The Bible — World English Bible
Jonah 1
In brief
In Jonah 1, God sends the prophet Jonah to Nineveh, the great city whose wickedness has come up before him. Jonah disobeys, goes down to Joppa and boards a ship for Tarshish, in the opposite direction, away from the presence of the Lord. God then sends a great storm. Jonah sleeps in the hold, the lot falls on him, he confesses his faith and asks to be thrown into the sea. The storm calms, the sailors fear the Lord, and God provides a great fish that swallows Jonah for three days and three nights.
The chapter in 5 parts
1Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. 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 Yahweh.
4But Yahweh 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.
5Then 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.
6So 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.”
7They 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.
8Then 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?”
9He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
10Then 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 Yahweh, because he had told them.
11Then 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.
12He 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.”
13Nevertheless 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.
14Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.”
15So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging.
16Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
17Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Key verses
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. 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 Yahweh.
God tells Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh; Jonah rises, but to flee to Tarshish. The text repeats that he flees from the presence of the Lord, as if anyone could leave God's presence.
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.
While the sailors cry out to their gods, Jonah sleeps in the hold of the ship. The prophet's sleep illustrates the drowsiness of someone cut off from their mission.
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh, the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
Jonah confesses that he fears the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land. His conduct contradicts his confession, for he flees from the one whose power he proclaims.
Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows. Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
The pagan sailors come to fear the Lord, while God provides a fish to save his prophet. God pursues Jonah and reveals himself to the nations by an unexpected path.
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Frequently asked questions about Jonah 1
Why does Jonah flee to Tarshish?
The text says that Jonah flees from the presence of the Lord, but it does not give the reason in chapter 1. We discover it in chapter 4: Jonah feared that God would forgive the people of Nineveh, enemies of his people. So he chose the opposite direction, toward Tarshish.
Why does God send a storm?
God sends a mighty wind to stop Jonah's flight. The storm does not destroy the prophet: it confronts him with his disobedience, reveals his faith before the sailors and ends up leading them to fear the Lord themselves.
What is the sign of Jonah?
Jesus refers to it by saying that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Chapter 1, verse 17, is the starting point of this parallel with his death and resurrection.
Articles quoting Jonah 1
World English Bible translation — public domain.