Matthew 14:30But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
The setting
Sea of Galilee, ~30 AD. Peter's eyes shift from Jesus to the whitecaps around him. Physics returns. A fisherman who knows these waters starts to drown. Modern-day northern Israel, where sudden storms still catch boats off guard.
The emotion here: drowning in terror and crying out desperately
The original word
sōson (σῶσόν) — rescue me now, urgent salvation, life-or-death plea
Why it matters
The Sea of Galilee averages 150 feet deep - Peter wasn't in shallow water where he could touch bottom
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 14:30
Peter's prayer was only three words in Greek - when you're drowning, you don't give long speeches
Common misconceptionPeople think Peter failed here, but his instinct to cry out to Jesus in crisis shows his faith was still intact even when his confidence collapsed.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 14:30
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 14:30 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 14:30 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include fear, rescue. Notable phrases: he was afraid; Lord, save me!. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does Matthew 14:30 mean to you, today?
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