Jonah’s flight (chaper one)

EXEGESIS VERSE 10:

wyl'Þae Wrïm.aYOw: hl'êAdg> ha'är>yI ‘~yvin"a]h'( WaÜr>yYI)w: ^WTT Jonah 1:10

x:rEêbo aWhå ‘hw"hy> ynEÜp.Limi-yKi( ~yviªn"a]h' W[åd>y"-yKi( t'yfi_[' taZOæ-hm;

`~h,(l' dyGIßhi yKiî
^NAS Jonah 1:10 Then the men became extremely frightened and they said to him, "How could you do this?" w + ary (waw - consec. + yare- - v/Qal/IPF/3/m/pl; "Then they became afraid") h; + vyai (d.a. + ish - n/com/m/pl; "the men") ha'r>yI + lAdG" (yire-ah - n/com/f/s/abso.; "fear" + gadol - adj/f/s/abso.; "great"; = "with great fear/extremely frightened") w + rma + la, + (waw - consec. + amar - v/Qal/IPF/3/m/pl + el - prep. w/3/m/s/suff.; "and they said to him") hm' + tazO + hf[ (mah - interr.pro. + zet - demon.adj./f/s + asa- - v/Qal/PF/1/m/s; lit. "what is it/this thing you did?"; "How could you do this?") For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. yKi + [dy (kiy - conj. "for/as" + yada - v/Qal/PF/3/com./pl; "they knew/had knowledge") h; + vyai (d.a. + ish - n/com/m/pl/abso.; "the men") yKi + !mi + l + hn
(kiy - conj. "certainly" + min - prep.; "from" + lamed - prep.; "before" + paneh - n/com/pl/constr.; "faces of/presence of") hwhy (yahweh - prop.n/; "the Lord") aWh + xrb (hu- per.pro.emphatic/3/m/s; "he himself" + barah - v/Qal/ptc/m/s/absol.; "was fleeing") yKi + dgn + l (kiy - conj.causal + nagad - v/Hiph/PF/3/m/s + lamed - prep. w/3/m/pl/suff.; "because he had caused to tell/make known to them")

ANALYSIS VERSE 10:

1. 
   Jonah’s confession and what he had told them earlier spikes the crew’s adrenalin, “Then the men became extremely frightened”.
   
2. 
   The sudden rush of fear the crew now experiences is dramatically captured in the literal Hebrew that reads, “Then the men became afraid with great fear”.
   
3. 
   The fear these men had already experienced (vs.5) due to the immediate danger thrust upon them is now accelerated to terror or frenetic state of panic.
   
4. 
   With the panic that grips them, they momentarily seize up and can only respond incredulously “and they said to him, ‘How could you do this (to us implied)’”.
   
5. 
   The feminine singular of the demonstrative adjective “this thing/it” references the disastrous situation that he has brought about (calamity – ra-ah [adj/f/s] of vss.7,8).
   
6. 
   All the sailors could think about at this moment is the repercussions that Jonah’s actions mean for their persons.
   
7. 
   Their question has a sense of betrayal by Jonah giving no consideration to the innocent victims potentially affected by his actions.
   
8. 
   Principle: The impetuous and stupid STA generally doesn’t’ consider the full impact of its actions upon those around them until too late, if ever.
   
9. 
   Their fear has transcended from the previous physical danger to the reality that they are in the target area of God’s wrath upon Jonah.
   
10. 
    Its one thing for their lives to be in danger from natural causes, another to realize it is as a result of the wrath of an almighty living God. Cp.Heb.10:30-31
    
11. 
    That their fear stems from this realization is made clear in the remainder of the verse, “For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them”.
    
12. 
    Jonah had pointedly revealed that he was fleeing from Yahweh.
    
13. 
    While not told specifically when Jonah had told them, the natural flow contextually is not after his words of vs.9, as their fear abruptly follows.
    
14. 
    As noted in vs.6 with the captain’s mention of “the God” (singular), Jonah had in passing previously related his reason for traveling.
    
15. 
    It would be quite natural for any from the crew out of courtesy to ask why he was taking the trip.
    
16. 
    At the time, his earlier confession meant little to them.
    
17. 
    Being of the cosmos, any response would have been human viewpoint like “well, good luck”.
    
18. 
    The crew was your run-of-the-mill cosmic type that on this occasion paid for their cavalier attitude.
    
19. 
    The mention of Yahweh by Jonah probably just turned them off from further conversation (Oh, one of those religious types!), yet we again note how quickly they became religious.
    
20. 
    However, at this point and with after thought, the crew puts two-and-two together and the reality of their ordeal smacks them upside the head.
    
21. 
    Jonah and his God were the only explanation in their thinking for this freak storm imperiling their lives.
    
22. 
    With all the things that had transpired, also including the lot pointing to Jonah, they fear like little girls meeting the boogey man.
    
23. 
    As unbelievers, fear dominates their thoughts. Cp.Heb.2:14-15
    
24. 
    Fear is a common emotion to those spiritually dead. Cp.Gen.3:10
    
25. 
    It is also common for believers that fail to apply BD. Gen.32:6-7; Deu.20:8 (Law of Warfare)
    
26. 
    Adjusted believers are not to react with fear even in sudden danger. Exo.20:20; Mat.6:27; 10:25-31; Mar.5:35-41
    
27. 
    Faith-rest is key to combating sin fear. Psa.27:14; 37:5; Isa.41:10; 1Pet.5:6-7
    
28. 
    Unbelievers that they were, the crew had no recourse to draw upon to combat their fears (faith in God and BD).
    
29. 
    You can’t expect stupid people to rise above the crisis.
    
30. 
    God definitely has their attention and they were assured that He was displaying His anger through the violence of the sea.
    
31. 
    With their pagan beliefs they conclude that Jonah’s God had to be appeased, hence vs.11.
    
32. 
    Fear by itself does not straighten one out; control comes from hours of teaching and application employing the faith-rest technique.
    
33. 
    While Jonah has failed up to this point, his composure is now seen in stark contrast to the crew as vs.12 further indicates.
    
34. 
    When we allow BD to rule, even fear of past failures becomes moot.