Jonah’s flight (chaper one)

EXEGESIS VERSES 7 – 9:

GOD’S OFFENDER EXPOSED

tAlêr"Ag* hl'yPiän:w> ‘Wkl. Wh[eªrE-la, vyaiä Wrúm.aYOw: ^WTT Jonah 1:7

lPoïYIw: tAlêr"AG* ‘WlPi’Y:w: Wnl'_ taZOàh; h['îr"h' ymi²L.v,B. h['êd>nEåw>

`hn")Ay-l[; lr"ÞAGh;

^NAS Jonah 1:7 And each man said to his mate, w + rma (waw - consec. + amar - v/Qal/IMP/3/m/pl; "And they said/spoke") vyai (ish - n/s/m/abs; "a man/each man") la, + [;re (el - prep. + re-a - n/m/s/constr. w/3/m/s suff.; "to his associate/companion/mate") "Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us." $lh (halak - v/Qal/Imp/m/pl; "Come/Let us go") w + lpn (waw - consec. + naphal - v/Hiph/IPF/1/pl/cohortative; "and let us cause to cast down"; the cohortative denotes determination) lr'AG (goral - n/m/p/abso.; "lot"; from Arabic "garwal" or "pebble") w + [dy (waw - conj. + yada - v/Qal/IPF/1/ pl/cohort.; "so we may learn/gain knowledge") B + v, + ymi (bet - prep. + she - rel. part. + miy - interr. pro.; "on whose account") h; + h['r' + h; + tazO (d.a. + ya-ah - adj./f/s/abso.; "the calamity/misfortune/that considered bad" + d.a. + zet - demon.adj./f/s; "this one"; modifies "calamity", hence, "this calamity") l (lamed - prep.; "towards us/has struck us") So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. w + lpn (waw - consec. + naphal - v/Hiph/IPF/3/m/pl; "So they caused to cast down") lr'AG (goral - n/m/pl/abso.; "lots") w + lpn (waw - consec. + naphal - v/Qal/IPF/3/m/s; "it fell/was cast down") h; + lr'AG (d.a. + goral - n/m/s/absol.; "the lot") l[; + hn"Ay (al - prep. + yonah - proper.n; "upon Jonah")
JONAH’S INTERROGATION

h[‘îr”h’-ymil. Rv<±a]B; Wnl’ê An”å-hd”yGIh; wyl’êae Wråm.aYOw: ^WTT Jonah 1:8

Hz<ïmi-yae(w> ^c,êr>a; hm’ä aAbêT’ !yIa:åmeW ‘^T.k.al;M.-hm; Wnl’_ taZOàh;

`Ht’a’( ~[;Þ

^NAS Jonah 1:8 Then they said to him, “Tell us, now! On whose account has this calamity struck us? W + rma (waw – consec. + -amar – v/Qal/IPF/3/m/pl; “Then they said”) la, (el – prep. w/3/m/s/suff.; “to him”) dgn + an” (nagad – v/Hiph/Imp./m/s; “Cause to tell/make known” + na- - part. Interj.; “now”) l (lamed – prep. w/1/pl/suff. “to us”) B + rv,a] (bet – prep. + pers.pro.; “by whom”) l + ymi + h; + h[‘r’ (lamed – prep. + miy – interr. Pro. + d.a. + ya-ah – adj./f/s/abso.; lit. “for what the calamity?” i.e., “on whose account the calamity?”) h; + tazO (d.a. + zet – demon. Adj./f/s/abso.; “this one”) l (lamed – prep. w/1/pl/suff.; “towards us”) What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” hm’ + hk’al’m. (mah – interr. Pro. + mela-kah – n/f/s/constr. w/2/m/s/suff; “What is your work/business occupation?”) w + !mi + !yIa; (waw – conj. + min – prep. + -ayin – adv.; “and from where”) awb (bo- v/Qal/IPF/2/m/s; “do you come”) hm’ + #r,a, (mah – interr. Pro. + -eres – n/f/s/constr. /2/m/s/suff.; “what is your land/country?”) w + yae + !mi + hz< (waw – conj. + -ey – interr. Part. + min – prep. + zeh – adj./m/s; “and where from such?”) ~[; ( -am – n/m/s/abso.; “people) Ht’a; (-atah – indep.pro./2/m/s; “are you “)
JONAH’S CONFESSION

