Jonah 1:1-10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jonah 1:1-3

Observe, 1. The honour God put upon Jonah, in giving him a commission to go and prophesy against Nineveh. Jonah signifies a dove, a proper name for all God's prophets, all his people, who ought to be harmless as doves, and to mourn as doves for the sins and calamities of the land. His father's name was Amittai?My truth; for God's prophets should be sons of truth. To him the word of the Lord came?to him it was (so the word signifies), for God's word is a real thing; men's words are but wind,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Jonah 1:4-10

When Jonah was set on ship-board, and under sail for Tarshish, he thought himself safe enough; but here we find him pursued and overtaken, discovered and convicted as a deserter from God, as one that had run his colours. I. God sends a pursuer after him, a mighty tempest in the sea, Jonah 1:4. God has the winds in his treasure (Ps. 135:7), and out of these treasures God sent forth, he cast forth (so the word is), with force and violence, a great wind into the sea; even stormy winds fulfil his... read more

John Gill

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

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai ,.... Or, "and the word of the Lord was" F12 ויהי "et fuit", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius; "factum fuit", Piscator. ; not that this is to be considered as connected with something the prophet had on his mind and in his thoughts when he began to write this book; or as a part detached from a prophecy not now extant; for it is no unusual thing with the Hebrews to begin books after this manner, especially historical ones, of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:2

Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city ,.... That is, arise from the place where he was, and leave the business he was about, and prepare for a long journey to the place mentioned, and be as expeditious in it as possible. Nineveh was the metropolis of the Assyrian empire at this time; it was an ancient city built by Ashur, not by Nimrod; though he by some is said to go into Ashur or Assyria, and build it, Genesis 10:11 ; and called it after the name of his son Ninus; for it signifies the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:3

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord ,.... He was not obedient to the heavenly vision; he rose up, but not to go to Nineveh, but to Tarshish, the reverse of it; to the sea, as the Targum, the Mediterranean sea, which lay west, as Nineveh was to the east. Tarshish sometimes is used for the sea; see Psalm 48:7 ; he determined to go to sea; he did not care where, or to what place he might find a ship bound; or to Tarsus in Cilicia, the birthplace of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Jonah 1:4

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea ,.... He took a wind out of his treasures, and hurled it, as the word F23 הטיל "projecit", Mercerus, Drusius; "conjecit", Cocceius. signifies, into the sea: "into that sea" F24 בים "in mare illud", Mercerus. ; that part of it where the ship was Jonah was in. Winds are at the command of God, which he raises at his pleasure, and fulfil his will, and are servants of his that obey his orders: this here was sent in pursuit of Jonah,... read more

John Gill

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

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