Revised Literal Translation
Jonah 1:7
7And 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.
Jonah 1:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
Context of Jonah 1:7
5Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. 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. And 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. 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? 9And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear Yhwh, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
Read all of Jonah 1Jonah 1:7 word by word
וַיֹּאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֗הוּ לְכוּ֙ וְנַפִּ֣ילָה גֽוֹרָל֔וֹת וְנֵ֣דְעָ֔ה בְּשֶׁלְּמִ֛י הָרָעָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את לָ֑נוּ וַיַּפִּ֙לוּ֙ גּֽוֹרָל֔וֹת וַיִּפֹּ֥ל הַגּוֹרָ֖ל עַל־יוֹנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
- And they saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- every oneאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376
- to his fellowרֵעַrêa‛ rêya‛ · neighborH7453
- Comeיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- and let us castנָפַלnâphal · to fall: allotH5307
- lotsגּוֹרָלgôrâl gôrâl · allottedH1486
- that we may knowיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- for whose causeשֶׁלshel · whichH7945
- this evilרָעָהra‛ râ‛âh · distress: evilH7451
- upon Jonahיוֹנָהyônâh · JonahH3124
Cross-references for Jonah 1:7
- Judges 7:13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the army of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
- Isaiah 41:6They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
- Joshua 7:14In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which Yhwh taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which Yhwh shall take shall come by households; and the household which Yhwh shall take shall come man by man.
- Judges 20:9But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah; we will go up by lot against it;
- 1 Samuel 10:20And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
- 1 Samuel 14:41Therefore Saul said unto Yhwh God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
- Esther 3:7In the first month, that 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, that is, the month Adar.
- Psalms 22:18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
- Proverbs 16:33The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of Yhwh.
- Matthew 27:35And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
- Acts 1:23And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
- Acts 13:19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
- Joshua 7:10And Yhwh said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
- Joshua 22:16Thus saith the whole congregation of Yhwh, What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following Yhwh, in that ye have builded you an altar, that ye might rebel this day against Yhwh?
- 1 Samuel 14:38And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
- Job 10:2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Commentaries on Jonah 1:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Come, and let us cast lots - This was a very ancient mode of endeavoring to find out the mind of Divine Providence; and in this case it proves that they supposed the storm to have arisen on account of some hidden crime of some person aboard. A philosopher being at sea in a violent storm. when the crew began to call earnestly to the gods for safety, he said, "Be silent, and cease your prayers; for should the gods know that you are here, we shall all be…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7Come, and let us cast lots - Jonah too had probably prayed, and his prayers too were not heard. Probably, too, the storm had some unusual character about it, the suddenness with which it burst upon them, its violence, the quarter from where it came, its whirlwind force. “They knew the nature of the sea, and, as experienced sailors, were acquainted with the character of wind and storm, and had these waves been such as they had known before, they would…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-7Verses 4-7 God sent a pursuer after Jonah, even a mighty tempest. Sin brings storms and tempests into the soul, into the family, into churches and nations; it is a disquieting, disturbing thing. Having called upon their gods for help, the sailors did what they could to help themselves. Oh that men would be thus wise for their souls, and would be willing to part with that wealth, pleasure, and honour, which they cannot keep without making shipwreck of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8God permitted the use of lots for certain purposes, such as making decisions when people sought his will (see Leviticus 16:8; Joshua 18:6; 1 Chronicles 26:12–16; Acts 1:26). However, divination in general, as it was practiced throughout the ancient world, displeased the Lord because it sought guidance apart from him (Deuteronomy 18:9–13). who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us: In the ancient Near East, people often believed that disasters…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. cast lots--God sometimes sanctioned this mode of deciding in difficult cases. Compare the similar instance of Achan, whose guilt involved Israel in suffering, until God revealed the offender, probably by the casting of lots (Pr 16:33; Ac 1:26). Primitive tradition and natural conscience led even the heathen to believe that one guilty man involves all his associates, though innocent, in punishment. So Cicero [The Nature of the Gods, 3.37] mentions that…Read the comment
Topics related to Jonah 1:7
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
Revised Literal Translation — © 2018 Michael W. Jones, Sr. — GPL
Commentaries