Jonah 1:11-17
Throw Me Into the Sea
Read the passage
11Now the sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Jonah, “What must we do to you to calm this sea for us?”
12“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.”
13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more.
14So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.”
15Then they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm.
16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.
17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
The sea grows worse. When the sailors ask what to do, Jonah tells them to throw him into it. He acknowledges that he is to blame for the storm.
They try instead to row back to dry land, but the raging sea prevents them. They cry to the LORD, asking not to perish because of Jonah’s life or be charged with innocent blood. Then they cast him into the sea, and it grows calm.
The men greatly fear the LORD. They offer Him a sacrifice and make vows. Earlier they had cried to their own gods; now they have heard Jonah name the Creator and have seen the sea become calm.
The LORD has appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah. He remains inside it through three days and three nights. The account does not tell us what he expected as he went overboard. It tells us what the LORD provided: the fish that keeps him from being lost in the sea.
How We Know
Matthew 12:40–41 records Jesus using Jonah’s time in the fish to speak of the Son of Man’s time in the heart of the earth. He also names Nineveh’s repentance at Jonah’s preaching. This is a direct use of the account by Jesus; it does not depend on identifying the kind of fish.
Questions
1 What responsibility does Jonah acknowledge?
AnswerHe says he is to blame for the violent storm. He tells the sailors to cast him into the sea so it will grow quiet.
2 What do the sailors try first?
AnswerThey row hard toward dry land. They cannot reach it because the sea grows worse, and they pray to the LORD before throwing Jonah overboard.
3 What happens after the sea becomes calm?
AnswerThe sailors greatly fear the LORD, offer Him a sacrifice, and make vows to Him. Their response is directed to the God Jonah has named.
4 What has the LORD appointed?
AnswerA great fish to swallow Jonah. It preserves him in the sea, and he spends three days and three nights in its belly.
What This Means for Us
Jonah admits that his actions have endangered other people. The sailors still try to preserve his life, and the LORD provides the fish that keeps him alive.
When your wrongdoing hurts others, tell the truth and seek help to repair the harm. Taking responsibility does not mean harming yourself or asking others to harm you. This account leaves Jonah alive, dependent on the mercy of the God he has fled.
Prayer
Father, help us admit when we have hurt others and seek the help needed to put things right. Thank You for preserving Jonah’s life. Teach us to depend on Your mercy and care for the lives You entrust to us. Amen.