◄ Jonah 1:16 ►
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.
Study Bible
At this
This phrase indicates a pivotal moment of realization and response. The sailors, who were initially pagans, have just witnessed the calming of the sea after Jonah was thrown overboard. This moment signifies a turning point, where the miraculous intervention of God becomes undeniable. In the Hebrew context, such moments often lead to a deeper understanding or revelation of God's power and presence.

the men
Referring to the sailors, these men were initially polytheistic, each crying out to their own gods (Jonah 1:5). Their transformation throughout the narrative is significant, as they move from fear of the storm to fear of the LORD. This highlights the universal reach of God's influence, extending beyond Israel to all nations and peoples.

greatly feared
The Hebrew word used here is "yare," which can mean both fear and reverence. This dual meaning is crucial, as it suggests that the sailors' fear was not just terror but also a profound respect and awe for the LORD. This fear is a common biblical response to witnessing God's mighty acts, leading to worship and obedience.

the LORD
The use of "the LORD" (Yahweh) is significant, as it denotes the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal and relational nature. The sailors' acknowledgment of Yahweh indicates a shift from their previous beliefs to recognizing the one true God. This acknowledgment is a testament to God's sovereignty and the power of His name.

and they offered a sacrifice
Sacrifices in the ancient Near East were acts of worship and atonement. The sailors' offering signifies their desire to honor and appease the LORD, acknowledging His supremacy. This act of sacrifice is a physical manifestation of their newfound faith and reverence, aligning with the biblical theme of sacrifice as a means of drawing near to God.

to the LORD
Reiterating the focus on Yahweh, this phrase underscores the sailors' complete shift in allegiance. Their sacrifices are directed solely to the LORD, indicating a rejection of their former gods. This exclusive devotion is a key aspect of biblical faith, where God demands and deserves undivided worship.

and made vows to Him
Vows in the biblical context are solemn promises made to God, often in response to His deliverance or blessing. The sailors' vows reflect a commitment to continue honoring the LORD beyond the immediate crisis. This act of making vows is a demonstration of their sincere conversion and dedication to living in accordance with God's will.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Men (Sailors)
These are the sailors on the ship with Jonah. Initially, they were pagans who worshiped various gods, but through the events of the storm and Jonah's testimony, they came to fear the LORD.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His sovereignty and power over creation, which the sailors come to recognize and revere.

3. The Sacrifice and Vows
The sailors' response to the calming of the sea, indicating a shift from fear of the storm to reverence for the God of Israel. This act signifies their acknowledgment of God's power and their commitment to Him.
Teaching Points
Fear of the LORD
The sailors' fear of the LORD represents a reverent awe and recognition of His supreme authority. This fear leads to worship and commitment, a model for how believers should respond to God's power and grace.

Transformation through Encounter
The sailors' transformation from pagan worshipers to those who fear the LORD highlights the power of divine encounters. It encourages believers to share their testimonies, as God can use them to bring others to faith.

Sacrifice and Vows
The sailors' response with sacrifices and vows demonstrates a heart of gratitude and commitment. Believers are called to offer their lives as living sacrifices, dedicating themselves to God's service.

God's Sovereignty
The calming of the sea underscores God's control over nature and circumstances. Trusting in God's sovereignty brings peace amidst life's storms.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the sailors' fear of the LORD in Jonah 1:16 compare to the biblical concept of the "fear of the LORD" found in Proverbs?

2. In what ways can personal testimonies, like Jonah's, impact those who do not yet know God, as seen in the sailors' transformation?

3. How can we apply the sailors' response of sacrifice and vows in our own lives today, especially in times of crisis?

4. What does the sailors' experience teach us about God's ability to reveal Himself to non-believers through natural events?

5. How can the account of Jonah and the sailors encourage us to trust in God's sovereignty during our own life's storms?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 107
This Psalm describes God's deliverance of those in distress at sea, paralleling the sailors' experience and their subsequent worship of God.

Acts 27
Paul's shipwreck experience shows God's sovereignty over the sea and His ability to use such events to reveal Himself to non-believers.

Romans 1:20
This verse speaks to God's invisible qualities being understood from what has been made, similar to how the sailors recognized God's power through the calming of the storm.
Sermons
The Sailors ConductG.T. Coster Jonah 1:11-16
The Offender SacrificedW.G. Blaikie Jonah 1:11-17
Storm Stilling ExtraordinaryJ.E. Henry Jonah 1:13-16
People
Amittai, Jonah, Tarshish
Places
Joppa, Mount Esau, Nineveh, Tarshish
Topics
Exceedingly, Fear, Feared, Greatly, Men's, Oaths, Offered, Offering, Sacrifice, Vow, Vows
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jonah 1:16

     5741   vows
     6629   conversion, examples
     8142   religion
     8334   reverence, and God's nature
     8336   reverence, and obedience
     8632   adoration

Jonah 1:4-17

     5828   danger

Library
Guilty Silence and Its Reward
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 …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christian Graces.
FAITH. FAITH! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than gold that perisheth. If so, what is the worth or value that is in the grace itself? Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul, that it will bring over the hardest heart that it hath to deal with. It will bring to my remembrance at once, both my vileness against God, and his goodness towards me; it will show me, that though I deserve not to breathe in the air, yet God will have me an heir …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

Whether Divination by Drawing Lots is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination by drawing lots is not unlawful, because a gloss of Augustine on Ps. 30:16, "My lots are in Thy hands," says: "It is not wrong to cast lots, for it is a means of ascertaining the divine will when a man is in doubt." Objection 2: There is, seemingly, nothing unlawful in the observances which the Scriptures relate as being practiced by holy men. Now both in the Old and in the New Testament we find holy men practicing the casting of lots. For it is related …
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Careless Sinner Awakened.
1, 2. It is too supposable a case that this Treatise may come into such hands.--3, 4. Since many, not grossly vicious, fail under that character.--5, 6. A more particular illustration of this case, with an appeal to the reader, whether it be not his own.--7 to 9. Expostulation with such.--10 to 12. More particularly--From acknowledged principles relating to the Nature of Got, his universal presence, agency, and perfection.--13. From a view of personal obligations to him.--14. From the danger Of this …
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Sign Seekers, and the Enthusiast Reproved.
(Galilee on the Same Day as the Last Section.) ^A Matt. XII. 38-45; ^C Luke XI. 24-36. ^c 29 And when the multitudes were gathering together unto him, ^a 38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. [Having been severely rebuked by Jesus, it is likely that the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign that they might appear to the multitude more fair-minded and open to conviction than Jesus had represented them to be. Jesus had just wrought …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

Jonah
The book of Jonah is, in some ways, the greatest in the Old Testament: there is no other which so bravely claims the whole world for the love of God, or presents its noble lessons with so winning or subtle an art. Jonah, a Hebrew prophet, is divinely commanded to preach to Nineveh, the capital of the great Assyrian empire of his day. To escape the unwelcome task of preaching to a heathen people, he takes ship for the distant west, only to be overtaken by a storm, and thrown into the sea, when, by …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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