When he saw is translated “when he noticed” by Good News Translation, since in English people do not normally “see” wind. “Became aware of” is another possible rendering, or even “When he realized how the wind was blowing.”

He refers to Peter, not to Jesus, and some translations have to specify this.

As RSV’s footnote indicates, some Greek manuscripts read “strong wind” in place of wind. In fact, other manuscripts even have “very strong wind,” which is generally regarded as a scribe’s attempt to heighten the dramatic effect. But a firm decision concerning the inclusion or exclusion of the adjective “strong” is more complicated. In light of the impossibility of a dogmatic decision, the UBS Greek text retains the adjective in the text, though placing it in square brackets to indicate that its presence there is disputed. “Strong” is retained in most English translations, with the exception of Revised Standard Version, Barclay, and New International Version, though renderings vary considerably: “the strength of the wind” (Moffatt), “how strong the wind was” (New American Bible), “the fury of the wind” (Phillips), “the strength of the gale” (New English Bible), and “the force of the wind” (Jerusalem Bible). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “the high waves,” on the logic that what he saw was not the wind but the waves which were the result of the strong wind.

The text states that he was afraid. More natural, however, is “he became afraid (or, frightened).”

Sink translates a verb used in the New Testament only by Matthew; it occurs again in 18.6. It may be necessary to locate the sinking, as in “into the water.”

There are several ways to link the events of this verse. Good News Translation is one useful model. Another is “But when he noticed the strong wind, he became afraid. He started to sink into the water, and cried out.”

Peter calls Jesus Lord. Here the Christian sense is clearly called for rather than “Sir.”

Save translates the same verb used in 8.25. Here the phrase may be rendered “Rescue me” or “Don’t let me drown.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .