"What Manner of Man is This?"

The crossing of the Lake, the "sea of Galilee," Tiberius or Chinnereth, or Lake of Gennesaret, as it is variously referred to, is a familiar incident to the readers of the Word; preserved for us  within the pages of the Holy Scriptures, the "Scriptures of truth." Matthew 8:23-27.                                       

The quotation above is of singular moment, and this is the A.V. translation, while  Darby has: "What sort of Man is this?" Almost word for word the same. But I often use the expression, "Who then is This?" unfortunately at the time I failed to recall where I first read this particular rendering, nevertheless I believing it to be a fine translation. Later I discovered it is in Darby's translation of the account recorded in Mark.                     Mark 4:41.

It is not my design to compare the translations, I am poorly equipped for such a task, neither do I not feel the necessity; I included the different renderings merely because brethren and sisters may be more familiar with one than another due to their own habitual musings upon the Word.

My purpose in writing this simple "post" stems from a pursuit of the expression written upon my heart. Thus I turned to W.K.'s commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. But I did not find it there, but something else grabbed my attention, and exposed once more my deficiency in grasping even the simplest things in the Word. It is not that I read too hurriedly, or without due concentration, but perhaps because something seems unimportant, and I overlook it sadly.

I hope I have caused you enough curiosity to be awaiting my explanation, but equally hope to not disappoint you with it.

Now whenever I have meditated on this lovely scene with its precious typical teaching, I have adjudged that the phrase "What manner of Man is This," to be spoken by the disciples. And, next I wondered why they would ask such a question having companied with the Son of Man daily for a number of years; hearing His voice of wisdom. authority, love, and from time to time, rebuke. They had witnessed His miracles, and individually benefitted from some of those acts of divine loving-kindness. They had even seen glimpses of His deity through the veil of His flesh. And if the expression I have made my own is correct, it is even more incongruous that the disciples would ask such a question: "Who then is This?" 

W.K. it seems almost without thought pens in his exposition these words after the Master had stilled the storm: "And there was a great calm," so that even the very shipmen marvelled saying, "What manner of Man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Indeed in verse 27 of Matthew's eighth chapter we read, "But the men were astonished, saying, "What sort of man is this?"

I conclude that the "ship" was not the possession of one of His disciples, but a ship that perhaps constantly ferried folk across the lake, and may be for hire with its crew. This seems to me to be the answer to my little dilemma. I trust you will excuse the simplicity.

T.W.