Jonah 1:11

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

Jonah 1:11 in Other Translations

11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, “What should we do to you to stop this storm?”

11 They said to him, "What are we going to do with you - to get rid of this storm?" By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.

11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous.

11 The storm was getting worse. So they asked Jonah, "What should we do with you to calm the sea?"

11 So they said to him, "What should we do to you to calm this sea that's against us?" For the sea was getting worse and worse.

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down?"

Jonah 1:11 Meaning and Commentary

Jonah 1:11

Then said they unto him, what shall we do unto thee
Though, both by the lot and his own confession, they knew he was the guilty person; for whose sake this storm was; yet were unwilling to do anything to him without his will and consent, his counsel and advice; perceiving that he was a prophet of the God of the Hebrews, whom he had offended, and knew the mind and will of his God, and the nature of his offence against him, and what only would appease him they desire him to tell what they ought to do; fearing that, though they had found out the man, they should make a mistake in their manner of dealing with him, and so continue the distress they were in, or increase it; their great concern being to be rid of the storm: that the sea may be calm unto us?
or "silent" ^F8? for the waves thereof made a hideous roaring, and lifted up themselves so high, as was terrible to behold; and dashed with such vehemence against the ship, as threatened it every moment with destruction: (for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous);
or, "it went and swelled" {i}; it was agitated to and fro, and was in a great ferment, and grew more and more stormy and tempestuous. Jonah's confession of his sin, and true repentance for it, were not sufficient; more must be one to appease an angry God; and what that was the sailors desired to know. These words are inserted in a parenthesis with us, as if put by the writer of the book, pointing out the reason of the men's request; but, according to Kimchi: they are their own words, giving a reason why they were so pressing upon him to know what they should do with him, "seeing the sea was going and stormy" ^F11; or more and more stormy; which seems right.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (qtvyw) "ut sileat", Pagninus, Vatablus, Mercerus, Drusius; "et silebit", Montanus; "ut conticeseat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Burkius.
F9 (reow Klwh) "ibat et intumescebat", Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius.
F11 "Vadeus et turbinans", Montanus; "magis ac magis procellosum erat", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "inhorrescebat", Cocceius.

Jonah 1:11 In-Context

9 He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

10 This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?”

12 “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before.