John Gill Commentary Matthew 14:26

"And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a ghost; and they cried out for fear." — Matthew 14:26 (ASV)

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea
It was now morning, and perhaps there might have been moonlight; and besides, there is always more light upon the water than land. They were able to discern something like a man walking upon the surface of the sea, but did not have enough light to distinguish what or who it was.

Moreover, they had no thought of Christ, or expectation of seeing him; and the appearance of a man walking upon the waters being so unusual and astonishing,

they were troubled, saying it is a spirit: a nocturnal apparition, a demon in human form.

The Jews, especially the sect of the Pharisees, had a notion, from whom the disciples might have theirs, of spirits, apparitions, and demons, being to be seen in the night; hence that rule ^F21, "it is forbidden a man to salute his friend in the night, for we are careful, lest (awh dv), 'it should be a demon'."

They say a great many things of one (tylyl), "Lilith", that has its name from (hlyl), "the night", a she demon, that used to appear in the night, with a human face, and carry off young children, and kill them. Some such frightful notions had possessed the minds of the disciples:

and they cried out for fear, as persons in the utmost consternation, in the greatest danger, and in want of help.

The fear of spirits arises from the uncommonness of their appearance; from their superiority to men in power and strength; from the enmity between men and evil spirits; and from a general notion of their doing hurt and mischief. Hence, demons are, by the Jews, called (Nyqyzm), "hurtful", or "hurting", all their study is to do hurt to men; and the same word is here used in Munster's Hebrew Gospel.

Add to all this, the fear of the disciples might be increased through a vulgar notion among seafaring men, that such sights are ominous and portend evil to sailors. They might the more easily be induced to give credit to this and fear, since they were already in such imminent danger.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F21: T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 3. 1. Sanhedrim, fol. 44. 1.