30 Bible Verses About Ocean Waves (With Commentary)

The ocean and its waves are often used in the Bible to illustrate God’s power, majesty, and unchanging nature. Waves can symbolize both the strength and unpredictability of life, as well as the stability found in God’s sovereignty over creation. These verses reflect the profound spiritual lessons that the ocean waves can teach us about trusting God through life’s challenges and recognizing His command over the natural world. Here are 30 Bible verses that highlight the symbolism of ocean waves.

Bible Verses About Ocean Waves

1. Psalm 93:4
“Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea—the Lord on high is mighty.”

The crashing ocean waves remind us of God’s overwhelming power, which is mightier than the forces of nature.

2. Isaiah 51:15
“For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name.”

God’s sovereignty is displayed in His control over the sea’s waves, emphasizing His might.

3. Psalm 107:29
“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.”

God’s power is so great that He can calm the waves and bring peace to the storm.

4. James 1:6
“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Waves can symbolize instability and doubt, showing the need for faith and trust in God.

5. Matthew 8:26
“He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.”

Jesus calms the waves, demonstrating His divine authority over nature and offering peace in the midst of fear.

6. Jeremiah 5:22
“Should you not fear me? declares the Lord. Should you not tremble in my presence? I made the sand a boundary for the sea.”

God set boundaries for the ocean waves, illustrating His control over all creation and establishing limits for the natural world.

7. Jonah 2:3
“You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me.”

Jonah’s experience with the ocean waves reflects the overwhelming nature of life’s challenges and God’s presence through them.

8. Job 38:11
“When I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt.’”

God sets limits even for the powerful waves, showing His ultimate control over creation.

9. Isaiah 17:12
“Woe to the many nations that rage—they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar—they roar like the roaring of great waters.”

The turbulent sea waves symbolize the restlessness and turmoil of nations, compared to the calm found in God.

10. Psalm 65:7
“Who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.”

God has the power to still both the waves of the sea and the conflicts among nations.

11. Amos 9:6
“He calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land—the Lord is his name.”

God commands the waves and the waters of the sea, revealing His omnipotence over the earth.

12. Psalm 89:9
“You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.”

The waves of the ocean rise and fall at God’s command, demonstrating His authority over all things.

13. Job 9:8
“He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.”

God alone has the power to walk upon the waves, showing His dominion over the natural world.

14. Habakkuk 3:15
“You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.”

The waves of the sea churn under God’s feet, symbolizing His command over the forces of nature.

15. Matthew 14:29
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”

Peter’s walk on the waves, guided by faith in Jesus, shows how trust in God empowers us to overcome life’s storms.

16. Nahum 1:4
“He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry.”

God has the power to control the waters, commanding the waves to cease and the rivers to dry up.

17. Psalm 46:3
“Though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Even when the waves roar and natural disasters strike, we find refuge in God’s unshakable presence.

18. Isaiah 48:18
“If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”

God’s peace is compared to the steady, rhythmic flow of ocean waves, symbolizing harmony and contentment.

19. Job 12:15
“If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.”

God controls the rise and fall of the ocean waves, illustrating His power over both abundance and devastation.

20. Luke 8:24
“The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.”

Jesus demonstrates His power by calming the raging waves, bringing peace to the storm-tossed disciples.

21. Psalm 69:1-2
“Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold.”

The waves here symbolize overwhelming troubles, but God is the source of salvation and rescue.

22. Revelation 21:1
“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

The absence of the sea in the new creation symbolizes the end of chaos and fear, replaced by perfect peace.

23. Isaiah 43:2
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”

God’s presence remains with us even through the tumultuous waves of life, offering protection and guidance.

24. 1 Kings 18:44
“The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’”

The rising cloud from the sea represents the promise of rain and God’s provision after a drought.

25. Jonah 1:15
“Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.”

As soon as Jonah was thrown into the sea, the waves calmed, showing God’s authority over the waters.

26. Isaiah 57:20
“But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.”

The constant unrest of ocean waves is used to describe the turmoil of the wicked who lack peace.

27. Jeremiah 31:35
“This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the Lord Almighty is his name.”

The roaring of the ocean waves reflects the grandeur and might of God, the Creator of all.

28. Psalm 77:19
“Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.”

God leads His people through the waves, even when His presence isn’t immediately visible.

29. Isaiah 24:14
“They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.”

The majesty of the ocean waves is reflected in the joyous praise offered to God.

30. Job 26:12
“By his power he churned up the sea; by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.”

God’s wisdom and power are shown through His control over the mighty sea and its waves.

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