Jonah 1:12 kjv
And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Jonah 1:12 nkjv
And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."
Jonah 1:12 niv
"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."
Jonah 1:12 esv
He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you."
Jonah 1:12 nlt
"Throw me into the sea," Jonah said, "and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault."
Jonah 1 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls... | Principle of life given for atonement. |
| Num 32:23 | ...be sure your sin will find you out. | Sin inevitably brings consequences. |
| Josh 7:12 | Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. | One person's sin affecting the community (Achan). |
| 1 Sam 14:38-42 | ...Saul said, Come hither, all ye chiefs of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day. And Saul said, If it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. | Seeking out the cause of God's wrath, acceptance of sacrifice. |
| 1 Ki 17:18 | And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? | Awareness of sin as a cause of distress. |
| Job 27:8 | For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? | Ultimate futility when faced with divine judgment. |
| Ps 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid... | Confession of sin brings relief. |
| Ps 107:23-30 | They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters... For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind... | God's sovereignty over sea and storms, calming them. |
| Prov 28:13 | He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. | Importance of confession for obtaining mercy. |
| Isa 53:5 | But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities... | Christ's substitutionary suffering for sin. |
| Ezek 14:14 | Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness... | Limitation of righteousness for saving others' lives; emphasizes Jonah's singular guilt. |
| Mk 4:39-41 | And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. | Jesus demonstrating divine power over storms. |
| Lk 8:24-25 | And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. | Christ's authority over creation echoes God's power. |
| Jn 1:29 | The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. | Prophetic anticipation of Christ as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. |
| Rom 5:8 | But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. | Christ's atoning death for sinful humanity. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. | Christ made sin for us, demonstrating substitution. |
| Gal 3:13 | Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us... | Christ taking the curse (judgment) upon himself. |
| Heb 9:22 | And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. | Necessity of sacrifice for forgiveness. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree... | Christ's vicarious suffering. |
| 1 Pet 3:18 | For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God... | The innocent dying for the guilty to reconcile. |
| Jam 5:16 | Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed... | The positive effect of confessing wrongs. |
Jonah 1 verses
Jonah 1 12 Meaning
In Jonah 1:12, Jonah, acknowledging his disobedience to God, reveals himself as the cause of the violent tempest plaguing the mariners and their ship. He instructs them to cast him into the sea, proposing his own sacrificial death as the divinely appointed means to appease God's wrath and bring tranquility to the tumultuous waters. This declaration signifies Jonah's understanding that the storm is not arbitrary, but a direct consequence of his rebellion against the Lord, and that only by his removal will the lives of the innocent mariners be spared.
Jonah 1 12 Context
Jonah 1:12 occurs amidst a divinely orchestrated storm, intended to correct Jonah's rebellion. Earlier, Jonah, a prophet of Yahweh, had been commanded to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled towards Tarshish, defying God's direct instruction. God sent a violent tempest, threatening the lives of all on board the ship. The pagan mariners, initially fearing for their lives and calling upon their own gods, ultimately discover through the casting of lots that Jonah is the cause of their calamity. Following their earnest inquiry about his identity and what to do, Jonah finally confesses his true nature as a Hebrew who fears the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land, and acknowledges that he is fleeing from Him. The storm, however, continues to rage furiously, leading directly to the desperate question from the mariners: "What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?" Jonah's answer in verse 12 is his self-implication and proposed solution.
Jonah 1 12 Word analysis
- And he said to them: "He" refers to Jonah. His admission comes after divine revelation (casting lots) and persistent questioning by the terrified mariners. This marks a turning point from his passive defiance (sleeping during the storm) and evasive confession to active self-identification with the problem.
- Take me up (שָׂאוּנִי - śā'ûnî): Literally "lift me" or "raise me." This imperative indicates a direct, urgent instruction, an acceptance of fate, and possibly a posture of humility and submission to the divine will he had previously resisted.
- and cast me forth (וְהֵטִילֻנִי - wəhēṭîlunî) into the sea: "Cast me forth" means to throw or hurl forcefully. The action is decisive and irreversible. "Into the sea" signifies the means of ending the judgment, recognizing God's sovereignty over the very waters he made. This proposal is a chilling act of self-condemnation, acknowledging the just consequence of his rebellion. It demonstrates Jonah's complete conviction regarding the source of the storm.
