Jonah 1

King James Version

Full text for Jonah Chapter 1

1¶ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,

2Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

3But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

4¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.

6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

7And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

8Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil [is] upon us; What [is] thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what [is] thy country? and of what people [art] thou?

9And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land].

10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

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.

12And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you.

13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring [it] to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

14Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.

15So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

16Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

17Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

The LORD commanded Jonah to preach in Nineveh, but he fled by ship towards Tarshish to escape God's presence. A great tempest arose, and when lots revealed Jonah as the cause, he confessed his flight from the LORD. At his instruction, the mariners cast him into the sea, which immediately calmed, and the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.

Medium Summary

The prophet Jonah received a divine command from the LORD to go to Nineveh and cry against its wickedness. However, Jonah disobeyed, choosing instead to flee by ship to Tarshish, seeking to escape the LORD's presence. As he sailed, the LORD sent a mighty tempest, endangering the ship and terrifying the mariners, who cried out to their gods and lightened the vessel. When lots were cast, Jonah was identified as the cause of the calamity, and he confessed to being a Hebrew fleeing from the God who made the sea and dry land. Jonah instructed the mariners to cast him into the raging sea to appease it, acknowledging the storm was for his sake. Though reluctant, they eventually complied, and the sea immediately became calm, leading the mariners to fear the LORD exceedingly. Subsequently, the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, holding him in its belly for three days and three nights.

Long Summary

The book of Jonah begins with the word of the LORD coming to Jonah, son of Amittai, commanding him to go to Nineveh, a great city, and prophesy against its wickedness. Disobeying this divine injunction, Jonah rose to flee from the presence of the LORD, journeying to Joppa where he found a ship bound for Tarshish. He paid his fare and embarked, intending to escape his prophetic duty. However, the LORD intervened by sending a mighty tempest upon the sea, threatening to break the ship and instilling great fear in the mariners. In their distress, the mariners cried out to their various gods and cast overboard the ship's cargo to lighten it, while Jonah remained asleep in the lower part of the vessel. The shipmaster roused Jonah, urging him to call upon his God, hoping for deliverance. The mariners then decided to cast lots to determine who was responsible for the calamity, and the lot fell upon Jonah. Interrogated by the crew, Jonah revealed his identity as a Hebrew who feared the LORD, the God of heaven, the creator of the sea and dry land, and confessed that he was fleeing from Him. The men were exceedingly afraid upon learning this and asked what they should do to calm the tempestuous sea. Jonah instructed them to cast him into the sea, acknowledging that the storm was a direct consequence of his disobedience. Despite their efforts to row to shore, they could not overcome the raging sea. Before casting him overboard, they cried out to the LORD, pleading not to be held accountable for taking an innocent life, recognizing God's sovereign will. They then took Jonah and cast him into the sea, and immediately the sea ceased its raging. Witnessing this profound event, the mariners feared the LORD exceedingly, offered a sacrifice, and made vows. Finally, the LORD prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah, and he remained in its belly for three days and three nights.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Command and DisobedienceThe LORD commands Jonah to preach to Nineveh, but Jonah actively disobeys by fleeing in the opposite direction, demonstrating a direct defiance of God's will.
  • The Sovereignty of GodThe LORD demonstrates His absolute control over creation by sending a great wind and tempest to intercept Jonah's flight, and later by preparing a great fish.
  • Consequences of DisobedienceJonah's flight from the LORD directly causes a life-threatening storm, endangering himself and innocent mariners, highlighting the serious repercussions of defying divine instruction.
  • Pagan Mariners' Fear and FaithThe Gentile mariners, initially crying to their own gods, eventually come to fear the LORD exceedingly, offer sacrifice, and make vows after witnessing His power and the immediate calming of the sea.
  • Jonah's Confession and SacrificeJonah confesses his identity and his flight from God, accepting responsibility for the storm and offering himself to be cast overboard to save the ship and its crew.
  • Divine PreservationDespite Jonah's disobedience, the LORD prepares a great fish to swallow him, preserving his life for three days and three nights, indicating a continued divine purpose for him.