yheÛl{a/ hw"ùhy>-ta,w> ykinO=a' yrIåb.[i ~h,Þylea] rm,aYOðw: ^WTT Jonah 1:9

`hv'(B'Y:h;-ta,w> ~Y"ßh;-ta, hf'î['-rv,a] arEêy" ynIåa] ‘~yIm;’V'h;
^NAS Jonah 1:9 And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land." w + rma + la, (waw - consec. + amar - v/Qal/IPF/3/m/s + el - prep. w/3/pl/m/suff.; "And he said to them") yrIb.[i + ykinOa' (-iberiy - n/proper; "Hebrew" + -anokiy - indep.pro.; "I myself am") w + tae + hwhy + ~yhil{a/ (waw - conj. + et - sign of d.o. + Yahweh -n/proper + elohim -n/com./m/pl/constr.; "and the Lord God of") h; + ~yIm;v' (d.a. + shamayim - n/com/m/pl/abso.; "the heavens") ynIa] + arey" (-aniy - pro./emphatic; "I myself" + yare- - adj/m/s/absol.; "fear") rv,a] + hf[ (-asher - rel. pro. "who" + -asah - v/Qal/PF/3/m/s; "made/formed/manufactured") tae + h; + ~y" + w + tae + h; + hv'B'y: (et - sign of d.o. + d.a. + yam - n/m/s/abso.; "the sea" + et - sign of d.o. + d.a. + yabashah - n/f/s/absol.; "the dry land")

ANALYSIS VERSES 7 – 9:

1. 
   As the captain had confronted Jonah out of desperation, so the crew continues with their own counter measures.
   
2. 
   They huddled together and determined to resort to divination, “And each man said to his mate, ‘Come, let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us’”.
   
3. 
   As often is with religious types, they were superstitious and resorted to gimmick.
   
4. 
   Principle: Religion without BD caters to mysticism and emotionalism in determinations of life.
   
5. 
   Principle: The gullible without instruction will fall prey to irrational procedures to satisfy their religious trends (exs.: praying to non-deities; mood settings to observe communion or other special services; wearing religious artifacts; constantly depend on predetermined signs to determine God’s will [Mat.12:39]; view life under terms of bad or good luck or karma; follow their “feelings”; etc).
   
6. 
   The imperative “Come” indicates their corporate agreement to quickly unify in their endeavors.
   
7. 
   Principle: Religious types find confidence in numbers.
   
8. 
   The hiphil cohortative of “let us cast down” points to their determination to follow through in unified support of their mystic approach.
   
9. 
   Principle: Religious types feed off each other to propel participation.
   
10. 
    To “cast lots” was a common pagan practice to determine the mind of the gods.
    
11. 
    Here to determine the guilty party that has made the gods mad.
    
12. 
    Special marked stones or pebbles were thrown for the lot to determine “voting”, “resulting choice” or “that which comes upon whom a lot has fallen”.
    
13. 
    Entirely apart from pagan stigma, the casting of lots was sometimes used by the Jews. Cp.Num.26:55; Jos.18:8-10 cf.7:14; Pro.16:33 cp.18:18
    
14. 
    In these cases, it was via God’s instruction or used for the sake of argument (pick a straw to settle a matter).
    
15. 
    As one commentary notes, “It may be compared to animal sacrifice. Both pagan and Jews had their own rituals yet only the Levitical sacrifices, due to Divine mandate, were legitimate”.
    