- so shall the sea be calm (יִשְׁתֹּק - yišttōq) unto you: "Be calm" or "be silent," "grow quiet." This highlights the direct cause-and-effect. Jonah is stating that God's wrath is focused solely on him. Once the source of offense (Jonah's presence due to his sin) is removed, God's judgment (the storm) will cease. This confirms God's absolute control over natural elements and His precision in judgment.
- for I know (יָדַעְתִּי - yāda'tî): Jonah's conviction. This isn't a guess but a deep-seated certainty stemming from his identity as a prophet who understands God's character and covenant faithfulness. He "knows" this through divine prompting and the confirmation of the lots and the continuing storm.
- that for my sake (בְּשֶׁלִּי - bəshellî) this great tempest (הַסְּעָרָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת - hassə'ārâ haggədôlâ hazzō't) is upon you: "For my sake" emphatically conveys personal culpability; it means "because of me," or "on my account," attributing the entire calamity to his own specific transgression. "This great tempest" emphasizes the severity and supernatural nature of the storm, reinforcing it as a divine instrument of judgment against Jonah's disobedience, yet it affects those around him.
- "Take me up and cast me forth into the sea": This phrase reveals Jonah's profound and startling admission of guilt and the solution to the dire situation. It’s an act of self-sacrifice, accepting a seemingly fatal consequence for his sin. He offers himself as an expiatory sacrifice, believing his death will appease God and save the mariners. This prefigures the ultimate self-sacrifice for the innocent in Christ.
- "so shall the sea be calm unto you": This shows Jonah's accurate understanding of God's targeted judgment. The storm isn't a random event but a specific expression of divine displeasure directed at him. Once the offender is removed, God's hand of judgment lifts from those who were inadvertently affected. This highlights God's justice being both specific and effective.
- "for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you": This entire clause is Jonah's confession and theological explanation. He knows the storm's cause—his own sin of fleeing from God—and openly takes responsibility. This understanding is key; it implies he knows Yahweh's nature and covenant expectations, contrasting with the mariners' initial ignorance but later reverential fear.
Jonah 1 12 Bonus section
The act of casting Jonah into the sea for the calm to ensue also highlights a powerful polemic against ancient pagan beliefs, which often saw the sea as chaotic and governed by unpredictable, often warring deities. The fact that the storm immediately ceases upon Jonah’s expulsion, as Jonah predicts, demonstrates Yahweh's absolute and uncontested dominion over nature, unlike any lesser deity. The 'stillness' or 'silence' of the sea, from the Hebrew root shaqat (related to 'calm'), can evoke not just physical tranquility but a divine 'silencing' of wrath, indicating the immediate satisfaction of divine judgment. This also showcases the ironic faith of a rebellious prophet in God’s specific methods of operation even while experiencing His judgment. His confession is a bitter pill, but his belief in God's power and justice remains.
Jonah 1 12 Commentary
Jonah 1:12 stands as a pivotal moment in the narrative, encapsulating Jonah's recognition of divine justice and his unique form of repentance. While his previous confession in Jonah 1:9 was primarily about his identity as a worshipper of Yahweh, this verse marks a crucial step further: his full acknowledgment of his personal guilt as the specific cause of the severe, life-threatening storm. This demonstrates Jonah's deep theological understanding as a prophet – he knew the character of the God he served, even in rebellion. He understands that God’s hand is specifically against him and that the mariners' peril is a direct consequence of his sin.
His proposal to be cast into the sea is not merely an act of despair, but an offering of substitution. In essence, Jonah volunteers to take the brunt of God's wrath, believing his life (the offending element) must be forfeited to preserve the lives of the innocent crew. This aligns with biblical principles where an accursed person or thing must be removed to cease communal suffering, reminiscent of Achan’s sin (Josh 7). While Jonah himself is a flawed prophet, this moment typologically foreshadows the greater sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the only perfectly innocent one, who willingly offered His life to absorb divine judgment and bring salvation to all who believe. Jonah, for his sin, offered his life; Christ, though sinless, offered His life for the sins of others.
The immediate cessation of the storm following his immersion (as seen in the next verses) vividly testifies to God’s absolute sovereignty over creation and His precise control over judgment, confirming Jonah’s 'knowledge' and proving the authenticity of his, albeit desperate, confession. This instance reveals that God's justice is neither blind nor arbitrary, but targets specific disobedience and, upon its removal, restores order.