Jonah 1:4

4 But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.

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 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me."
3 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.
4 But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your gods! Maybe the gods will notice us, so that we won't perish."
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