16. 
    The Apostles resorted to lot casting, but were overruled by God. Act.1:26
    
17. 
    While regulated during the Age of Israel, lot casting is last mentioned in the NT during this transitional period in Acts.
    
18. 
    The mind-set of the sailors is to cast lots looking for a supernatural intervention.
    
19. 
    Not unlike playing the Ouija Board today.
    
20. 
    Pagans often held the belief that one guilty party brought calamity to all his associates, however innocent in punishment (cursing by association is self-evident).
    
21. 
    The Hebrew term for “calamity” is ra-ah, which literally means evil, wickedness or that construed as bad.
    
22. 
    It indicates that the crew considers the tragedy upon them as the result of some evil or sinful thing.
    
23. 
    Cicero (106-43 BC) cites an instance when mariners sailing with a certain atheist, Diagoris by name, attributed a tempest that overtook them to his presence on the ship (Natural Deorum 3.37).
    
24. 
    These sailors’ actions are not unlike the superstition seen in pirate movies today.
    
25. 
    –V place their faith and trust in happenstance (coincidence).
    
26. 
    After grouping where they could carry out their mysticism, “So they cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah”.
    
27. 
    In this case, God caused the lots to work according to His plan. Cf.Pro.16:33
    
28. 
    He employs their –V (Hiphil: caused to cast lots) for His own purpose.
    
29. 
    God, who controls all circumstances and situations, utilizes their evil to advance His revealed will of judgment against Jonah.
    
30. 
    Principle: Nothing or no one can thwart the POG.
    
31. 
    Jonah’s DD is amplified as he is placed in position of public scrutiny by the crew.
    
32. 
    Principle: Heightened DD can come as a result of public disclosure of one’s sin.
    
33. 
    Upon Jonah’s disclosure, the crew begins an immediate interrogation, “Then they said to him, ‘Tell us, now!’”
    
34. 
    The most natural sense of the opening phrase of vs.8 is that Jonah was already in their immediate periphery.
    
35. 
    By all appearances, Jonah was present when the crew casts lots.
    
36. 
    This would answer the intent of “Come/Let us go” regarding the crew as seeking to find Jonah below deck as location for casting lots.
    
37. 
    The crew then grills Jonah for immediate answers with 5 questions:
    
    1. 
       On whose account has this calamity struck us?
       
    2. 
       What is your occupation?
       
    3. 
       And where do you com from?
       
    4. 
       What is your country?
       
    5. 
       From what people are you?
       
38. 
    Their first question looks to Jonah as being able to tell them who is responsible for their troubles.
    
39. 
    While the result of casting lots was designed to identify the culprit (vs.7b), they remain unsure if Jonah is indeed the one.
    
40. 
    Their mysticism produces no true confidence, only conjecture.
    
41. 
    All they can surmise is that Jonah is somehow connected.
    
42. 
    God’s intervention in the lot casting did not give them real answers, but only pointed them in the right direction.
    
43. 
    Principle: God’s intervention in circumstances of life is only direction markers; the truth must still be sought out.
    
44. 
    Principle: Those that depend upon “signs” in life to validate their beliefs substitute mysticism in their perversion of truth. Cp.Mat.12:39
    
45. 
    It is the next series of 4 questions that are designed to ascertain Jonah’s connection.
    
46. 
    The question as to his occupation is inquiry as to his mission.
    
47. 
    Is he there for business and/or does he represent another party?
    
48. 
    This would establish his or another’s authority and if he was being disobedient to the authority, might answer to the circumstances.
    
49. 
    This is another rebuke as Jonah is not being faithful to his Superior.
    
50. 
    The final 3 questions have to do with his origin.
    
51. 
    That the crew cannot identify with Jonah’s place of residence, nationality or race (questions in order) indicates the he was traveling incognito, so to speak.
    
52. 
    Jonah was on the run and did not want to be recognized by his kinsman or other public knowledge as to who he was out of fear of embarrassment.
    
