New International Version
Jonah 1:3
3But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Jonah 1:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he 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 the Lord.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.
Context of Jonah 1:3
1The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. 4Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
Read all of Jonah 1Jonah 1:3 word by word
וַיָּ֤קָם יוֹנָה֙ לִבְרֹ֣חַ תַּרְשִׁ֔ישָׁה מִלִּפְנֵ֖י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֨רֶד יָפ֜וֹ וַיִּמְצָ֥א אָנִיָּ֣ה׀ בָּאָ֣ה תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁ וַיִּתֵּ֨ן שְׂכָרָ֜הּ וַיֵּ֤רֶד בָּהּ֙ לָב֤וֹא עִמָּהֶם֙ תַּרְשִׁ֔ישָׁה מִלִּפְנֵ֖י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But Jonahיוֹנָהyônâh · JonahH3124
- rose upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
- to fleeבָּרַחbârach · to fleeH1272
- unto Tarshishתַּרְשִׁישׁtarshîysh · TarshishH8659
- from the presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and went downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to Joppaיָפוֹyâphô yâphô' · JoppaH3305
- and he foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- a shipאֳנִיָּה'onîyâh · a shipH591
- goingבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- so he paidנָתַןnâthan · to give: payH5414
- the fareשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
Cross-references for Jonah 1:3
- Jonah 4:2He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
- Exodus 4:13But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
- 1 Kings 19:3Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there,
- Jeremiah 20:7You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.
- Ezekiel 3:14The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the Lord on me.
- Luke 9:62Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
- Acts 15:38but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
- Acts 26:19“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
- 1 Corinthians 9:16For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
- Genesis 3:8Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
- Genesis 4:16So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
- Job 1:12The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.
- Job 2:7So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.
- Psalms 139:7Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
- Joshua 19:46Me Jarkon and Rakkon, with the area facing Joppa.
Commentaries on Jonah 1:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3To flee unto Tarshish - Some say Tartessus, in Spain, near the straits of Gibraltar, others, Tarsus, in Cilicia; and others, Taprobana, or the island of Ceylon, formerly called Taprobah; and Tabrobavagh in Sanscrit, to the present day. And went down to Joppa - This place is celebrated as that where Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus, was chained to a rock, and exposed to be devoured by a sea-monster, from which she was delivered by the valor of Perseus. It is…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3But (And) Jonah rose up to flee from the presence of the Lord - literally “from being before the Lord.” Jonah knew well, that man could not escape from the presence of God, whom he knew as the Self-existing One, He who alone is, the Maker of heaven, earth and sea. He did not “flee” then “from His presence,” knowing well what David said Psalm 139:7, Psalm 139:9-10, “whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I take…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Jonah tried to run away from the Lord, but he could not succeed. No one can escape God (Psalm 139:7–10) or disobey his will without facing consequences (Deuteronomy 8:5). Jonah's hesitation to go to Nineveh is understandable. Assyria was an enemy of Israel known for its violence (Jonah 3:8; see also Nahum 3:1–4). Jonah did not want these non-Israelites to have the chance to repent and be saved (Jonah 4:2). Joppa was an important port city on the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. flee--Jonah's motive for flight is hinted at in Jon 4:2: fear that after venturing on such a dangerous commission to so powerful a heathen city, his prophetical threats should be set aside by God's "repenting of the evil," just as God had so long spared Israel notwithstanding so many provocations, and so he should seem a false prophet. Besides, he may have felt it beneath him to discharge a commission to a foreign idolatrous nation, whose destruction…Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 1:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Jonah 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New International Version — © NIV® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica
Commentaries