What Is the Sea of Galilee?
What Is the Sea of Galilee? The Sea of Galilee is the freshwater lake in northern Israel where Jesus performed many miracles and called His first disciples.
Key verse: Matthew 4:18 (KJV)
The Sea of Galilee is the freshwater lake in northern Israel where Jesus performed many miracles and called His first disciples.
The Sea of Galilee is the freshwater lake in northern Israel where Jesus performed many miracles and called His first disciples.
"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers." — Matthew 4:18 (KJV)
Meaning
Plain-language explanation
In Context
Surrounding KJV scripture
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The Biblical Answer
The Sea of Galilee — also called the Sea of Tiberias, Lake of Gennesaret, and the Sea of Chinnereth — is a pear-shaped freshwater lake about thirteen miles long and seven miles wide, lying 680 feet below sea level. It was the center of Jesus' Galilean ministry. He calmed its storms, walked on its waters, and called fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John from its shores. He fed the five thousand on a hillside nearby, and after the resurrection He appeared to the disciples on its shore and restored Peter with the thrice-repeated question, 'Lovest thou me?' The lake surrounded a ring of towns — Capernaum, Bethsaida, Magdala, Tiberias — most of which Jesus visited. For three years, the Sea of Galilee was the classroom where the disciples learned who Jesus truly was: Master over wind and wave, Lord of life and death.
Key Scripture References
"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers."
"And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm."
"Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea."
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Related Questions
Who Was the Apostle Peter?
Peter was a fisherman who became Jesus' most prominent disciple — bold, impulsive, failing at the crucifixion, but restored to become the leader of the early church.
What Is the Significance of the Mount of Olives?
The Mount of Olives is a ridge east of Jerusalem deeply tied to Jesus' final week, His ascension, and His promised return.
What Is Nazareth?
Nazareth was the Galilean village where Jesus grew up — so obscure that Nathanael once asked, 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?''
What Is Gethsemane?
Gethsemane is the garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed in agony the night before His crucifixion and was betrayed by Judas.
What Is Bethlehem?
Bethlehem is the small Judean town where Jesus Christ was born, fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would come from David's city.
Deep Dive Commentary
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Sea of Galilee in the Bible
The lake where Jesus called His disciples, walked on water, and calmed the storm
Read it in context
The answer above sits inside Matthew. The 365-day chronological plan reads it in the order the events happened.
Read Matthew on day 284 of the chronological Bible reading planKeep the verses to hand
Every verse quoted in “What Is the Sea of Galilee?” comes from the King James Version, free to download and print.
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