Jonah 1:9 kjv

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Jonah 1:9 nkjv

So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."

Jonah 1:9 niv

He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."

Jonah 1:9 esv

And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land."

Jonah 1:9 nlt

Jonah answered, "I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

Jonah 1 verses

Jonah 1 9 Meaning

Jonah 1:9 declares Jonah's identity as a Hebrew and his relationship with the true God, revealing His supreme authority. It is a profound theological statement identifying the Lord (YHWH) as the sovereign Creator of the universe, who made both the turbulent sea and the stable dry land. This confession stands in stark contrast to the polytheistic beliefs of the mariners and serves as a direct polemic, presenting the one true God who controls all domains. Despite his disobedience, Jonah articulates a fundamental truth about God's limitless power and majesty, even amidst his personal rebellion and flight.

Jonah 1 9 Context

Jonah chapter 1 depicts the prophet Jonah's immediate disobedience to God's command to preach to Nineveh. Instead, he flees to Tarshish by ship, sailing westward from Joppa. While at sea, God sends a great tempest, threatening to break the ship. The pagan sailors, in fear for their lives, desperately cry out to their own gods and lighten the ship by throwing cargo overboard. Amidst this chaos, Jonah is found asleep below deck, seemingly unconcerned. The shipmaster confronts Jonah, urging him to pray to his God. When lots are cast to determine the cause of the storm, the lot falls on Jonah. The sailors, realizing Jonah is responsible, question him about his identity and what he has done. Jonah 1:9 is his direct response to their interrogation, revealing who he is and, more importantly, who his God is, laying the theological groundwork for the sailors' understanding and the subsequent events. The historical context includes the diverse pantheons of the ancient maritime cultures and the unique monotheism of the Hebrews.

Jonah 1 9 Word analysis

• And he said unto them,: Signals a direct declaration from Jonah, shifting the narrative focus to his verbal response after being identified by lot.
• I: Refers to Jonah himself. It highlights his personal testimony despite his actions.
• am an Hebrew:
  • Hebrew (עִבְרִי, ʿIvri): This term distinguishes Jonah not just as an Israelite, but by an older, broader ethnic identity linked to Abraham (Gen 14:13), suggesting a unique, monotheistic lineage to non-Israelites. It sets him apart from the gentile sailors, emphasizing his heritage and, by extension, his God's covenant with his people.
• and I fear:
  • fear (יָרֵא, yareʾ): This word signifies more than mere fright. It implies deep reverence, awe, worship, and obedient respect for God's authority and power. While Jonah's actions contradict this fear by his disobedience, his words declare it as his intellectual and theological conviction, contrasting sharply with the sailors' transactional fear of multiple, lesser gods. It points to a relationship of respectful submission that should characterize God's servants.
• the Lord:
  • Lord (יהוה, YHWH): This is the unique, covenant Name of God revealed to Israel, indicating His personal, revealed, and redemptive character. It asserts that Jonah's God is not merely one of many deities but the supreme and unique God who made covenant with Abraham and Israel.
• the God of heaven:
  • God (אֱלֹהֵי, ʾElohei): The generic term for God, but when combined with "heaven" becomes a title of universal dominion.
  • of heaven (הַשָּׁמַיִם, haššāmayim): A title emphasizing God's transcendence and sovereignty over the cosmos, commonly used in the post-exilic period but conveying ultimate authority here. This specifically resonates with sailors who looked to the sky for guidance and feared its storm-causing powers. It identifies Jonah's God as the sovereign ruler of the celestial realm, superior to all perceived "sky gods."
• which hath made: (עָשָׂה, ʿāśâ) Signifies creation, forming, and doing. It presents God as the active agent and ultimate cause. This establishes Him as the sole source of all existence.
• the sea and the dry land: This specific mention directly counters polytheistic beliefs, which often assigned different deities to control specific domains like the sea (e.g., Poseidon, Baal-zebul) and land. Jonah's God, the Lord of Heaven, is the one Creator who brought both into existence, asserting His total authority over the very elements that are now threatening the sailors' lives and livelihood.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord": This phrase introduces Jonah’s double identity – his national/ethnic origin and his spiritual devotion. It highlights a tension: he states he fears God, yet he is actively disobeying Him, exposing a dichotomy between belief and action. It also signifies that his "Hebrewness" inherently entails acknowledging and fearing the unique God, YHWH.
• "the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land": This powerful confession outlines the theological reason for Jonah's reverence. By calling YHWH the "God of heaven," Jonah establishes His transcendence and ultimate sovereignty. Connecting this to creation of "the sea and the dry land" makes a direct and devastating theological statement to the pagan mariners: the very elements raging against them are under the sovereign control of his one God. This isn't a regional deity, but the Universal Creator, emphasizing YHWH's omnipotence and omnicompetence over all of creation, even chaos itself. It directly refutes the pagan belief system by asserting unified, ultimate control in one being.

Jonah 1 9 Bonus section

The seemingly simple confession of Jonah in 1:9 is a loaded statement carrying a powerful polemic against the polytheistic worldview. For sailors who might have worshipped gods like Poseidon (Greek) or various Phoenician or Mesopotamian sea and storm deities, Jonah's declaration that one God made and controls both the sea and the land is revolutionary and terrifyingly relevant. It suggests their localized deities are impotent against the God of Jonah, who asserts singular authority over all cosmic domains. This verse reveals God's strategy: even through the failings of His prophet, He orchestrates events to display His glory to the Gentiles. The confession forces the sailors to consider not merely a different god, but an entirely different concept of divinity—an absolutely sovereign, universal Creator, distinct from anything in their pantheon. It's the beginning of their understanding of the true God.

Jonah 1 9 Commentary

Jonah 1:9 serves as the pivotal theological confession within the chaotic opening scene. Despite his blatant disobedience, Jonah correctly identifies his God to the astonished pagan sailors. His declaration of being a "Hebrew" immediately distinguishes him by ethnic and religious heritage from the idolatrous crew. More importantly, his claim "I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land" is a profound theological statement, full of both truth and irony.

The irony lies in the stark contrast between his stated reverence for the omnipotent God and his rebellious flight from God's command. He articulates perfect theology while living in profound sin. This paradox highlights human weakness even within genuine knowledge of God.

However, the statement's truth powerfully impacts the pagan sailors. They believe in multiple gods, often assigned to specific domains. Jonah's God is declared to be YHWH, the specific God of Israel, but He is also "the God of heaven," signifying transcendence, and crucially, the one "who made the sea and the dry land." This revelation hits home precisely because they are being engulfed by the sea, and their lives depend on finding safety on dry land. The storm itself becomes God's witness. This single God, whom Jonah worships, is demonstrably superior to all their gods; He created and controls the very elements they dread. This confession lays the groundwork for the sailors' eventual turning to YHWH, seeing His awesome power demonstrated through Jonah’s disobedient actions, revealing God's pervasive sovereignty and His willingness to work even through flawed instruments to make His glory known.