Mark 4:40 Meaning and Explanation
“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Jesus asks His disciples why they are so fearful and how it is that they still have no faith.
What Does Mark 4:40 Mean?
With the sea quiet, Jesus turns to the harder weather inside the boat. Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? He had spoken the destination Himself, let us pass over, and His word was the guarantee of arrival; panic had simply shouted it down.
Notice the order of His care: He stills the storm first and corrects the disciples after; rescue comes before the lesson. And the rebuke itself is a kindness, for it treats faith as something they could have had, and fear as something they need not keep. Faith here is not the absence of waves but confidence in the Person on board. The questions are left standing for every reader in every storm: why so afraid, when He is in the boat?
Mark 4:40 in the Original Language
deilos (δειλός), 'fearful' -- cowardly or timid; fear that has lost sight of trust.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 4:40
What does Mark 4:40 mean?
Jesus asks His disciples why they are so fearful and how it is that they still have no faith.