Now the Lord had prepared a Great Fish to Swallow Jonah

The book of Jonah opens with a clear disobediance by Jonah who tried to run away to Tarshish after God told him to go to Nineveh to warn the people of their wickedness and judgment. There is no clear suggestion that this was Jonah's first encounter with God. If it is, then it may be understandable that Jonah was afraid of various things which prompted him to run away. But it appears that conventional interpretation that Jonah was already an established prophet of God, and in that case, his disobedience would be quite unusual.

During the voyage to escape to Tarshish, the Lord send a big storm to disturb the ship. The other people in the ship were afraid but they found Jonah asleep on the ship. The captain asked Jonah to pray to his God to save the ship. This does not mean they know Jonah had a relationship with the Lord; it is more likely that they assume everyone believed in one god or another, as verse 5 stated "every man cried out to his god". When they drew lots to see which of them had offended their gods, Jonah was picked. It was then Jonah revealed his belief in the Lord.

The seamen appeared to be highly superstitious. They contemplated and then actually carried out their decision to throw Jonah overboard to appease Jonah's God. The Lord caused a big fish to swallow Jonah, to prevent Jonah from drowning. Perhaps one good that came from this was the seamen being afraid of the Lord, offered sacrifices and took vows. They would have experienced the miracle of the sea calming down after Jonah was thrown overboard.




Jonah 1
Jonah’s Disobedience

1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

The Storm at Sea

4 But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load.[a] But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”

7 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. 8 Then they said to him, “Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?”

9 So he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Jonah Thrown into the Sea

10 Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. 11 Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?”—for the sea was growing more tempestuous.

12 And he said to them, “Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.”

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. 14 Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.” 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord and took vows.

Jonah’s Prayer and Deliverance

17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.