Jonah 1:8 kjv

Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

Jonah 1:8 nkjv

Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"

Jonah 1:8 niv

So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"

Jonah 1:8 esv

Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?"

Jonah 1:8 nlt

"Why has this awful storm come down on us?" they demanded. "Who are you? What is your line of work? What country are you from? What is your nationality?"

Jonah 1 verses

Jonah 1 8 Meaning

The sailors, in the midst of a violent storm they perceive as divine judgment, urgently interrogate Jonah. After lots identified him as the cause of their calamity, they press him to confess why this "evil" (disaster) has befallen them and to reveal details about his life—his profession, his geographical origin, his country, and his people—to understand the specific nature of his offense and which deity might be pursuing him.

Jonah 1 8 Context

Jonah chapter 1 depicts Jonah's rebellion against God's command to go to Nineveh. Instead, he flees to Tarshish, boarding a ship. In verses 4-6, the Lord hurls a mighty wind upon the sea, causing a violent storm that threatens to break the ship. The pagan mariners, initially calling on their own gods, discover Jonah sleeping, oblivious to the peril. Suspecting a supernatural cause for such a tempest, they cast lots (verse 7), a common ancient practice believed to reveal divine will, and the lot falls on Jonah. Verse 8 immediately follows this revelation, indicating the mariners' urgent, direct interrogation of Jonah to ascertain the precise reason for their impending doom, reflecting their worldview that specific actions against a deity could incur such "evil."

Jonah 1 8 Word analysis

• Then said they unto him: Indicates the immediate and direct questioning after the lot fell on Jonah. It marks the transition from casting lots to direct confrontation, demonstrating the mariners' pressing need for answers.
• Tell us, we pray thee: "Pray thee" (Hebrew: נא, na) expresses earnest entreaty or strong urgency. It is not necessarily a religious prayer to Jonah but a desperate plea for information. It underscores the high stakes involved and their terror.
• for whose cause: Hebrew malanu (מַלָּנוּ), meaning "what to us?" or "on whose account?" This phrase seeks the reason or culprit behind the calamity. It reflects their conviction that suffering is causally linked to a specific person's actions.
• this evil: Hebrew ra (רָע). While "evil" can denote moral depravity, in this context, it refers to the calamity, disaster, or misfortune (the storm). They view the storm as an adverse, divinely-sent affliction. This concept aligns with an ancient understanding of cause and effect, where human sin provoked divine retribution manifest in nature.
• is upon us: Hebrew ‘aleinu (עָלֵינוּ). Emphasizes the collective suffering of all on board. An individual's transgression has affected the entire group, highlighting a communal dimension of judgment prevalent in the ancient world.
• What is thine occupation?: Hebrew melakhtecha (מְלַאכְתְּךָ). Literally "what is your work/activity/trade?" This question delves into Jonah's lifestyle and daily activities, seeking to uncover a potential source of offense. It could relate to illegal activities, dishonorable conduct, or an profession offensive to certain gods.
• and whence comest thou?: Hebrew me’ayin (מֵאֵין), "from where?". Seeks his geographical point of origin. In the ancient Near East, one's land was closely associated with one's deities. Sailors believed that gods had dominion over specific territories, and leaving one's land might provoke a regional god or expose one to the wrath of a god from a land where one should not be.
• what is thy country?: Hebrew eizeh artzekha (אֵי זֹאת אַרְצֶךָ), "what land (is yours)?". This reiterates the inquiry about his homeland, confirming the origin. It underscores the territorial understanding of divine influence prevalent among pagans.
• and of what people art thou?: Hebrew eizeh ‘am ‘attah (וְאֵי מִזֶּה עַם אַתָּה), "from what people/nation are you?". This probes his ethnic and national identity. Such identity often included one's ancestral gods, customs, and laws. The full series of questions attempts to build a comprehensive profile to understand his potential religious allegiances and transgressions against divine order.

Words-Group Analysis

• "Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us": This entire phrase conveys urgent, collective desperation and a fundamental ancient belief that catastrophe is rarely random but typically caused by an identifiable wrongdoing, requiring a cause-and-effect explanation. Their plea reflects a primal fear of divine wrath and a desire for accountability.
• "What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?": This rapid-fire sequence of questions indicates a comprehensive interrogation designed to ascertain Jonah's full identity. The sailors suspect a serious transgression against a powerful deity, and they are seeking every possible detail to identify the specific offense or the god he offended. It shows their worldview where personal identity, origin, and profession are all potential sources of divine displeasure in a time of crisis. They are performing a crisis-driven forensic investigation, common in cultures believing in supernatural causation for natural disasters.

Jonah 1 8 Bonus section

• The meticulousness of the mariners' questioning implicitly challenges Jonah's superficial attempt to flee from God. Their comprehensive inquiry into his identity reveals their desperate pursuit of truth, contrasting with Jonah's self-imposed spiritual amnesia.
• The series of questions (occupation, origin, country, people) represents a standard judicial inquiry in the ancient world for someone suspected of bringing ill fortune or violating taboos. This structured approach, even from pagans, implies an attempt to find common ground for divine justice.
• This verse acts as a literary device, building suspense and preparing the reader for Jonah's pivotal confession in verse 9, which will reveal his unique identity as a worshiper of the true, sovereign God of heaven.

Jonah 1 8 Commentary

Jonah 1:8 captures the profound fear and inherent theological understanding of the pagan mariners. Despite worshipping various gods, they possessed an intuitive grasp that natural calamities could be divine judgments linked to human actions. Their structured questioning of Jonah—his purpose (occupation), origin (whence comest thou?), allegiance (country), and heritage (people)—demonstrates a comprehensive attempt to diagnose the specific spiritual "disease" that was afflicting them. They were not merely curious but urgently sought information that could lead to appeasement or resolution. This interrogation sets the stage for Jonah's revelation in the next verse, contrasting the detailed, logical inquiry of the pagan sailors with the seemingly reluctant prophet, highlighting the profound moral dilemma and spiritual blindness of Jonah in stark relief against the earnest spiritual searching of those who did not even know the true God. The urgency in their questioning mirrors the terror they faced, underscoring that in moments of extreme peril, the deepest questions about purpose, identity, and accountability rise to the forefront.