“Then 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.”
My Notes
What Does Jonah 1:5 Mean?
The pagan sailors aboard Jonah's ship respond to the storm with everything they have: fear, prayer (each to his own god), and practical action (throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship). They're doing everything right—within their limited understanding. Meanwhile, Jonah—the one person on the ship who knows the true God—is asleep in the hold. The prophet of God is unconscious while pagans are praying.
The contrast is devastating: the sailors who don't know God are desperately seeking divine help. The prophet who does know God is hiding below deck, fast asleep. The people with the least spiritual knowledge are the most spiritually active. The person with the most spiritual knowledge is the most spiritually passive.
Jonah's sleep in the storm is a specific kind of spiritual condition: the torpor of someone running from God. He's not resting in peace. He's unconscious with avoidance. The sleep is escapism—the same escapism that put him on the ship in the first place. He ran from God's call to Nineveh, boarded a ship going the opposite direction, and then fell asleep as if unconsciousness could complete what distance couldn't.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Are you spiritually 'asleep' while people around you are desperately seeking God? What put you to sleep?
- 2.Have you been running from a clear call from God? Where did you board the ship, and where were you trying to go?
- 3.The pagans were more spiritually active than the prophet. Does that dynamic show up in your life—people with less knowledge showing more spiritual engagement?
- 4.What storm is God using to wake you up from the sleep of avoidance?
Devotional
The pagan sailors are praying. Every man to his god. Throwing cargo overboard. Doing everything they can to survive. And Jonah—God's prophet, the one person on board who has access to the actual God—is asleep in the bottom of the ship. The one who should be praying is unconscious. The ones who don't know who to pray to are praying anyway.
The irony is almost comic—except that it's too convicting to be funny. The people with the least spiritual knowledge are the most spiritually engaged. The person with the most spiritual knowledge has checked out completely. Jonah has what the sailors need—relationship with the true God—and he's asleep while they're desperately trying to find what he's running from.
Jonah's sleep isn't rest. It's escape. He ran from God's call, boarded a ship going the other direction, and then fell asleep as if unconsciousness could complete the flight. When you're running from God, sleep isn't refreshing. It's hiding. It's pulling the covers over your head and hoping the storm passes without you having to face what you're avoiding.
If you've been spiritually asleep while others around you—people with less knowledge, less experience, less access to God—are desperately seeking divine help, Jonah's story is your wake-up call. The storm isn't going to respect your nap. The God you're running from isn't going to stop pursuing you because you've gone below deck. Wake up. The sailors need what you have. And God isn't finished with the conversation you tried to end by running.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then the mariners were afraid,.... Perceiving that the storm was not an ordinary, but a supernatural one; and that the…
And cried, every man unto his God - They did what they could. “Not knowing the truth, they yet know of a Providence,…
Cried every man unto his god - The ship's crew were all heathens; and, it is probable, heathens who had each a different…
When Jonah was set on ship-board, and under sail for Tarshish, he thought himself safe enough; but here we find him…
The conduct of the heathen mariners stands in striking and favourable contrast with that of the Jewish prophet. They…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture