---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Jonah 1:1. Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah — All that is certainly known about this prophet has already been laid before the reader. He was"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/jonah/1"
---

Verse [Jonah 1:1](../../../kjv/jonah/1/1). ***Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah*** — All that is certainly known about this prophet has already been laid before the reader. He was of Gath-hepher, in the tribe of Zebulun, in lower Galilee, [Joshua 19:13](../../../kjv/joshua/19/13); and he prophesied in the reigns of Jeroboam the Second, and Joash, kings of Israel. Jeroboam came to the throne *eight hundred and twenty-three* years before the Christian era, and reigned in Samaria *forty-one* years, [2 Kings 14:23-25](../../../kjv/2-kings/14/23-25). As a prophet, it is likely that he had but this one mission.

Verse [Jonah 1:2](../../../kjv/jonah/1/2). ***Go to Nineveh*** — This was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the most *ancient* cities of the world, [Genesis 10:10-11](../../../kjv/genesis/10/10-11); and one of the *largest*, as it was *three days' journey in circumference*. Ancient writers represent it as *oblong*; being in length *one hundred and* *fifty* stadia, and *ninety* in breadth, the compass being *four* *hundred and eighty* stadia. Now as the *stadium* is allowed to have been equal to our *furlong*, eight of which make a mile, this amounts to *fifty-four* English miles: see on [Jonah 3:3](../../../kjv/jonah/3/3). But we must not suppose that all this *space* was covered with compact streets and buildings; it took in a considerable space of country, probably all the cultivated ground necessary to support all the inhabitants of that district. *Calmet* computes the measurement of the circumference to be equal to *twenty-five* French leagues. It is reported to have had walls *one hundred feet high*, and so *broad* that *three chariots* might run abreast upon them. It was situated on the *Tigris*, or a little to the *west*, or on the west *side* of that river. It was well peopled, and had at this time *one hundred* *and twenty thousand* persons in it reputed to be in a state of infancy, which on a moderate computation would make the whole number *six hundred thousand* persons. But some, supposing that persons not being able to distinguish their right hand from their left must mean *children under two years* of age, and reckoning *one* such child for every *twenty* persons from that age upwards, make the population amount to *two millions five hundred thousand*. Nor can this be considered an exaggerated estimate, when we know that London, not one-tenth of the size of ancient Nineveh, contains a population of upwards of *one million*. But calculations of this kind, relative to matters of such remote antiquity, are generally precarious, and not very useful: and ancient authors, though the only guides, are not always safe conductors. *Mosul* is generally supposed to be the same as the ancient *Nineveh*. It is in the province of Dearbekir, on the west bank of the Tigris.
***Their wickedness is come up before me.*** — This is a *personification* of evil. It ascends from earth to heaven; and stands before the Supreme Judge, to bear witness against its own delinquency, and that of the persons whom it has seduced.

Verse [Jonah 1:3](../../../kjv/jonah/1/3). ***To flee unto Tarshish*** — Some say *Tartessus*, in Spain, near the straits of Gibralter, others, *Tarsus*, in *Cilicia*; and others, *Taprobana*, or the island of Ceylon, formerly called Taprobah; and *Tabrobavagh* in Sanscrit, to the present day.
***And went down to Joppa*** — This place is celebrated as that where *Andromeda*, daughter of *Cepheus*, was chained to a rock, and exposed to be devoured by a sea-monster, from which she was delivered by the valour of Perseus. It is the nearest port to Jerusalem on that side of the Mediterranean.
***And he found a ship*** — The Phoenicians carried on a considerable trade with *Tartessus*, [Ezekiel 27:12](../../../kjv/ezekiel/27/12); and it was probably in one of their ships that Jonah *embarked*.
***He paid the fare thereof*** — He paid for his *passage*. This shows that there was *traffic* between the two places, and that each passenger paid a stated *fare*.
***From the presence of the Lord.*** — He considered that God was peculiarly resident in Judea; and if he got out of that land, the Lord would most probably appoint another prophet to carry the message; for Jonah appears to have considered the enterprise as difficult and dangerous, and therefore wished to avoid it.

Verse [Jonah 1:4](../../../kjv/jonah/1/4). ***A great wind*** — They were overtaken with a *storm*, which appears from the sequel to have come by the immediate direction of God.
***Like to be broken*** — They had nearly suffered *shipwreck*.

