Jonah 1

Jona being sent by God to preach at Nineve, he fleeth to Tharsis verse 1 &c. is persued by God at sea with a great with a great tempest and discovered by lot and thereupon by his own advice cast into the sea at last which grew forthwith calm again 12. God appoints a great fish that swalls up Jona in whose belly he abides three days and three nights ,17.

1. And [this particle in the old testament according to the Hebrew language is frequently put in the beginning ;of an history and so it is put by the evangelists in the new as other languages also have theirs to begin their speeches witth all more for ornament then necessity]the word of the Lord came to Jona [being of Gath Hepper situate in the tribe of Zebulon see 2 Kings 4:25 with the annotate from place it is gathered that he prophesied about the time of the prophets Hosea and Amos and of king Jerobeam the second of that name the son of Joas reigning in Israel ,whiles that realm enjoyed outward peace and prosperity yet though they were very unthankful to God and obstinate against all his warnings and threatenings for which cause it pleased God to dispatch this prophet to Nineve to shame and convince his own people by the example of the Ninevites compare Matthew 12:41 Luke 12:32.] the son of Amitthai saying:

2. Get thee up go to the great city Nineve [the ancient royal metropolis or chief city of Assyria see Genesis 10:12.1 Kings 19.36 Nehe.2.8&c.]aand preach against iit [Hebrew cry or proclaim which in the new testament also is often taken for preaching even by Christ himself in speaking of these Ninevites Matthew 12:41&c.] for their wickedness [viz that of the inhabitants there] is mounted up before my face [that is their sins are so many grievous and notorious that I can endure them no longer but must punish them forth with unless they repent compare Genesis 18:20,21 some read preach to it that their wickedness is c.]

3. But Jonba arose to fly [see below chapter 4.2 what moved him to this]to Tharsis [the famous sea port and chief city of Cilicia the birth place of the apostle Paul se 1 Kings 10 on verse 2 and Acts 21:39 & 22.3.] from the face of the Lord [before whose face he ought to have stood in the scripture phrase as his minister for to receive and execute his charge which he seeking to eschew here it is said of him that he fled from the face of God that is neglected his duty of his see Duet .10 on verse 8 Kings 17.1 &C] and he came down to Japho [otherwise called Joppe likewise a sea-port or heaven town see 2 Chron2 on verse 16]and sound a ship going to Tharsis and he paid the fraught thereof [viz of that ship Hebrew the wages of it viz of the ship]and went down into the same for to go with them [viz the mariners or passengers of that ship]to Tarsis from the face of the Lord .

4. But the Lord cast a great wind upon the sea [denoting the suddenness of the tempest whereby the mariners could easily guess that it was an extraordinary case beyond the course of nature]and there was a great tempest in the sea so that the ship thought to break [an unusual expression both in the Hebrew and other tongue also that is to say it seemed no otherwise one would have thought or the mariners thought their ship would have been split and wracked into pieces .]

5. Then the sea-men [or the sea-faring people that is the mariners and passengers that were on ship board to pass the sea which the Hebrew phrase hints at]were afraid and cried everyone to his God [that is idol whom he worshipped according to the manner of his own country]and cast out the vessels [that is all kinds of the removable goods see of the Hebrew word Levit 15 on verse 4]that were in the ship into the sea to lighten or diburthen it of them but Jona was gone down at the sides of the ship [that is on the side there of see Judges 12 on verse7]and lay and was taken with a profound sleep [as not imagining any trouble or thinking himself very safe and secure of any danger .]

6. And the ship master [or chief-shipper, boat-swain:the Hebrew word is drived from managing of ropes or cables] drew near to him and said to him what ailes thee thou profound sleeper ? [or how art thou taken with a profound sleep thus]arise call upon thy God peradventure that God will remember us [viz for good to pity and spare us other shew himself kind or friendly to us] that we perish not .

