What Does Mark 4:40 Mean in the King James?
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The storm’s danger is real, but the question asks whether it has become more convincing than the one already with you.
THE MEANING
A real threat can fill your attention until it feels like the only thing present. The Greek wording includes οὔπω (oupo, “not yet”), leaving trust open as something still forming. The one with you remains present even when the danger is real.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that a frightened moment proves trust is permanently unavailable.
THE ROOT
πίστιν
pistin
GROWS FROM
πειθ-
peith-
Persuade, win over, or be persuaded.
Here “faith” is trust: the heart persuaded enough to lean its full weight. This word family links persuasion with reliance, so the question reaches the voice currently winning your confidence.
ALSO GROWS
peithō: Persuade, convince; be persuaded or trust.
πείθω
The verb shows the movement behind trust: something wins the heart’s confidence.
pepoithēsis: Confidence, reliance.
πεποίθησις
This related noun makes explicit the reliance carried within the trust named here.
δειλοί
deiloi
GROWS FROM
δειλ-
deil-
Timid, shrinking back under threat.
“fearful” in this verse is deiloi. This word depicts more than a passing feeling: it pictures shrinking before danger. Beside the word for trust, it makes the contrast visible as shrinking back versus leaning your weight.
ALSO GROWS
deilia: Timidity, cowardice.
δειλία
The noun names the inward shrinking present in the adjective.
deiliaō: Be cowardly, lose heart.
δειλιάω
The verb shows shrinking as a response under threat, not a permanent identity.
THE PATTERN
When threat rises, trust can anchor the heart beyond what fear can see.
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.THE THREAD
(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)The same noun, πίστις (pistis, trust), appears in both verses. Mark shows trust questioned in the face of a storm; this line describes its ongoing shape, moving by trust when sight alone cannot carry the whole weight.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us