Jonah 1:10
What does Jonah 1:10 mean?
A plain-English look at Jonah 1:10 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Jonah 1:10 means
Hearing Jonah’s confession, the sailors become “exceedingly afraid.” Even they grasp the madness of fleeing the Creator who commands sea and land. They rebuke Jonah—“What is this that thou hast done?”—because he had already told them he was running from Jehovah. Their fear is not mere superstition; it is moral recognition that Jonah’s disobedience has put them all in peril. The prophet’s theology is sound, but his conduct has endangered innocent lives. The sailors’ question is both accusation and plea, pressing Jonah toward honesty about what must happen next.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Then 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.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And the men were in great fear, and they said to him, What is this you have done? For the men had knowledge of his flight from the Lord because he had not kept it from them.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And the men fear a great fear, and say unto him, `What <FI>is<Fi> this thou hast done!' for the men have known that from the face of Jehovah he is fleeing, for he hath told them.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And the men were greatly afraid, and they said to him: Why hast thou done this? (For the men knew that he fled from the face of the Lord: because he had told them.)
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this thou hast done? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of Jehovah: for he had told them.
Context
Jonah’s identification of Jehovah as Creator sharpens the sailors’ fear into moral clarity. They now understand the gravity of Jonah’s sin and the seriousness of their situation. This sets the stage for the practical question that follows: what can be done to calm the sea? The next verse moves from blame to solution-seeking, turning to Jonah for instruction since his God is clearly in control.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Samuel 24:3
And Joab said unto the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?
- Daniel 5:6
Then the king’s countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
- Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.
- John 19:8
When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid;
- Job 27:22
ForGodshall hurl at him, and not spare: He would fain flee out of his hand.
- Joshua 7:25
And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? Jehovah shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire, and stoned them with stones.
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