7. Moreover they said everyone to his companion come come and let us cast the lot that we may know for whose sake this evil [viz of punishment this mischief and dander wherein we are this terrible tempest see Genesis 19 on verse 19]come upon us [that is who of us all is that guilty person for whose sake we are thus tormented or shall be able to discover the guilty man unto us that we may see what course to take then and wether it may prove the means of delivering us others instead of for whose sake read wherefore]so they cast lots and the out to sell upon Jona [by Gods special direction see Proverbs 16 on verse 33 eith the annotate .]

8. Then they said unto him declare now unto us for whose sake this evil comes upon us [that is ,is it for thy own sake or any belonging to thee or peradventure for the sake and worth of him whom thou or thine have sinned against otherwise wherefore or for what cause the Hebrew expression is much the same with that of the formr verse]what is thy business [or imployment or trade ,condition ,what doest thou deal in?] and whence comest thou? Which is thy country? And of what people art thou ?

9. And he said unto them I am an Hebrew [see Genesis 10:21]and I fear the Lord the God of heaven [he that is said to have his throne and habitation in heaven where he dost manifest his divine majesty in a most glorious manner or he that made the heaven]that made the sea [even this also we fail in]and the dry land [that is the earth see Genesis 1:9,10&c.]

10. Then those man were afraid with a great fear and said unto him why hast thou done this ?[or what a doing this ?how comest thou to do such things ?spoken as in an amazement others what is this that is thou didst or why hast thou?c.] for the man knew that he fled from the face of the Lord [as above verse 3] for he had it known to them .

11. Moreover they said unto him what shall we do unto thee that the sea may be calm from us that is from ranging thus against us or grow calm arid cease from us in the same sense see of the Hebrew word Jos 10 on verse 12 and Proverbs 26 on verse 20 other against us compare Psalms 28:1 and so again verse 12.] for the sea grew more and more tempestuous [Hebrew went and became boisterious or goeth and growth tempestuous as a sea phrase that is grows or grew more and more tempestuous and boisterious every moment see the like phrase Genesis 8:3.5 and26.13 Judges 4:24 1 Samuel 14:19 2 Sam 3.1 in the annotate and so verse 13.]

12. And he said unto them take me and cast me into the sea then shall the seea grow calm from you for I know [by special instincts from God and the testimony of his own conscience] that this great tempest comes upon you for my sake .

13. But the man rowed [Hebrew properly digged viz into the sea that is they rowed by reason of the likeness that is there is between rowing and delying these men did all they could to spare and save Jona]for to bring the strip again to te dry land [as above verse 9]but they were not able for the sea grew more and more tempestuous [as above verse 11]

14. Then they cried unto the Lord and said Ah Lord let us not perish we pray for this mans soul [that is person see Genesis 12 on verse 5] and lay no innocent blood upon us for thou Lord hast done as it pleased thee [that is do not input it unto us Lord and punish us not as for murther that we are forced to throw this man over-board now we avow he hath committed no offence against us and we know no more of his course and carriage then he told us himself we are very loath to lay hands on him and do it not by extreme necessity but it seemeth that all this is thy own work and providence and we have nothing to say against it thou hast disposed of all this according to thy own good pleasure see of the phrase Judges 9 on verse 24]

15. And they took up Jona and cast him into the sea then the sea food still from her raging .

16. Therefore the man feared the Lord with great far and they shew slay offering unto the Lord [viz after their safe arrival on there giving thanks to that God whom they had found thus experimentally to be the auther of that great tempest and of the calming thereof and consequently also of teir wonderful preservation]and vowed vows [compare below chapter 2 .9 with the annotate]

17. Now the Lord appointed [or ha prepared appointed to wit by his almighty wife and fatherly providence see below chapter 4.6,7,8 the Hebrew word is the same form which the man or manna had its name where with God fed Israel in the wilderness see Exodus 16 on verse 15]a great fish [that is a whale Matthew 12:40] for to swallow up Jona [which accordingly came to pass thus that he did swallow him up]and Jona was in the bowels of the fish [that is in the belly or panch of that whale]three days and three nights [hereby God made this prophet to become a type of our Lord Jesus Christ see Matthew 12,40 and 16.4 Luke 11:30.]