Jonah 1:15. After praying to God and asking forgiveness for what they were about to do, the sailors picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea. also 2:11).įiled Under: Bible Commentary Jonah 1:15-16
If the sailors saw the fish, they likely would have viewed it as a personification of the sea god, Yamm.Walton, 109. And though the terminology is different than the instructions of God to Jonah in 1:1-2, it seems that there may be a contrast between Jonah’s rebellion and how the fish obeys God (cf. After Jonah is cast into the sea, Yahweh prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.
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On the other hand, Stuart makes a good point that if the book of Jonah is a series of scenes, 1:17 fits best with chapter 2 since the entire scene takes place inside the great fish.Sasson, 148-149 Stuart, 469. Maybe it is best to see 1:17 as a “hinge” verse which transports the reader from the recently-calmed surface of the sea to the spiritual storm deep under the surface which is now raging in the heart and mind of a prophet and the belly of a fish. But if the verse is the conclusion to the previous events, then the verse is read this way: Jonah asked to be thrown overboard and the reluctant sailors complied, but despite Jonah’s wishes, this was not the end of Jonah for God miraculously sent a great fish to keep Jonah from drowning. Verse 17 is read this way: God delivered Jonah with a great fish, and now Jonah is going to thank God for it. The choice of where to place verse 17, while seemingly insignificant, actually makes a difference on how one reads the story.Estelle, 64. If it begins chapter 2, it simply sets the stage for the prayer of Jonah. Though many Bible translations and commentaries place 1:17 as an opening event to chapter 2, it seems best to keep it as a fitting conclusion to chapter 1. Though verse and chapter divisions were not part of the original Hebrew manuscripts, their inclusion in our modern Bible has given rise to the question of where to place Jonah 1:17.
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