Jonah 1:7
What does Jonah 1:7 mean?
A plain-English look at Jonah 1:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Jonah 1:7 means
The crew agrees to cast lots to discover who is responsible for the calamity, and the lot falls on Jonah. Behind this simple act stands God’s hidden hand, directing random means to reveal uncomfortable truth. The sailors seek justice, and God ensures that the truth comes to light. The lot exposes Jonah not to shame him for its own sake, but to move the story toward confession and resolution. What the storm hinted at, the lot confirms: this crisis is bound up with Jonah’s disobedience, and until he faces it, the sea will not yield.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
KJV
King James Version · 1611And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And they said to one another, Come, let us put this to the decision of chance and see on whose account this evil has come on us. So they did so, and Jonah was seen to be the man.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862And they say each unto his neighbour, `Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil <FI>is<Fi> on us.' And they cast lots, and the lot falleth on Jonah.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And they said every one to his fellow: Come and let us cast lots, that we may know why this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And they said each one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
Context
The prayerful panic shifts to a formal search for the culprit. Casting lots narrows the focus to Jonah, which naturally leads to interrogation. The next verse will show the sailors pressing him with pointed questions about his identity and actions. This transition moves the narrative from general fear to personal accountability, forcing Jonah to speak about who he is and whom he serves.
v.6So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
v.7This passage
v.8Then 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?
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 1 Corinthians 4:5
Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
- Joshua 22:16
Thus saith the whole congregation of Jehovah, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Jehovah, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against Jehovah?
- Esther 3:7
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
- Joshua 7:13
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow: for thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, There is a devoted thing in the midst of thee, O Israel; thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the devoted thing from among you.
- 1 Samuel 14:41
Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.
- Matthew 27:35
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots;
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