descriptions of the synoptists show that the storm was very violent, such as no human power could have composed or stilled. So that these words indicate the supreme authority of Christ as God, ruling the sea with his mighty power. Thus Christ shows himself to be God. In like manner, Christ is able to overrule and control the persecutions of the Church and the temptations of the soul. St. Augustine says that "when we allow temptations to overcome us, Christ sleeps in us. We forget Christ at such times. Let us, then, remember him. Let us awake him. He will speak. He will rebuke the tempest in the soul, and there will be a great calm." There was a great calm. For all creation perceives its Creator. He never speaks in vain. It is observable that, as in his miracles of healing, the subjects of them usually passed at once to perfect soundness, so here, there was no gradual subsiding of the storm, as in the ordinary operations of nature, but almost before the word had escaped his lips there was a perfect calm.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
[Jesus] got up
διεγερθεὶς (diegertheis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1326: To wake out of sleep, arouse in general, stir up. From dia and egeiro; to wake fully; i.e. Arouse.
[and] rebuked
ἐπετίμησεν (epetimēsen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2008: From epi and timao; to tax upon, i.e. Censure or admonish; by implication, forbid.
the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
wind
ἀνέμῳ (anemō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 417: The wind; fig: applied to empty doctrines. From the base of aer; wind; by implication, quarters.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative 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.
θαλάσσῃ (thalassē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2281: Probably prolonged from hals; the sea.
“Silence!”
Σιώπα (Siōpa)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4623: To keep silence, be silent, either voluntarily or involuntarily. From siope; to be dumb; figuratively, to be calm.
He commanded.
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.
“Be still!”
πεφίμωσο (pephimōso)
Verb - Perfect Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 5392: To muzzle, silence. From phimos; to muzzle.
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
the
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
wind
ἄνεμος (anemos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 417: The wind; fig: applied to empty doctrines. From the base of aer; wind; by implication, quarters.
died down,
ἐκόπασεν (ekopasen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2869: To abate, cease raging, be stilled. From kopos; to tire, i.e. to relax.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.
it was
ἐγένετο (egeneto)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.
perfectly
μεγάλη (megalē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.
calm.
γαλήνη (galēnē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1055: A calm. Of uncertain derivation; tranquillity.
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NT Gospels: Mark 4:39 He awoke and rebuked the wind (Mar Mk Mr)