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Now the LORD’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
Verse 2. Ninive, the capital city of the Assyrian empire. Challoner.—It was 150 stadia long and 90 broad, (Diod. ii.) on the western bank of the Tigris. Pliny vi. 13.—Mosul, which some mistake for it, stands on the northern side. See Genesis 10:10. At the time when Jonas preached, Ninive would contain about 600,000. Calmet. 4:11. They were people less favoured by God, (Acts 14:15. Calmet.) but not abandoned. Theod.—God took sufficient care of all his creatures, and foretold many things relating to foreign nations. Calmet.—Romans 3:29. Worthington.—For the. Septuagint add, “cry of.” Genesis 4 and 18. Bible.
But Jonah rose up 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 its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Verse 3. Tharsis. Which some take to be Tharsus of Cilicia, others to be Tartessus of Spain, others to be Carthage. Challoner.—Joppe, now Jaffa, ( Menochius.) a miserable seaport. Bible.—It was formerly the best near Jerusalem, (2 Chronicles 2:16) though very dangerous. Jos. Bel. iii. 15. or 29.—It is said to have been built before “the inundation” of the world, (Mela. i. 11) and was famous for the adventure of Andromeda, rescued by Perseus from a sea monster. Pliny verse 13. Calmet.—Lord. He feared being accounted a false prophet, ( Worthington.) knowing how much God was inclined to shew mercy, (Calmet. 4:2) and being disheartened at the difficulty of the undertaking, like Moses and Gedeon. Calmet.—He might also think that if the Ninivites repented, it would be a reflection on the obstinacy of the Jews. Saint Gregory Mor. vi. 13. Saint Jerome
But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.
Verse 4. Broken. Seeing no natural cause of such a sudden tempest, they concluded ( Worthington.) that some on board must be guilty; as the sailors argued ( Bible.) when the noted atheist, Diagoras, was in similar circumstances. Calmet.—They had recourse to lots, and the prophet consented by God’s inspiration, ( Worthington.) though this is not written, ( Bible.) and the lots were superstitious. Menochius.—The oriental writers add many things to this sufficiently marvellous account. Lyran. D’Herbelot. Calmet.
Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
Verse 5. God. They were idolaters. verse 6.—Wares, which is commonly done in storms. Calmet.—This loss was in punishment of their sins; though they seem not devoid of some fear of God and man. Bible.—Sleep. This is a lively image of the insensibility of sinners, fleeing from God, and threatened on every side with his judgments; and yet sleeping as if they were secure. Challoner.—Yet Jonas was sleeping through grief. Saint Jerome Matthew 26:40. Calmet.
So the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Then they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
Verse 9. Fear, and therefore fly from the face of the Lord. verse 3, 10. Bible.—He knew that God is every where, verse 3. Psalms 33:8. Calmet.—Septuagint “I worship.” Fear is often taken in this sense. Bible.
The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What have you done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and more stormy.
He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”
Verse 12. Cast me. God intimates that he required this sacrifice. Menochius.
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.
Verse 13. Hard. They were unwilling to destroy the prophet, ( Calmet.) fearing to incur fresh guilt by thus treating one who had intrusted his life to them. Jos. Ant. ix. 11.
Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, “We beg you, LORD, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, LORD, have done as it pleased you.”
Verse 14. Blood. We act thus by his direction, and through necessity.
So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Verse 16. Lord. They were converted by this prodigy, and offered sacrifice immediately, or ( Calmet.) when they came to port. Menochius.—All know by the light of reason that sacrifice and vows are acceptable to the Lord. Worthington.
The LORD prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.