Jonah1
New King James Version
1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.”
3But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
4But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
7And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”
9So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”
10Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.
11Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
12And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”
13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.
14Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”
15So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
17Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Jonah 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Jonah, sent to Nineveh, flees to Tarshish. (1–3). He is stayed by a tempest. (4–7). His discourse with the mariners. (8–12). He is cast into the sea, and miraculously preserved. (13–17).
vv1-3
It is sad to think how much sin is committed in great cities. Their wickedness, as that of Nineveh, is a bold and open affront to God. Jonah must go at once to Nineveh, and there, on the spot, cry against the wickedness of it. Jonah would not go. Probably there are few among us who would not have tried to decline such a mission. Providence seemed to give him an opportunity to escape; we may be out of the way of duty, and yet may meet with a favourable gale. The ready way is not always the right way. See what the best of men are, when God leaves them to themselves; and what need we have, when the word of the Lord comes to us, to have the Spirit of the Lord to bring every thought within us into obedience.
vv4-7
God sent a pursuer after Jonah, even a mighty tempest. Sin brings storms and tempests into the soul, into the family, into churches and nations; it is a disquieting, disturbing thing. Having called upon their gods for help, the sailors did what they could to help themselves. Oh that men would be thus wise for their souls, and would be willing to part with that wealth, pleasure, and honour, which they cannot keep without making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, and ruining their souls for ever! Jonah was fast asleep. Sin is stupifying, and we are to take heed lest at any time our hearts are hardened by the deceitfulness of it. What do men mean by sleeping on in sin, when the word of God and the convictions of their own consciences, warn them to arise and call on the Lord, if they would escape everlasting misery? Should not we warn each other to awake, to arise, to call upon our God, if so be he will deliver us? The sailors concluded the storm was a messenger of Divine justice sent to some one in that ship. Whatever evil is upon us at any time, there is a cause for it; and each must pray, Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me. The lot fell upon Jonah. God has many ways of bringing to light hidden sins and sinners, and making manifest that folly which was thought to be hid from the eyes of all living.
vv8-12
Jonah gave an account of his religion, for that was his business. We may hope that he told with sorrow and shame, justifying God, condemning himself, and explaining to the mariners what a great God Jehovah is. They said to him, Why hast thou done this? If thou fearest the God that made the sea and the dry land, why wast thou such a fool as to think thou couldst flee from his presence? If the professors of religion do wrong, they will hear it from those who make no such profession. When sin has raised a storm, and laid us under the tokens of God's displeasure, we must consider what is to be done to the sin that raised the storm. Jonah uses the language of true penitents, who desire that none but themselves may fare the worse for their sins and follies. Jonah sees this to be the punishment of his iniquity, he accepts it, and justifies God in it. When conscience is awakened, and a storm raised, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin that caused the disturbance. Parting with our money will not pacify the conscience, the Jonah must be thrown overboard.
Key Words
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
יוֹנָה: Jonah, an Israelite
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אֲמִתַּי: Amittai, an Israelite
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
קוּם: to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)
יָלַךְ: to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
נִינְוֵה: Nineveh, the capital of Assyria
גָּדוֹל: great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent
עִיר: a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post)
Cross References
Jonah 1Jesus explicitly names Jonah's three days in the whale as a type of His resurrection.
Supported by Matthew Henry, John Calvin
Classic passage demonstrating the absolute impossibility of fleeing from the presence of the Lord.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Joshua's interrogation of Achan mirrors the sailors' urgent questioning to discover the specific offender.
Supported by JFB
Identifies Jonah, son of Amittai, as an established historical prophet of Gath-hepher in Israel.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Traces the ancient origins of Nineveh, the great Assyrian city, built by Nimrod.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Confirms the sovereign oversight of the Lord over the casting of lots.
Supported by JFB
Parallel language of wickedness rising up before God, requiring His divine inspection and judgment.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Jonah's own explanation for his flight: he feared God's mercy would spare Nineveh.
Supported by JFB
Lyrical description of sailors encountering a God-sent tempest and crying out in distress.
Supported by JFB
New Testament example where godly men cast lots to discern the Lord's chosen direction.
Supported by JFB
Establishes Joppa (Jaffa) as a historic, operational seaport serving Israel since Solomon's time.
Supported by JFB
Similar nautical emergency where cargo is cast overboard to lighten and save the ship.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Spiritual equivalent of the master's call to awake from dangerous, carnal sleep.
Supported by JFB
Verbal echo of the sailors' confession that the Lord does whatever pleases Him.
Supported by Matthew Henry