Jonah 1 Commentary

Jonah 1 describes God's prophet Jonah's disobedience to the LORD and the consequences of his disobedience. The LORD commissions Jonah to preach a message of repentance to the city of Nineveh, the capital city of Israel's arch-enemy, Assyria. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah boards a ship bound for Tarshish to escape his mission.

The LORD intervenes with chastisement. He throws a powerful storm into the sea, causing great fear and terror among the sailors. As the storm increases, each man aboard prays to his god and casts lots to determine the guilty party. The lot falls on Jonah, and he requests that they throw him into the sea.

After the sailors try to get to dry land unsuccessfully, they cast Jonah overboard, and the sea suddenly stops raging. Amazed at the LORD's power, the sailors worship Him and make vows. The LORD saves Jonah from drowning by appointing a great fish to swallow him. Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. The chapter's outline is as follows:

1. The LORD sends Jonah to Nineveh. But Jonah goes to Tarshish to run away from the LORD (vv. 1–3).
2. The LORD throws a great windstorm on the sea. The sailors pray to their gods and wake Jonah up from his deep sleep to pray to his god (vv. 4–6).
3. The sailors cast lots to isolate the individual responsible for the storm. The lot falls on Jonah. The sailors ask him about his identity (vv. 7–9).
4. Jonah tells the sailors that the storm is the result of his disobedience to the LORD. He suggests that they send him into the sea so that the sea may calm down. After much resistance, the sailors cast Jonah overboard, and the storm stops suddenly. Then the sailors fear the LORD and worship Him (vv. 10–16).
5. The LORD spares Jonah's life by allowing a great fish to swallow him. Jonah spends three days and three nights in the belly of the fish (v. 17).