Tag Archives: John 6:18

Ἥ τε θάλασσα ἀνέμου μεγάλου πνέοντος διεγείρετο. (John 6:18)

And the sea was being stirred up by a great wind blowing.

As the Wind Blew, the Sea Awoke

John 6:18 gives a compact but vivid description of a growing storm that sets the stage for Jesus walking on the sea. The Greek employs a genitive absolute, a passive imperfect verb, and the narrative particle τε to convey rising tension and atmospheric drama. The grammar mirrors the physical reality: the disciples’ world is becoming unstable.

1. Subject and Narrative Connector: ἥ τε θάλασσα ἥ – Nominative singular feminine definite article, referring to θάλασσα τε – Enclitic particle meaning “also” or “and indeed,” used here to tightly link this clause to what came before θάλασσα – “the sea,” the subject of the main verb διεγείρετο

This phrase introduces the main scene — “the sea also…” — contributing to the narrative escalation.… Learn Koine Greek