New Living Translation
Jonah 1:14
14Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.”
Jonah 1:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
- New International Version (NIV)Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore they cried out to the Lord and said, “We pray, O Lord, please do not let us perish for this man’s life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O Lord, have done as it pleased You.”
Context of Jonah 1:14
12“Throw me into the sea,” Jonah said, “and it will become calm again. I know that this terrible storm is all my fault.” 13Instead, the sailors rowed even harder to get the ship to the land. But the stormy sea was too violent for them, and they couldn’t make it. Then they cried out to the Lord, Jonah’s God. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “don’t make us die for this man’s sin. And don’t hold us responsible for his death. O Lord, you have sent this storm upon him for your own good reasons.” 15Then the sailors picked Jonah up and threw him into the raging sea, and the storm stopped at once! 16The sailors were awestruck by the Lord’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.
Read all of Jonah 1Jonah 1:14 word by word
וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אַל־נָ֣א נֹאבְדָ֗ה בְּנֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑יא כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָפַ֖צְתָּ עָשִֽׂיתָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Wherefore they criedקָרָאqârâ' · to call: call toH7121
- unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- We beseech theeאָֽנָּ֫א'ân'â 'ânnâh · Please!H577
- we beseech thee, let us not perishאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
- for this man’sאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
- and layנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- not upon us innocentנָקִיאnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
- hast doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- as it pleasedחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
Cross-references for Jonah 1:14
- Jonah 1:5Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold.
- Psalms 107:28“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
- Isaiah 26:16Lord, in distress we searched for you. We prayed beneath the burden of your discipline.
- Genesis 9:6If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.
- Deuteronomy 21:8O Lord, forgive your people Israel whom you have redeemed. Do not charge your people with the guilt of murdering an innocent person.’ Then they will be absolved of the guilt of this person’s blood.
- Acts 28:4The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”
- Psalms 115:3Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes.
- Psalms 135:6The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas and in their depths.
- Daniel 4:34“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal.
- Matthew 11:26Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way!
- Ephesians 1:9God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.
Commentaries on Jonah 1:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14They cried unto the Lord - Under a conviction that he was the self-existing Being, the Maker of the heavens and the earth, and the author of the present storm, they put up their prayers to him. Let us not perish for this man's life - They were now about to cast him overboard; but seemed to call God to witness that it was with the utmost reluctance, and only in obedience to his command. There is a parallel passage in the Argonautics, which has been quoted…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Wherefore (And) they cried unto the Lord - “They cried” no more “each man to his god,” but to the one God, whom Jonah had made known to them; and to Him they cried with an earnest submissive, cry, repeating the words of beseeching, as men, do in great earnestness; “we beseech Thee, O Lord, let us not, we beseech Thee, perish for the life of this man” (i. e., as a penalty for taking it, as it is said, 2 Samuel 14:7. “we will slay him for the life of his…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 The mariners rowed against wind and tide, the wind of God's displeasure, the tide of his counsel; but it is in vain to think of saving ourselves any other way than by destroying our sins. Even natural conscience cannot but dread blood-guiltiness. And when we are led by Providence God does what he pleases, and we ought to be satisfied, though it may not please us. Throwing Jonah into the sea put an end to the storm. God will not afflict for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14the men rowed hard: They knew Jonah had angered the Lord, but they worried the Lord would be angrier if they killed his prophet.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1414. for this man's life--that is, for taking this man's life. innocent blood--Do not punish us as Thou wouldst punish the shedders of innocent blood (compare De 21:8). In the case of the Antitype, Pontius Pilate washed his hands and confessed Christ's innocence, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person." But whereas Jonah the victim was guilty and the sailors innocent, Christ our sacrificial victim was innocent and Pontius Pilate and nil of us men…Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 1:14
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
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