The Pulpit Commentary — Jonah — Section 9

'' Pol minume miror, n&vis Bi fracta eet tibi, 6, for the fom1er uee; and for the lnttor, Soe\us te et soelestc partit qulll vexit bona." Gtln. xl. 15; Exod. ii. 7; iii. 18). Con- "Little I wonder if the ship is wreoked vinced that God hnd miraculously pointed Which oarries thee and thy ill-gotten him out as the culprit on whose account the we&lt.h." storm was sent, aud goaded by the stings of conscience, Jonith loses all his previous (Comp. lEschylus, 'Electr.,' I3.'i4; 'Theb.,' indecision nnd spiritual stupor, and in 598; Horst., 'Carro.,' iii. 2. 26, etc.) The a mnnly and straightforward way confesses misfortune of the Israelites at Ai was con- the truth without disguise. The LXX., sequent on the sin of Ac\11tn (Josh. vii.). reading differently, renders, Aoii>..os Kvpfov Let us cast lots. (On the Christian ,·iew of •lµl I-yd,, "A servnnt of Jehovah am I." "lots," see Dr. Pusey'e Commentary, pp. 270, This mnkes a tautological statement with 271.) ,Jerome says here, "'l'he fugitive wa.s the next words, and leaves one of the takon by lot, not by virtue of the lots, sailors' questions unanswered. I fea.r the esp,•cially of the lots of heathen men, hut ~y Lord. I worship, reverence ( ,d{Joµa,, Septua- 1hc will of him who guided the uncertain gint) Jehovah, who is not a local deity like lots." For whose cause; Scpt111tgint, -rlvos the false gods whom you adore, but the ,,,,,,,v. The unusual nature of the tempest Creator of heaven and earth, the Maker and showed them that it we.s sent in judgment. Ruler of sea and dry land. So Abraham Commentators cite the story of Die.gore.s told calls the Lord the God of heaven (Gen. b,· Cicero (' De Nat. Deor.,' iii. 37). The lot xxiv. 7), and Daniel (ii. 37, 44) uses the fell upon Jonah. Prov. xvi. 33, "The lot same expression (comp. Pe. :xovi. 5; Jer. is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing x.11). thereof is of the Lord" (comp. l Sam. :x. Ver.10.-Exceedinglyafraid, Theyunder- 20, etc.; xiv. 41; Acts i. 26). stand now the greatness of Jehovah and the Ver. 8.-The mariners having, as they snp- terrible risk incurred by one who offends posed, discovered the culprit, proceed calmly him. There was a widespread acknowledg- to investigate his guilt; amid the roaring of ment of the power of Jehovah among the the tempest and the peril that surrounded heathen (see Exod. xv. 15; Josh. v. l; them, they give him every opportunity of l Sam. iv. 7; and comp. Judith v. 21). Why clearing himself or confessing his crime. haet thou done this 1 better, What is this that For whose cause. Some mituuscripts of the thou hast IUJ811 7 (Gen. iii. 13). This is not Hebrew and the Greek omit this clause aa a question of inquiry, for he had already unnecessary; but, as Keil remarks, it is not told them that he had tied from the pre- superfiuons, the sailors thereby wishing to sence of the Lord; but rather an exclama- induce Jonah to confess his guilt with his tion of horror and amazement at hie folly own mouth. In their excitement thPy crowd and sin. '.rhat one who worshipped the question upon question, asking him about Almighty Creator should disobey his com- his busiuees, his journey, his country, his mand seemed to them outrageous and parentage. Jerome notes the pregnant inexensably criminal. The prophet does brevity of t.hese inquiries, and comvares not spare himself in giving the history or Virgil, '.lEneid,' viii. 112, etc.- the transaction. To be thus rebuked by <'Juvenes, qum causa subegit heathen sailors must have added to the Ignotas ten tare vias? quo tenditis? inqui~. poignancy of hiB remorse. The presence Qui genns? unde domo? pacemne hue fert1s of the Lord (see note on ver. 3). an a.rma?'' Vere. 11-16.-§ 3. On hearing Jonah', •• Warriors, what ea use constrained you thus confession, the sailors appeal to him, aa 11 to tempt worshipper of Jehovah, to tell them what to A path untrodden? Whither are ye bound? w to him that the storm may cease. He What is your re.ce? Where dwell ye? bids them caat him into the sea, iollich, after Peace or war Come ye to bring? '' some demur and after renewed efforts to escape, they proceed to do. Upon this the (Comp. Hom., 'Od.,' L 170.) What is thine occupation 1 His occupation, they thought, storm immediately abate,. might have been one to excite the wrath of Ver. 11.-What shall we do Illlto thee, tl,., gods; or hiB country aD1.l family might They recognize that the tempest was sent liave beeu exposed to the hatred of Heaven; as a judgment on account of Jonah's sin; at lie nee the succeeding questions. the same time, believing him to be a prophet Ver. 9.-I am an Hebrew. This is the of Jehovah, under whose wrath they were name used by foreigners in speaking of suffering, ther, ask hi;! advice !n this Israelites, or by Israelites in speaking of omer.,ency; if 1t was a crime to rece1vo l11m, tl,tmselves to Gtntiles (see Gen. xiv. Ja; what" shall they do to him to expiuio the xuix. 14 ; xii. 12; Exod. i. 16; I Saw. iv. offence a11d ~o ll.{> poaso the ango1· ol' God?, ClI. r.1-17.] 'i'HE MOK OF JON AH. 6