53. 
    Often believers running from responsibility and duty will withdraw from others to avoid confrontation.
    
54. 
    Some, as Jonah, choose to distance themselves geographically.
    
55. 
    Others seek other types of refuge (exs.: withdrawal from fellowship; making excuses, etc.).
    
56. 
    Principle: When peeling from the POG, a warning flag is the distancing from +V.
    
57. 
    Warning: Failure to remain separate from the world is evidence of lack of full commitment to the POG.
    
58. 
    The crew has confronted this mysterious passenger to now come clean and be open and honest.
    
59. 
    A reality that Jonah must aspire too if he is to make spiritual recovery.
    
60. 
    This final rebuke is sufficient to propel Jonah to this end as he confesses in vs.9, “And he said to them, ‘I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land’”.
    
61. 
    The combined circumstances as they have unfolded have resulted in Jonah’s spiritual awakening.
    
62. 
    1^st the rebuke by the captain. Vs.6
    
63. 
    2^nd the casting of lots by the crew. Vs.7
    
64. 
    It is now that the significance of Jonah’s presence at the lot casting is seen.
    
65. 
    As an eyewitness, he could not discount God’s Divine intervention.
    
66. 
    That scenario, maybe most of all, shook Jonah to his senses that his back was against the wall with God.
    
67. 
    Followed with the rebukes of the crew (vs.8), he comes to grips with the hold his STA had on him.
    
68. 
    At this point, Jonah begins to take responsibility for his actions and acts as one with restored fellowship.
    
69. 
    He does not lie or practice deceit (he employs intellectual honesty).
    
70. 
    He knows that God is in control and has used the present crisis to check his STA sponsored flight from his responsibilities.
    
71. 
    While Jonah does not specifically answer all 5 questions, his response answers their intent and purpose.
    
72. 
    Principle: Honesty cuts to the chase without superfluous fluff. Cp.Pro.10:19
    
73. 
    He simply identifies himself as a Hebrew, a term readily recognized by those outside of Israel as to race, nationality and religion.
    
74. 
    He then follows with a poignant confession of his God, especially considering the present situation.
    
75. 
    He 1^st proclaims his fear (reverence) of the Lord.
    
76. 
    This serves to answer as to his occupation of being God’s servant. Cp.2Kgs.14:25
    
77. 
    While the present circumstances seemed to belie his profession, it was true as he now speaks the truth before these men.
    
78. 
    Those that might have mocked him under different circumstances.
    
79. 
    Principle: God sets up the right conditions to evangelize.
    
80. 
    He then identifies his God as the ruler of heaven and the creator of the sea and dry land.
    
81. 
    Being the God of heaven declares His universal Sovereignty.
    
82. 
    As the manufacturer of sea and dry land declares His right of rule over creation.
    
83. 
    This simple, but penetrating truth affirmed what pagans with their polytheism had long lost in remembrance.
    
84. 
    They had different gods for sky, sea, land, etc.
    
85. 
    The God that Jonah revered was no local deity, but the cosmic, universal Deity, the great Creator and Sustainer of the natural order of things.
    
86. 
    With Jonah snapping back to spiritual recovery, he becomes an immediate witness to these men.
    
87. 
    Might we suppose that that is the reason God intervened on their behalf in the lot casting?
    
88. 
    Principle: Seekers of the truth of God will be directed towards believers with the answers.
    
89. 
    Jonah’s mention of sea and dry land is designed to have a direct impact upon these seasoned sailors that seem to have lost hope.
    
90. 
    Remember, all of this is going on as the ship rides the high crests of waves and sinks into the deep troughs of the sea.
    
91. 
    Winds, water, wave and noise all about them dimming their hopes of seeing another day and setting foot on terra firma.
    
92. 
    Jonah’s short but potent confession of faith, plus what he had told them when boarding the ship earlier really freaks these guys out!
    

REALITY SETS IN