Jonah 1:13
in Jonah 1Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land; but they could not: for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.
KJV
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
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This verse in Jonah 1
Commentary
10 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The men rowed hard - , literally “dug.” The word, like our “plowed the main,” describes the great efforts which they made. Amid the violence of the storm, they had furled their sails. These were worse than useless. The wind was off shore, since by rowing alpine they hoped to get back to it. They put their oars well and firmly in the sea, and turned up the water, as men turn up earth by digging. But in vain! God willed it not. The sea went on its way, as before.
This site's exposition
Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea
on Jonah 1:12-13
Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea is Jonah's own answer to the sailors' question, the fugitive accepting the judgment on his flight rather than begging to be spared it, and naming the tempest as upon them for his sake. The men do not act on his word at once; they row hard to bring the ship to land instead, refusing on their own initiative to throw a man to his death while another course still seems open to them. Wesley and Clarke both credit this attempt to save Jonah first as evidence the book paints Gentile conscience with more sympathy than a simple morality tale would require.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 3:8 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
From where, my beloved, came the foresight of the prophet? From the economy of God. God made these things happen so that the prophet might learn from them to be a lover of humanity and be subdued. Only to him did he cry out and say, "Imitate the sailors, the nave men, who neither despise a single soul nor neglect a single body, yours. And you would allow to be destroyed, on your part, an entire city with myriads of inhabitants. These sailors, when they discovered who was responsible for all the evils that confronted them, still were not eager to condemn him; but you, who have no charge brought against you by the Ninevites, would convict and annihilate them. Yet when I commanded you to go and, through preaching, summon them back to salvation, you disobeyed. They who were not accountable to anyone did all things and exerted themselves so that you, who are accountable should be punished." Although the ocean condemned him and the lot exposed him, when he implicated himself and confessed his flight, they still were not in a hurry to annihilate the prophet; rather, they demonstrated toleration and constraint and did everything possible to keep him from the fury of the ocean after such proof of his guilt. However, the ocean did not permit even this, or better yet, God did not allow this to happen, because he wanted to sober him through the sailors in the same way as through the whale. For this reason when they heard, "Take me up and cast me into the sea, and the seas will be calm to you," they strained to reach the shore, although the waves did not allow it.
"Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them." LXX: 'and the sailors strive to turn the ship to dry land but they cannot, for the sea swelled up against them'. The prophet has pronounced sentence against himself; but the sailors do not dare touch him because they have learned that he is a follower of God. They were striving to return to the dry land, to get out of this danger; they refused to shed blood, preferring rather to die than kill.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), it grew more and more tempestuous (so the margin reads it); for if we discover sin to be the cause of our troubles, and do not forsake it, we do but make bad worse.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring it to the land, but they could not,....
They were thus very backward to it partly from a dread of bringing upon themselves the guilt of blood, and partly from a compassion they could not but have for poor Jonah, as a good man, as a man in distress, and as a man of sincerity. Note, The more sinners humble and abase themselves, judge and condemn themselves, the more likely they are to find pity both with God and man.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
THESE mariners manifested most commendable humanity. They were not willing, even though it were to preserve their own lives, to cast overboard an innocent man. Therefore they first used their best endeavors. And when these failed they made a solemn appeal to God, entreating Him not to lay upon them innocent blood—and then, since necessity has no law, Jonah, as a last resource was given up to the boisterous element, but not till every effort had been made to save him. We should he very careful of human life, doing nothing which even indirectly may destroy or injure it.
THESE mariners manifested most commendable humanity. They were not willing, even though it were to preserve their own lives, to cast overboard an innocent man. Therefore they first used their best endeavors. And when these failed they made a solemn appeal to God, entreating Him not to lay upon them innocent blood—and then, since necessity has no law, Jonah, as a last resource was given up to the boisterous element, but not till every effort had been made to save him. We should he very careful of human life, doing nothing which even indirectly may destroy or injure it. And if we should be jealous over life, how much more anxious should we be concerning men's souls! And how watchful lest we should do anything by which the least of the human family may have his eternal interests endangered by our example or teaching! God give us Divine Grace, like these mariners, to row hard that if possible we may bring the ship to land laboring that none around us may be left to perish. I shall not, however, dwell upon that aspect of the text. Our Savior selected Jonah as one of His peculiar types— "There shall no sign be given," said He, "to the men of this generation but the sign of the Prophet Jonah." We believe, therefore, that we are not erring if we translate the details of the history of Jonah into spiritual illustrations of man's experience and action with regard to Christ and His Gospel. We have before us a picture of what most men do before they will resort to God's remedy. That remedy is here most fairly imaged in the deliverance of the whole ship's company by the sacrifice of one on their behalf. I. Our first observation is that SINNERS, WHEN THEY ARE TOSSED UPON THE SEA OF CONVICTION, MAKE DESPERATE EFFORTS TO SAVE THEMSELVES. The men rowed hard to bring the ship to land.
The men rowed hard - Were very unwilling to proceed to this extremity, and thought they would risk every thing rather than cast this disobedient prophet into the great deep.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
for the life of this man —I.e, for the sin of laying a hand upon his life.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּחְתְּר֣וּ | vaiyachteru | and they rowed | H2864 → | |
| הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים | haanashim | the men | H582 → | 566 times |
| לְהָשִׁ֛יב | lehashiv | to return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה | haiyabashah | the dry land | H3004 → | 14 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָכֹ֑לוּ | yakholu | they were able | H3201 → | |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַיָּ֔ם | haiyam | the sea | H3220 → | 396 times |
| הוֹלֵ֥ךְ | holekh | [was] going | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְסֹעֵ֖ר | vesoer | and storming | H5590 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃ | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
וַיַּחְתְּר֣וּand they rowed
vaiyachteruH2864 →
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםthe men
haanashimH582 →566 times
לְהָשִׁ֛יבto return
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַיַּבָּשָׁ֖הthe dry land
haiyabashahH3004 →14 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָכֹ֑לוּthey were able
yakholuH3201 →
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הַיָּ֔םthe sea
haiyamH3220 →396 times
הוֹלֵ֥ךְ[was] going
holekhH1980 →1546 times
וְסֹעֵ֖רand storming
vesoerH5590 →
עֲלֵיהֶֽם׃on them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 21:30There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
it leads to
- Acts 5:39
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find yourselves fighting against God.”
- Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.
- Jeremiah 9:23
This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
- Isaiah 14:27
The LORD of Hosts has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is outstretched, so who can turn it back?
- 1 Corinthians 3:19–20
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
- Acts 5:39
Through
Job 34:29But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
it leads to
- Job 23:13
But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.
- John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.
- Romans 8:31–34
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Job 23:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
About Jonah
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 567: “Labor In Vain” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jerome, Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 1; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 3:8; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.