And in the fourth watch of the night. Therefore some nine hours after sunset (Matthew 14:23, note). They had been battling for hours, and had only gone about three miles and a half (John 6:19). Jesus went; came (Revised Version); ἦλθε, not ἀπῆλθε, with Received Text.
Unto them, walking on the sea ( ἐπὶ τὴν θάλθασσαν); contrast Matthew 14:26 ( ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης). Here there is more thought of motion (cf. Matthew 14:29), but in the next verse the advance is almost forgotten, and the fact of Christ being on the water is all-important; "they saw him on the sea, walking."