Jonah 1:9

“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jonah identifies himself to the pagan sailors who have just demanded his origin, occupation, and nationality after a storm strikes their ship.

The words — עִבְרִי ('iv.Ri) translates literally to "Hebrew," and אֱלֹהֵי הַ/שָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ ('e.lo.Hei ha./sha.Ma.yim) means "God of the heavens."

The thread — This Creator declaration aligns with the language of Psalms 95:5 and Nehemiah 9:6, which both attribute the formation of the sea and dry land to Yahweh.

Why it lands — The text establishes that God's jurisdiction extends over all creation, requiring the reader to acknowledge that geographic or national identity cannot shield one from divine authority.

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

וַיֹּ֥אמֶרva/i.Yo.merand/ he said אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei./Hemto/ them עִבְרִ֣י'iv.Ri[am] a Hebrew אָנֹ֑כִי'a.No.khiI וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>יְהוָ֞הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֤י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ha./sha.Ma.yimthe/ heavens אֲנִ֣י'a.NiI יָרֵ֔אya.Re'[am] fearing אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-who עָשָׂ֥ה'a.Sahhe made אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַיָּ֖םhai./Yamthe/ sea וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַיַּבָּשָֽׁה׃hai./ya.ba.Shahthe/ dry land

King James Version

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Cross-references

Psalms 146:5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
Nehemiah 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.
Psalms 95:5 The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.
Psalms 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven! His loving devotion endures forever.
Nehemiah 1:4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Genesis 14:13 Then an escapee came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the Oaks of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were bound by treaty to Abram.
Genesis 39:14 she called her household servants. “Look,” she said, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us. He came to me so he could sleep with me, but I screamed as loud as I could.
2 Kings 17:25 Now when the settlers first lived there, they did not worship the LORD, so He sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
2 Kings 17:28 Thus one of the priests they had carried away came and lived in Bethel, and he began to teach them how they should worship the LORD.
2 Kings 17:32 So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places.