The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows.
- KJV Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
- BSB Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.
- NKJV Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.
- NASB Then the men became extremely afraid of the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The awestruck sailors fear Yahweh, offer sacrifice, and make vows. It matters because the pagan crew is converted, the first of two unlikely conversions the book celebrates.
Overview
Their fear has matured from terror of the storm into reverent worship of the Lord who controls it. Sacrifices and vows express genuine devotion, suggesting these Gentiles now bind themselves to Yahweh. Even Jonah's disobedience God turns to good, drawing outsiders to Himself and previewing the worship of the nations promised in the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Dan 6:26I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the end.
- Ps 116:14I will pay my vows to Yahweh, yes, in the presence of all his people.
- Ps 107:22Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his deeds with singing.
- Ps 50:14Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Pay your vows to the Most High.
- Gen 8:20Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- Jonah 1:10Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had told them.
- Mark 4:31It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,
- Acts 5:11Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.
- Isa 26:9With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
- Dan 4:34–37At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.
- Isa 60:5–7Then you shall see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you. The wealth of the nations will come to you.
- 2 Kgs 5:17Naaman said, “If not, then, please let two mules’ burden of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will from now on offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice to other gods, but to Yahweh.
- Gen 28:20Jacob vowed a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothing to put on,
- Eccl 5:4When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
- Ps 66:13–16I will come into your temple with burnt offerings. I will pay my vows to you,
- Judg 13:16Yahweh’s angel said to Manoah, “Though you detain me, I won’t eat your bread. If you will prepare a burnt offering, you must offer it to Yahweh.” For Manoah didn’t know that he was Yahweh’s angel.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Three days in the belly of the fish is the sign Jesus gave of his own death and resurrection (Matt 12:40); and God's mercy on pagan Nineveh foreshadows the gospel going to the nations.
How Jonah 1:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.