Jonah 1:4 kjv
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.
Jonah 1:4 nkjv
But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
Jonah 1:4 niv
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 esv
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.
Jonah 1:4 nlt
But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart.
Jonah 1 4 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 107:25 | For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. | God's command over the winds and waves, like in Jonah's storm. |
| Mk 4:39 | Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!”... | Jesus, as God, demonstrates authority over nature, echoing Jonah 1:4. |
| Ps 89:9 | You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves arise, You still them. | God's absolute control over the sea's might. |
| Job 38:8 | Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth as if galloping... | God's divine power in managing the creation, including the sea. |
| Exod 14:21 | Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea... and the Lord caused the sea to go... | God uses the wind and sea for His purposes, parting the Red Sea. |
| Ps 139:7 | Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? | Highlights the futility of Jonah's attempt to flee God's presence. |
| Prov 21:30 | There is no wisdom or understanding or counsel against the Lord. | No human plan or flight can thwart God's sovereign will. |
| Jer 2:19 | Your own wickedness will correct you, And your backslidings will rebuke you. | Disobedience often brings its own consequences and divine correction. |
| Isa 57:20 | But the wicked are like the troubled sea, When it cannot rest, Whose waters cast... | Metaphor for internal and external turmoil often associated with disobedience. |
| Job 42:2 | “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You." | Reinforces God's irresistible will and purpose. |
| Ps 18:16 | He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. | God rescues from destructive waters, implying His control over them. |
| Nah 1:3 | The Lord is slow to anger and great in power... His way is in the whirlwind and in the storm... | Describes God's power manifest in natural phenomena like storms. |
| Lk 8:24 | And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!"... | Another account of Jesus calming a storm, showing divine mastery. |
| Jer 23:19 | Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury - A raging whirlwind... | Storms are sometimes portrayed as instruments of God's judgment or power. |
| 2 Sam 22:16 | Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered... | God's mighty actions, often involving control over the waters. |
| Am 9:3 | Though they hide themselves on top of Carmel, From there I would search... | God's omnipotence and omnipresence, there's no escape. |
| 1 Cor 10:13 | No temptation has overtaken you... but God is faithful, who will not allow you... | Even in discipline, God provides a way through the trial. |
| Heb 12:6 | For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. | The storm can be seen as divine discipline for Jonah, whom God loves. |
| Ps 77:19 | Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footprints... | God's powerful presence and action in the midst of mighty waters. |
| Acts 27:18 | And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they began to... | Similar ship perils highlighting the intensity of sea storms. |
| Gen 3:8 | ...Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God... | Humanity's futile attempts to hide from God, paralleling Jonah's flight. |
| Hos 5:14 | For I will be like a lion to Ephraim... I, even I, will tear them and go away... | God actively pursues and deals with disobedience. |
| Ps 65:5 | By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O God of our salvation... | God answers through mighty acts in nature. |
Jonah 1 verses
Jonah 1 4 Meaning
Jonah 1:4 describes God's direct and powerful intervention to counter Jonah's disobedient flight. As Jonah attempts to escape the Lord's command by sailing away, God actively unleashes an overwhelming storm at sea, making the ship seem as though it would break apart. This verse demonstrates the Lord's absolute sovereignty over creation and His relentless pursuit of His chosen servant.
Jonah 1 4 Context
Jonah chapter 1 establishes the setting for the prophet's profound spiritual crisis. Having received a direct command from the Lord (YHWH) to prophesy against Nineveh, the formidable capital of Assyria, Jonah consciously disobeys. He chooses to flee "from the presence of the Lord," ironically attempting to escape an omnipresent God by sailing in the completely opposite direction towards Tarshish. Verse 4 marks the immediate and dramatic consequence of this rebellion. God, the sovereign Lord, actively intervenes with a cataclysmic display of His power over creation, making it impossible for Jonah to proceed with his escape. This tempest serves not merely as bad weather, but as a divine instrument aimed squarely at His defiant prophet and also, surprisingly, drawing the pagan mariners into an encounter with the true God. The historical context includes the widespread belief in territorial gods, which Jonah himself might have implicitly believed, prompting his flight from the "land of YHWH." This verse then polemically declares YHWH's universal dominion over all lands and seas.
Jonah 1 4 Word analysis
But (וַיְהוָה, way·Yĕhwâ): This conjunctive particle initiates a sharp contrast or immediate shift. While Jonah executes his plan to flee (v. 3), God instantaneously counters his rebellion. It emphasizes divine initiative and opposition to human will.
the Lord (YHWH): This is the covenant name of God, specific to Israel. It highlights that it is not just "a god" but the personal, powerful, and sovereign God of Jonah, the One with whom Jonah is in a covenant relationship, who acts directly. This signifies that His concern extends even to a disobedient prophet and the pagan sailors.
sent out (הֵטִיל, hê·ṭîl): More than just "sent," this Hebrew verb implies "to cast," "to hurl," or "to throw down" with force and intent. It denotes a deliberate, powerful, and decisive act of God, unleashing the storm directly upon the sea.
a great wind (רוּחַ גְּדוֹלָה, rûaḥ gĕḏôlâ):
- Rûaḥ (wind/spirit/breath): Denotes a powerful, non-physical force. Here, it refers to a supernaturally generated wind, not just natural weather. Its source is God's breath or Spirit, underscoring its divine origin and intensity.
