And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
Parallel translations
- WEB They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- BSB “Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- NKJV And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- NASB And each man said to his mate, “Come, let’s cast lots so that we may find out on whose account this catastrophe has struck us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- NLT Then the crew cast lots to see which of them had offended the gods and caused the terrible storm. When they did this, the lots identified Jonah as the culprit.
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 sailors cast lots to find who caused the storm, and the lot falls on Jonah. It matters because God sovereignly exposes the guilty party even through the sailors' custom.
Overview
Casting lots was a common ancient means of seeking a divine verdict, and Scripture affirms that its outcome is from the Lord (Proverbs 16:33). God uses even pagan practice to single out His disobedient servant, leaving Jonah nowhere to hide. The scene shows that sin cannot stay concealed before the God who governs every detail of providence.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Prov 16:33The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.
- Josh 7:13–18Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.
- Acts 13:19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
- 1 Sam 10:20–21And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
- Josh 7:10And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
- Num 32:23But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.
- 1 Sam 14:41–42Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
- Matt 27:35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
- Isa 41:6–7They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
- Ps 22:18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
- Josh 22:16–20Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?
- Judg 7:13–14And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
- Job 10:2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
- Acts 1:23–26And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
- Judg 20:9–10But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
- 1 Cor 4:5Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
- 1 Sam 14:38–39And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
- Esth 3:7In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 1:7 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
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