“What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us?”
The full verse · Jonah 1:11 · KJV
Then they unto him, What shall we unto thee, that the may be unto us? for the , and was .
The Scene
The sailors now know that Jonah is fleeing from the LORD, and the storm keeps growing (Jonah 1:10-11).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe sailors knew Jonah was the cause of the storm, but they did not want to decide his fate on their own. The lot and Jonah's own words had shown he was to blame, and the sea was getting worse: "for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous." Keil & Delitzsch say the sailors feared God's wrath on account of Jonah's sin, but would not punish the prophet on their own judgment. They wanted him, as a worshiper of the LORD, to pronounce his own sentence. Gill likewise notes they were "unwilling to do anything to him without his will and consent." The question presses Jonah for the one thing they needed: what would end the storm.
The Response
What Scripture recordsJonah answered, "Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you" (Jonah 1:12). Even so, the men "rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not" (Jonah 1:13). They prayed, "let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood" (Jonah 1:14). Then they cast him forth, "and the sea ceased from her raging" (Jonah 1:15). Meanwhile, "the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah" (Jonah 1:17).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe sea was not just rough; it kept getting worse. The Hebrew behind "the sea wrought, and was tempestuous" reads literally that the sea "was going on and raging." Keil & Delitzsch say this "going" expresses the continuance of an action, as in Genesis 8:5, and Gill explains that the sea "grew more and more stormy and tempestuous." The word for "be calm" is shathaq, which means to subside, be calm, cease, or be quiet. It appears only four times: Psalm 107:30, Proverbs 26:20, Jonah 1:11, and Jonah 1:12.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThe sailors ask what they must do to Jonah, and the answer drives them to the LORD Himself. Men who began the storm crying "every man unto his god" (Jonah 1:5) end it praying, "We beseech thee, O LORD" (Jonah 1:14), and then they "feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows" (Jonah 1:16). The calm came on God's terms, not through their rowing. Psalm 107 says the same of those who go down to the sea: "He maketh the storm a calm... Then are they glad because they be quiet" (Psalm 107:29-30), using the same Hebrew word, shathaq, for quiet.
God's mercy reaches both the sailors and the prophet. The sailors are spared, and Jonah is not left to drown: "the LORD had prepared a great fish" (Jonah 1:17). From inside it Jonah prays, "yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God" (Jonah 2:6).
Look Closer
Why did the sailors ask Jonah what to do instead of deciding on their own?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, when a storm in my life will not quiet down, what do You want me to see before I keep rowing in my own strength?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The sailors kept rowing even after they had their answer. Why do you think it is hard to accept God's way through a problem when it costs something?
- Share a time when a hard season drove you, or someone you know, to pray in a new way. What changed?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
When trouble comes from your own disobedience, peace does not come from working harder. Matthew Henry writes, "When conscience is awakened, and a storm raised, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin that caused the disturbance." Peace comes from dealing honestly with the cause before God, as Jonah finally did (Jonah 1:12).
Notice the sailors' care as well. They tried to save the man whose sin had put them in danger, and they prayed before they acted (Jonah 1:13-14).
Still, not every storm is caused by sin. The sailors were in this storm though it was "for my sake," Jonah said (Jonah 1:12), not theirs. Do not assume that hardship in your life, or in someone else's, always means hidden sin.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
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