- Gĕḏôlâ (great/mighty): Emphasizes the immense size, strength, and severity of the wind. This wasn't a minor squall but a profound manifestation of God's power.
into the sea (’el-hayyam): Specifies the target of God's action. The very domain Jonah chose for his escape becomes the site of divine confrontation. God meets Jonah precisely where he seeks to avoid Him.
and there was (וַיְהִי, wayhî): A common narrative connector, but here it swiftly introduces the consequence of God "sending out" the wind.
a mighty tempest (סַעַר גָּדוֹל, sa‘ar gāḏôl):
- Sa‘ar (tempest/whirlwind): Denotes a violent, swirling storm. This complements "great wind," further detailing the chaotic and destructive nature of the meteorological event.
- Gāḏôl (great/mighty): Again, reiterates the extraordinary magnitude and intensity of the storm. The double emphasis on "great" signifies that this was an exceptional and divinely ordained occurrence.
so that the ship was like to be broken (וְהָאֳנִיָּה חִשְּׁבָה לְהִשָּׁבֵר, wəhā’ŏnîyâ ḥiššəḇâ ləhiššāḇēr): This phrase indicates the extreme danger and dire consequences of the storm.
- ḥiššəḇâ (was like/thought/calculated): Implies an imminent and expected outcome. Some interpretations personify the ship, as if it itself "thought" or "expected" to break. Others translate it as "was on the point of breaking" or "threatened to break apart." Regardless, it conveys a severe, critical situation.
- ləhiššāḇēr (to be broken/shattered): The fate awaiting the ship due to the storm's power.
Words-group analysis:
- "But the Lord sent out a great wind": This immediate counter-action establishes God's direct sovereignty. Jonah's human choice to flee is met by divine, omnipotent counter-force. This isn't random weather but a specific act from the personal, covenant God.
- "great wind... mighty tempest": The repetition of "great" (Hebrew gadol) and the description using two terms for violent atmospheric disturbance (ruach gedolah and sa‘ar gadol) underscore the unparalleled power and severity of this supernaturally intensified storm. It's a forceful divine communication.
- "into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea": The specific location highlights divine irony. Jonah seeks escape in the sea, but the sea itself becomes the instrument of his discipline, proving God's universal dominion extends beyond land, reaching the very ends of the earth and beyond all territorial boundaries.
Jonah 1 4 Bonus section
- Divine Irony: Jonah thought he could escape "from the presence of the Lord" by sea, only for the Lord to meet him powerfully on the sea. The very means of his attempted escape becomes the instrument of his correction.
- God's Persistence: This verse marks the beginning of God's relentless, almost zealous, pursuit of His disobedient prophet, highlighting divine grace even in discipline. God doesn't abandon Jonah, but actively brings him back.
- Contrast of Plans: Jonah had a meticulous plan to flee; God needed only one decisive action (sending the wind) to completely derail it and redirect Jonah's course, emphasizing the futility of human plans against divine will.
- Storm as a Catalyst: The storm, a force of nature controlled by God, becomes a crucial turning point. It's not merely punitive but remedial, leading to further developments where God reveals Himself to both Jonah and the mariners.
Jonah 1 4 Commentary
Jonah 1:4 succinctly portrays the immediate, dramatic, and unavoidable consequences of disobedience to the divine will. The "Lord" (YHWH), not a generic deity but the specific covenant God of Israel, actively intervenes in nature, demonstrating His absolute control over creation. This is no mere coincidence or bad weather; it is a meticulously directed divine act. The terms "sent out" (hê·ṭîl), "great wind" (rûaḥ gĕḏôlâ), and "mighty tempest" (sa‘ar gāḏôl), with the repeated emphasis on "great," illustrate the extraordinary and overwhelming power unleashed by God. The storm serves as God's persistent pursuit of His reluctant prophet. There is no hiding from God's presence (Ps 139:7-12), and no human endeavor, however well-planned, can thwart His purpose (Prov 16:9). The chaos in the external world mirrors the rebellion in Jonah's heart, demonstrating that spiritual disobedience can have tangible, dramatic effects. This episode also implicitly asserts God's universal dominion, a direct polemic against the ancient notion of territorial gods, showing YHWH's authority over land and sea, even unto Tarshish, the edge of the known world. It's a call to attention not just for Jonah, but also for the pagan sailors, leading them towards an encounter with the true sovereign God.