Jonah 1:4

4 Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart.

Jonah 1:4 Meaning and 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 signifies, into the sea: "into that sea" F24; 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, to stop him in his voyage, when he thought he had got clear off, and was safe enough. The Jews say F25 this was done when he had been one day's voyage: and there was a great tempest in the sea;
which caused the waves to rise and roar, and become very tumultuous: this wind was an extraordinary one, like that "laelaps" or storm of wind which came down into the sea when the disciples of Christ were on it in a ship; or like the "Euroclydon", in which the Apostle Paul was, ( Acts 27:14 ) ; so that the ship was like to be broken;
it was in danger of it; it seemed as if it would, the waves of the sea were so strong, and beat so hard upon it. It is in the original text, "the ship thought [it should be] broken" F26; that is, the men in it; they that had the management of it thought nothing less but that it would be dashed to pieces, and all their goods and lives lost; so great was the hurricane occasioned by the wind the Lord sent. It may be rendered, "that ship F1 was like" The Jews F2 have a notion that other ships passed to and fro in great tranquillity, and this only was in distress.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (lyjh) "projecit", Mercerus, Drusius; "conjecit", Cocceius.
F24 (Myb) "in mare illud", Mercerus.
F25 Pirke Eliezer, c. 10. fol. 10. 1.
F26 (hbvx) "putabat", Montanus; "cogitavit", Vatablus, Burkius; "cogitabat", Drusius, Cocceius.
F1 (hynah) "navem iliam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F2 Pirke Eliezer, c. 10. fol. 10. 1. So Aben Ezra, Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abendana in loc.

Jonah 1:4 In-Context

2 "Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has confronted Me."
3 However, Jonah got up to flee to Tarshish from the Lord's presence. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, from the Lord's presence.
4 Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart.
5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his god. They threw the ship's cargo into the sea to lighten the load. Meanwhile, Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel and had stretched out and fallen into a deep sleep.
6 The captain approached him and said, "What are you doing sound asleep? Get up! Call to your god. Maybe this god will consider us, and we won't perish."
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.