Bible Question:

I am just wondering how Jesus was able to teach the crowd from the lake while the rest were on the shore (Matthew 13:1-2)? Could his voice be heard from this distance?

Bible Answer:

We do not know where Jesus was when He sat down in the boat out on the sea. The boat had to be close to the shore since the crowd were standing on the sea shore.

That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. (NASB) Matthew 13:1-2

We do not know the size of the crowd. It may have been one hundred people, five hundred people or more. The larger the crowd, the louder he would have had to speak, but that would also depend on the wind and the terrain. If there was a hill behind the crowd His voice would have been more easily heard. Men have preached to large crowds over the years without an amplification system. Amplification systems have not existed until the last one hundred years. In ancient times, generals have spoken to large armies without an amplification system.The Greeks and Romans conducted plays before large coliseums of people without amplification systems. This has been true down through history. They had to speak loudly. Jesus had to speak loudly to the crowd along the seashore.

Conclusion:

It is also important to remember that Jesus was not an ordinary man. He had special abilities, since He was God. Was He also able to speak louder than normal on special occasions? Honor Him by thanking Him for loving you.