Jonah 1:10

Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The ship's crew confronts Jonah immediately after his confession of worshipping the God of the heavens. They speak to him mid-storm as the waters intensify and they seek to understand his role in the crisis.

The words — The Hebrew יִרְאָה גְדוֹלָה (yir'ah gedolah) literally renders "a great fear," marking the sailors' escalated terror. The phrase מַה־זֹּאת (mah-zot) translates directly to "what [is] this?" directed at Jonah's actions.

The thread — The sailors' recognition that Jonah is fleeing the LORD's presence directly references Jonah 1:3, where Jonah initially attempts to escape to Tarshish. Their demand for accountability mirrors the confrontational structure found in Joshua 7:25.

Why it lands — The text records the crew's immediate fear and their factual recognition of Jonah's disobedience before they ask what must be done. The reader observes how confessed rebellion triggers direct confrontation and shared peril.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּֽירְא֤וּva/i.yi.re.'Uand/ they feared הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men יִרְאָ֣הyir.'Aha fear גְדוֹלָ֔הge.do.Lahgreat וַיֹּאמְר֥וּva/i.yo.me.Ruand/ they said אֵלָ֖יו'e.La/vto/ him מַה־mah-what?זֹּ֣אתzotthis עָשִׂ֑יתָ'a.Si.tahave you done כִּֽי־ki-for יָדְע֣וּya.de.'Uthey knew הָאֲנָשִׁ֗יםha./'a.na.Shimthe/ men כִּֽי־ki-that מִלִּפְנֵ֤יmi./li/f.Neifrom/ to/ before יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh ה֣וּאhu'he בֹרֵ֔חַvo.Re.ach[was] fleeing כִּ֥יkifor הִגִּ֖ידhi.Gidhe had toldלָהֶֽם׃la./Hemto <the>/ them

King James Version

Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.

Cross-references

Jonah 1:3 Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
Job 27:22 It hurls itself against him without mercy as he flees headlong from its power.
Joshua 7:25 “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
2 Samuel 24:3 But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
Daniel 5:6 his face grew pale and his thoughts so alarmed him that his hips gave way and his knees knocked together.
John 19:8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid,