Jonah 1:4

4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

Jonah 1:4 in Other Translations

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.

4 But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.

4 But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.

4 But God sent a huge storm at sea, the waves towering.

4 But Jehovah sent out a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

4 The LORD sent a violent wind over the sea. The storm was so powerful that the ship was in danger of breaking up.

4 Then the Lord hurled a violent wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break apart.

4 But the LORD sent a strong wind over the Mediterranean Sea. A wild storm came up. It was so wild that the ship was in danger of breaking apart.

Jonah 1:4 Meaning and Commentary

Jonah 1:4

But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea
He took a wind out of his treasures, and hurled it, as the word ^F23 signifies, into the sea: "into that sea" ^F24; that part of it where the ship was Jonah was in. Winds are at the command of God, which he raises at his pleasure, and fulfil his will, and are servants of his that obey his orders: this here was sent in pursuit of Jonah, to stop him in his voyage, when he thought he had got clear off, and was safe enough. The Jews say ^F25 this was done when he had been one day's voyage: and there was a great tempest in the sea;
which caused the waves to rise and roar, and become very tumultuous: this wind was an extraordinary one, like that "laelaps" or storm of wind which came down into the sea when the disciples of Christ were on it in a ship; or like the "Euroclydon", in which the Apostle Paul was, ( Acts 27:14 ) ; so that the ship was like to be broken;
it was in danger of it; it seemed as if it would, the waves of the sea were so strong, and beat so hard upon it. It is in the original text, "the ship thought [it should be] broken" ^F26; that is, the men in it; they that had the management of it thought nothing less but that it would be dashed to pieces, and all their goods and lives lost; so great was the hurricane occasioned by the wind the Lord sent. It may be rendered, "that ship ^F1 was like" The Jews ^F2 have a notion that other ships passed to and fro in great tranquillity, and this only was in distress.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 (lyjh) "projecit", Mercerus, Drusius; "conjecit", Cocceius.
F24 (Myb) "in mare illud", Mercerus.
F25 Pirke Eliezer, c. 10. fol. 10. 1.
F26 (hbvx) "putabat", Montanus; "cogitavit", Vatablus, Burkius; "cogitabat", Drusius, Cocceius.
F1 (hynah) "navem iliam", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F2 Pirke Eliezer, c. 10. fol. 10. 1. So Aben Ezra, Jarchi, Kimchi, and Abendana in loc.

Jonah 1:4 In-Context

2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.

5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

6 The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 107:23-26