Useful Bible Studies > Jonah Commentary > chapter 1
Jonah’s description of his God was very frightening for the sailors.
They all believed in local gods, who each had authority over a particular country or group of people (1:5). In their religions, it was possible to please their gods by special gifts or prayers. However, they tried hard not to offend these false gods. They wanted good luck on their journeys, because a sailor’s work was very dangerous.
So, they had thought that Jonah had done something to make one of these local gods angry. That was why they asked the name of his country. If they knew which god, perhaps they could do something to please that god or to satisfy his anger.
Jonah told them that he was a ‘Hebrew’, like Abraham (Genesis 14:13). That was an ancient name for Israel or the Jewish people. Perhaps Jonah did not mention Israel here so that he did not confuse the sailors about his God. Most of Israel’s people prayed to false gods at this time. However Jonah, as a true Hebrew, served only the real God who made heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1). He told the sailors that God rules in heaven over all things. God made both the sea and the land; he claims authority over them, and everything that lives in, or on, them (Acts 17:24-28).
It astonished the sailors to hear of such a God. They had thought, perhaps, that it was possible to escape from a local false god. They had hoped to please a local god like that with their gifts. However, Jonah’s God already owned everything in heaven and on earth (Psalm 50:10-11). Jonah had been trying to escape from the God who rules over all places (Psalm 139:7-10). Even the sea itself belongs to him. So there can be no escape from him, or from his anger.
Next part: What was Jonah's crime? (Jonah 1:10)
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