The Meaning of Jonah 1:8 Explained

Jonah 1:8

KJV: Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

YLT: And they say unto him, 'Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil is on us? what is thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what is thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'

Darby: And they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us: what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

ASV: Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then said  they unto him, Tell  us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil  [is] upon us; What [is] thine occupation?  and whence  comest  thou? what [is] thy country?  and of what people  [art] thou? 

What does Jonah 1:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The sailors proceeded to interrogate Jonah when they believed they had identified the culprit responsible for their calamity. Had Jonah been involved in some situation that had brought down a curse from someone else that resulted in the storm? Possibly the reason for their trouble had some connection with Jonah"s occupation or hometown. His national or ethnic origin might also prove to be the key they sought. Finding the reason for their trouble was what they wanted. They did not ignorantly assume that doing away with Jonah would solve their problem.

Context Summary

Jonah 1:1-16 - Fleeing From God And Duty
Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25. He was clearly very patriotic, and did not despair of his country in its darkest days. This commission to Nineveh was therefore not to his taste, because he had no desire to see the great heathen city brought to her knees. Another century would have to pass before Isaiah and Micah would proclaim that the heathen world would turn to God, Micah 4:1; Isaiah 2:2.
Rather than go upon this errand of mercy, Jonah hurried down to the one seaport, that he might escape his duty. Sin is always a descent; we always have to pay heavily in tolls and fares when we take our own way instead of God's, and we must never reckon that opportunity implies permission.
Weary with excitement and travel, the prophet is oblivious to the weighing of the anchor. The disasters that block the way of disobedience are harder than our difficulties in performing God's bidding. Note the divine agency in our lives: the word of the Lord came; the Lord hurled forth a great wind; the Lord prepared a great fish. There were, in these heathen sailors, beautiful traits which ought to have abashed the prophet. Their prayer to their idols and their endeavor to save this stranger Jew are as instructive as remarkable. [source]

Chapter Summary: Jonah 1

1  Jonah, sent to Nineveh, flees to Tarshish
4  He is betrayed by a great storm;
11  thrown into the sea;
17  and swallowed by a fish

What do the individual words in Jonah 1:8 mean?

And they said to him tell please us which for whom trouble this [is] upon us what [is] your occupation and from where do you come what [is] your country and from where this people [are] you
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו הַגִּידָה־ נָּ֣א לָ֔נוּ בַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר לְמִי־ הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָ֑נוּ מַה־ ؟ מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙ וּמֵאַ֣יִן תָּב֔וֹא מָ֣ה ؟ אַרְצֶ֔ךָ וְאֵֽי־ מִזֶּ֥ה עַ֖ם ؟ אָֽתָּה

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ  And  they  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֔יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַגִּידָה־  tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
נָּ֣א  please 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לָ֔נוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
לְמִי־  for  whom 
Parse: Preposition-l, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
הָרָעָ֥ה  trouble 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
הַזֹּ֖את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
לָ֑נוּ  [is]  upon  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
מַה־  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
؟ מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙  your  occupation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מְלָאכָה  
Sense: occupation, work, business.
וּמֵאַ֣יִן  and  from  where 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: אַיִן  
Sense: where?, whence?.
תָּב֔וֹא  do  you  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מָ֣ה  what  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
؟ אַרְצֶ֔ךָ  your  country 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְאֵֽי־  and  from  where 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: אֵי  
Sense: where?, whence?.
מִזֶּ֥ה  this 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
עַ֖ם  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
؟ אָֽתָּה  [are]  you 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.

What are the major concepts related to Jonah 1:8?

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