The captain approached him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish." The captain approached himThe word "captain" in Hebrew is "רַב הַחֹבֵל" (rav hachovel), which translates to "chief of the sailors" or "shipmaster." This indicates a person of authority and responsibility on the ship. Historically, the captain would have been a seasoned sailor, familiar with the sea's dangers. His approach to Jonah signifies a desperate situation, as he seeks help from every possible source. The captain's action reflects a universal human tendency to seek divine intervention in times of crisis, regardless of one's usual beliefs or practices. and said, 'How can you sleep?'
The phrase "How can you sleep?" is a rhetorical question that underscores the urgency and peril of the situation. In the Hebrew context, sleep often symbolizes ignorance or indifference. Jonah's deep sleep amidst the storm suggests a spiritual lethargy or avoidance of his prophetic duty. This moment serves as a wake-up call, not just physically but spiritually, urging Jonah to confront his responsibilities. The captain's incredulity highlights the contrast between Jonah's inaction and the crew's frantic efforts to save the ship. Get up and call on your god!
"Get up" is a call to action, both physically and spiritually. The Hebrew word "קוּם" (qum) is often used in the Old Testament to signify rising to fulfill a divine command or mission. The captain's directive to "call on your god" reflects the polytheistic beliefs common in ancient maritime cultures, where sailors would invoke various deities for protection. This plea for divine intervention underscores the universal recognition of a higher power in times of distress. It also foreshadows Jonah's eventual realization of his need to turn back to God. Perhaps this god will consider us
The word "consider" in Hebrew is "עָשָׁה" (asah), which can mean to act, do, or make. Here, it implies the hope that Jonah's God will take notice and intervene. The captain's use of "perhaps" indicates uncertainty but also a glimmer of hope. This reflects the ancient belief in the capricious nature of gods, who might be swayed by human supplication. The phrase suggests a desperate hope that Jonah's God, unlike the others, might have the power and willingness to save them. so that we may not perish.'
The word "perish" in Hebrew is "אָבַד" (avad), meaning to be lost or destroyed. This highlights the dire situation faced by the sailors, who fear for their lives. The plea "so that we may not perish" is a universal cry for salvation, resonating with the human instinct to seek deliverance from impending doom. In the broader biblical narrative, it echoes the theme of God's mercy and willingness to save those who call upon Him, foreshadowing the eventual redemption and repentance that Jonah will experience. Persons / Places / Events 1. JonahA prophet of God who is fleeing from God's command to go to Nineveh. He is found sleeping in the ship during a violent storm. 2. The CaptainThe leader of the ship's crew who approaches Jonah, urging him to pray to his god in hopes of saving the ship and its crew from the storm. 3. The ShipThe vessel carrying Jonah to Tarshish, away from Nineveh, which is caught in a severe storm sent by God. 4. The StormA divinely sent tempest that threatens to destroy the ship, symbolizing God's intervention and pursuit of Jonah. 5. The SeaRepresents chaos and danger, often used in Scripture to symbolize the unknown and the uncontrollable forces of nature. Teaching Points Awareness of God's SovereigntyRecognize that God is in control of all circumstances, including the storms in our lives. Just as He sent the storm to redirect Jonah, He can use challenges to guide us back to His will. The Call to PrayerIn times of crisis, prayer should be our first response. The captain's plea to Jonah to call on his god reminds us of the power and necessity of prayer in seeking divine intervention. Responsibility and AccountabilityJonah's initial disobedience led to the storm, teaching us that our actions have consequences not only for ourselves but also for those around us. We must be accountable for our choices. The Importance of Spiritual VigilanceJonah's sleep during the storm symbolizes spiritual apathy. We must remain vigilant and spiritually awake, ready to respond to God's call at all times. Interfaith SensitivityThe captain's openness to Jonah's God highlights the importance of respecting and understanding different faith perspectives, especially in times of shared crisis. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Jonah's reaction to the storm reflect our own tendencies to avoid responsibility or ignore God's call in our lives? 2. In what ways can we ensure that prayer becomes our immediate response in times of crisis, as urged by the captain? 3. How does the account of Jonah and the storm challenge us to consider the impact of our personal decisions on the community around us? 4. What lessons can we learn from the captain's approach to Jonah about engaging with people of different faiths or beliefs during difficult times? 5. How can we cultivate spiritual vigilance in our daily lives to avoid becoming spiritually complacent like Jonah? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 107:23-30This passage describes sailors caught in a storm, crying out to God for deliverance, similar to the situation Jonah and the sailors face. Mark 4:35-41Jesus calming the storm parallels Jonah's account, highlighting divine authority over nature and the call to faith amidst fear. Acts 27:13-44Paul's shipwreck experience shares themes of divine intervention and the importance of faith and obedience during trials. | A Model Sea-Captain | W. H. Burton. | Jonah 1:6 | | A Rousing Voice to Moral Sleepers | D. Thomas | Jonah 1:6 | | A Troublesome Cabin Passenger | W. H. Burton. | Jonah 1:6 | | An Alarm to the Careless | Robert Simpson, M. A. | Jonah 1:6 | | Arousing Voice to Moral Sleepers | Homilist | Jonah 1:6 | | Asleep in Sin | Dennis Kofly, M. A. | Jonah 1:6 | | Man's Interest in God | George Hutcheson. | Jonah 1:6 | | Men Aroused by Unexpected Means | T. De Witt Talmage. | Jonah 1:6 | | Natural Religion -- its Strength and Weakness | Hugh Martin, M. A. | Jonah 1:6 | | Of the Dispositions Becoming Men in the Times of Very Threatening and Impending Danger | J. Orr, D. D. | Jonah 1:6 | | Remarkable Awakenings | T. De Witt Talmage. | Jonah 1:6 | | Sleeper, Arise | F. R. H. H. Noyes, D. D. | Jonah 1:6 | | Terrors of Conscience | T. Townson, D. D. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Awakening Influence of Light | John Robertson. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Good Shipmaster | W. H. Marriott. | Jonah 1:6 | | The History of Jonah | John Foster. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Sleep of Jonah, and the Sleep of Christ | Thomas Stephenson. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Sleeper Aroused | George Fisk, LL. D. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Sleeper Awakened | E. Payson, D. D. | Jonah 1:6 | | The Sleeper Called to Awake | W. Nisbet. | Jonah 1:6 | | Jonah Reproved | G.T. Coster | Jonah 1:4-6 | | The Divine Interposition | A. Rowland | Jonah 1:4-6 | | The Fugitive Arrested | W.G. Blaikie | Jonah 1:4-6 | | An Effective Hue and Cry | J.E. Henry | Jonah 1:4-10 |
People Amittai, Jonah, TarshishPlaces Joppa, Mount Esau, Nineveh, TarshishTopics Approached, Arise, Bethink, Captain, Chance, Chief, Company, Concerned, Destruction, Draweth, Maybe, Mean, Meanest, Notice, O, Perhaps, Perish, Prayer, Rise, Shipmaster, Ship-master, Ship's, Sleep, Sleeper, Sleepest, Sleeping, Won'tDictionary of Bible Themes Jonah 1:6 5245 captain Jonah 1:1-6 8616 prayerlessness Jonah 1:1-10 5178 running Jonah 1:3-15 5517 seafaring Jonah 1:4-17 5828 danger Jonah 1:5-6 5533 sleep, physical 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 ScriptureChristian 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 Links Jonah 1:6 NIVJonah 1:6 NLTJonah 1:6 ESVJonah 1:6 NASBJonah 1:6 KJV
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