Verse 5. ***Cried every man unto his god*** — The *ship's crew* were all heathens; and, it is probable, heathens who had each a different object of religious worship.
***Cast forth the wares*** — Threw the *lading overboard* to lighten the ship, hoping the better to *ride out* the storm.
***Jonah was gone down*** — Most probably into the *hold* or *cabin* under the deck; or where they had berths for passengers in the sides of the ship; something in the manner of our *packets*.
***Was fast asleep.*** — Probably quite exhausted and overcome with distress, which in many cases terminates in a deep sleep. So the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane.

Verse 6. ***The shipmaster*** — Either the *captain* or the *pilot*.
***Arise, call upon thy God*** — He supposed that Jonah had *his* god, as well as they had *theirs*; and that, as the danger was imminent, every man should use the influence he had, as they were all equally involved in it.

Verse 7. ***Come, and let us cast lots*** — This was a very ancient mode of endeavouring to find out the mind of Divine Providence; and in this case it proves that they supposed the storm to have arisen on account of some hidden crime of some person *aboard*.
A philosopher being at sea in a violent storm. when the *crew* began to call earnestly to the gods for safety, he said, "Be silent, and cease your prayers; for should the gods know that *you* are here, we shall all be lost."
***The lot fell upon Jonah.*** — In this case God *directed the lot*.

Verse 8. ***Tell us - for whose cause*** — A very gentle method of bringing the charge home to himself, and the several questions here asked gave the utmost latitude to make the best of his own case.

Verse 9. ***I fear the Lord*** — In this Jonah was *faithful*. He gave an honest testimony concerning the God he served, which placed him before the eyes of the sailors as infinitely higher than the objects of their adoration; for the God of Jonah *was the God of* *heaven, who made the sea and the dry land*, and governed both. He also honestly told them that he was *fleeing from the presence of* *this God*, whose honourable call he had refused to obey. See [John 1:10](../../../kjv/john/1/10).

Verse [Jonah 1:11](../../../kjv/jonah/1/11). ***What shall we do unto thee*** — In these poor men there was an uncommon degree of *humanity* and *tender feeling*.

Verse [Jonah 1:12](../../../kjv/jonah/1/12). ***I know that for my sake*** — I am not worthy to live; *throw me overboard*. God will not quiet the storm till I am cast out of the ship. Here was deep compunction; and honest avowal of sin; and a justification of the displeasure which God had now manifested.

Verse [Jonah 1:13](../../../kjv/jonah/1/13). ***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.

Verse [Jonah 1:14](../../../kjv/jonah/1/14). ***They cried unto the Lord*** — Under a conviction that he was the self-existing Being, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and the author of the present storm, they put up their prayers to him.
***Let us not perish for this man's life*** — They were now about to *cast him overboard*; but seemed to call God to witness that it was with the utmost reluctance, and only in obedience to his command. There is a parallel passage in the *Argonautics*, which has been quoted to illustrate this: -
Πολλα δε μερμηριζον ενι φρεσι πευκαλιμησι,
Η μεν αποφθισωσι, και ιχθυσι κυρμα βαλωσιν
Αινολεχη Μμηδειαν, αποτρεψωσι δ' Εριννυν.
Ver. 1171.

"And much they doubted, in their prudent minds,
Whether to kill and cast a prey to fishes
Wretched Medea, and avert their fate." See *Newcome*.

Verse [Jonah 1:16](../../../kjv/jonah/1/16). ***Offered a sacrifice*** — The first perhaps ever offered on board a vessel since the ark floated on the waters of the great deluge; and it is most probable that these heathens, witnessing what was done, became sincere converts to the true God.

Verse [Jonah 1:17](../../../kjv/jonah/1/17). ***Now the Lord had prepared a great fish*** — דג גדול *dag* *gadol*. This could not have been a *whale*, for the throat of that animal can scarcely admit a man's leg; but it might have been a *shark*, which abounds in the Mediterranean, and whose mouth and stomach are exceedingly capacious. In several cases they have been known to swallow a man when thrown overboard. See the note on [Matthew 12:40](../../../kjv/matthew/12/40), where the whole subject of this verse is considered at large. That *days and nights* do not, among the Hebrews, signify *complete* days and nights of *twenty-four* hours, see [Esther 4:16](../../../kjv/esther/4/16), compared with [Esther 5:1](../../../kjv/esther/5/1); [Judges 14:17-18](../../../kjv/judges/14/17-18). Our Lord lay in the grave *one* natural day, and part of *two* others; and it is most likely that this was the precise time that Jonah was in the fish's belly.

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