Jonas 1:4

4 Mais l'Éternel souleva un grand vent sur la mer, et il y eut une grande tempête sur la mer, et le navire était sur le point de se briser.

Jonas 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.

Jonas 1:4 In-Context

2 Lève-toi, va à Ninive, la grande ville, et crie contre elle; car leur méchanceté est montée jusqu'à moi.
3 Mais Jonas se leva pour s'enfuir à Tarsis, de devant la face de l'Éternel. Il descendit à Japho, et il trouva un navire qui allait à Tarsis; il paya son passage, et y entra pour aller avec eux à Tarsis, de devant la face de l'Éternel.
4 Mais l'Éternel souleva un grand vent sur la mer, et il y eut une grande tempête sur la mer, et le navire était sur le point de se briser.
5 Et les marins eurent peur; ils crièrent chacun à leur dieu, et jetèrent à la mer les objets qui étaient dans le navire, pour l'alléger; mais Jonas était descendu au fond du navire, s'était couché et dormait profondément.
6 Alors le pilote s'approcha de lui, et lui dit: Pourquoi dors-tu? Lève-toi, crie à ton Dieu. Peut-être pensera-t-il à nous, et nous ne périrons pas.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.