Jonah 1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:5

Then the mariners were afraid ,.... Perceiving that the storm was not an ordinary, but a supernatural one; and that the ship and all in it were in extreme danger, and no probability of being saved. This shows that the storm must be very violent, to frighten such men who were used to the sea, and to storms, and were naturally bold and intrepid. The word used signifies "salters", so called from the salt sea they used, as they are by us "mariners", from "mare", the "sea"; though R. Japhet in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:6

So the shipmaster came to him ,.... The master of the vessel, who had the command of it; or the governor of it, as Jarchi; though Josephus F4 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 9. c. 10. sect. 2.) distinguishes between the governor and the shipmaster: "the master of the ropers" F5 רב החבל "magister funalis", Munster; "magister funiculaiorum", so some in;Mercer; "magister funis", Calvin. , as it may be rendered; of the sailors, whose business it was to draw the ropes, to loose or gather... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:7

And they said everyone to his fellow ,.... That Jonah awoke and rose up, upon the shipmaster's calling to him, is certain; but whether or no he called upon his God is not; perhaps he did: and when his prayer was over, and the storm still continuing, the sailors said one to another, come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us ; for, Observing something very uncommon and extraordinary in the tempest, and all means, both natural and religious, failing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:8

Then they said unto him, tell us, we pray thee ,.... They did not fall upon him at once in an outrageous manner, and throw him overboard; as it might be thought such men would have done, considering what they had suffered and lost by means of him; but they use him with great respect, tenderness, and lenity: and entreat him to tell them for whose cause this evil was upon them : or rather, as the Targum, "for what this evil is upon us;' and so Noldius F6 Concordant. Part. Ebr. p.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:9

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew ,.... He does not say a Jew, as the Targum wrongly renders it; for that would have been false, since he was of the tribe of Zebulun, which was in the kingdom of Israel, and not of Judah; nor does he say an Israelite, lest he should be thought to be in the idolatry of that people; but a Hebrew, which was common to both; and, besides, it not only declared what nation he was of, but what religion he professed, and who was his God: and I fear the Lord,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:10

Then were the men exceedingly afraid ,.... When they found he was a Hebrew, and that it was the God of the Hebrews that was angry; of whom they had heard much, and what great and wonderful things had been done by him, and now had an experience of his power and providence, and that it was for fleeing from his presence that all this was; and therefore, since they had been guilty of greater sins than this, as they might imagine, what would be done to them? and particularly it might fill them... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:11

Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee ,.... Though, both by the lot and his own confession, they knew he was the guilty person; for whose sake this storm was; yet were unwilling to do anything to him without his will and consent, his counsel and advice; perceiving that he was a prophet of the God of the Hebrews, whom he had offended, and knew the mind and will of his God, and the nature of his offence against him, and what only would appease him they desire him to tell what... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:12

And he said unto them, take me up, and cast me forth into the sea ,.... This he said not as choosing rather to die than to go to Nineveh; or as having overheard the men say that they would cast him into the sea, as Aben Ezra suggests, greatly to the prejudice of the prophet's character; but as being truly sensible of his sin, and that he righteously deserved to die such a death; and in love to the lives of innocent men, that they might be saved, and not perish, through his default; and as a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:13

Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring it to the land , but they could not ,.... Or, "they digged" F12 ויחתרו "et fodiebant", Montanus, Calvin, Piscator, Tarnovius; "foderunt", Vatablus, Liveleus. ; that is, the waters of the sea with their oars; not by casting anchor, as Abendana; they used all their skill and exerted all their strength; they laboured with all their might and main, as a man digs in a pit; they ploughed the ocean, and furrowed the sea, as the Latins speak,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:14

Wherefore they cried unto the Lord ,.... Not unto their gods, but unto the true Jehovah, the God of Jonah, and of the Hebrews; whom they now, by this providence, and Jonah's discourse, had some convictions and knowledge of as the true God; and therefore direct their prayer to him, before they cast the prophet into the sea: and said, we beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee ; which repetition shows the ardent, vehemence, and earnestness of their minds in prayer: let us not perish for... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:14

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