Table of Contents
Jonah 1
Jonah 1
1 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But 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.
5 Then 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.
6 So 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.
7 And 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.
8 Then 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?
9 And 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.
10 Then 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.
12 And 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.
13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
14 Wherefore 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.
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
17 Now 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.
Notes
Cross Reference
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 2
<html><b>and proclaim against</b>—My proclamation.</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>to flee to Tarshish</b>—I.e, to a sea named Tarshish, which is outside the Holy Land. He said, “I will flee to the sea, for the Shechinah does not rest outside the Holy Land.” Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, “By your life, I have messengers like you to send after you and fetch you from there.” This is illustrated by an allegory of a priest’s slave who fled from his master and entered a cemetery [making it impossible for his master to retrieve him]. His master said to him, “I have slaves like you to send after you and fetch you from there.” Now what did Jonah see that he did not wish to go to Nineveh? He said, “The gentiles are quick to repent. Should I prophesy to them and they repent, I will be found condemning Israel, who do not heed the words of the prophets.” [from <i>Mechilta</i>, Exodus 12:1] <b>and he paid its hire</b>—He paid its hire in advance; although it is not customary for those embarking upon the sea to pay the hire of the ship until they leave, he paid in advance. [<i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i>, ch. 10; <i>Tanhuma</i>, <i>Vayikra</i> 8].</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>threatened to be broken</b>—It appears as though it would be broken.</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>And the sailors</b>—The men who conducted the ship. <b>each one… to his god</b>—Of the seventy nations of the heathens were there.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>The captain</b> Heb. רַב הַחוֹבֵל, the captain of the sailors, for they, too, are called חוֹבְלֵי הַיָּם, the sailors of the sea; in O.F., <i>gobernedors</i>. <b>“What is the matter with you, sleeper?”</b>—What is the matter with you to be sound asleep? Now is no time to sleep. <b>will think</b> Heb. יִתְעַשֵּׁת, an expression of thought. Cf. (Ps. 146:4) “his thoughts (עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָיו).” (Dan. 6:4) “And the king thought 1).” [from <i>Machberet Menachem </i>p.139]</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>“Come, let’s cast lots”</b>—They saw that the other ships were sailing in the sea calmly, and theirs was breaking. They said, “Because of one of us, this is taking place.” So we find in <i>Pirk&d’Rabbi Eliezer</i> (ch. 10). <b>because of whom</b> Heb. בְּשֶׁלְמִי, because of the deeds of which one of us.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>“Tell us now, because of whom</b>—Against whom have you sinned, that this evil should befall us because of it <b>What is your work</b>—Perhaps you were negligent in your work. <b>and whence do you come?</b> Perhaps a decree has been issued upon the people of that place even if you are not there. <b>and from what people are you?”</b>—Perhaps your people have sinned.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>“What is this that you have done?”</b>—Why have you done this, to flee from before such a Ruler?</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>And the men rowed vigorously</b> Heb. וַיַחְתְּרוּ, they toiled and busied themselves like one who digs a tunnel.</html>
Verse 14
<html><b>for the life of this man</b>—I.e, for the sin of laying a hand upon his life.</html>
Verse 16
<html><b>and they made vows</b>—that they would proselytize.</html>