Jonah 1 · Verse 12

Jonah 1:12

And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
Jonah 1:12, King James Version

Jonah 1:12 in other translations

BSB“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.”
WEBHe said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”
ASVAnd he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
YLTAnd he saith unto them, ‘Lift me up, and cast me into the sea, and the sea doth cease from you; for I know that on my account this great tempest is upon you.'
DARBYAnd he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that because of me this great tempest is upon you.
BBEAnd he said to them, Take me up and put me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you: for I am certain that because of me this great storm has come on you.
WebsterAnd he said to them, Take me, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm to you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

What does Jonah 1:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. cast me ... into the sea--Herein Jonah is a type of Messiah, the one man who offered Himself to die, in order to allay the stormy flood of God's wrath (compare Psa 69:1, 2, as to Messiah), which otherwise must have engulfed all other men. So Caiaphas by the Spirit declared it expedient that one man should die, and that the whole nation should not perish (Joh 11:50). Jonah also herein is a specimen of true repentance, which leads the penitent to "accept the punishment of his iniquity" (Le 26:41, 43), and to be more indignant at his sin than at his suffering.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 12 I know that for my sake - I am not worthy to live; throw me overboard. God will not quiet the storm till I am cast out of the ship. Here was deep compunction; and honest avowal of sin; and a justification of the displeasure which God had now manifested.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 1:8-12

Jonah gave an account of his religion, for that was his business. We may hope that he told with sorrow and shame, justifying God, condemning himself, and explaining to the mariners what a great God Jehovah is. They said to him, Why hast thou done this? If thou fearest the God that made the sea and the dry land, why wast thou such a fool as to think thou couldst flee from his presence? If the professors of religion…

Read the full comment on Jonah 1:8-12 →

Jonah 1:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם'a.lei.Hemto themH413
שָׂא֙וּנִי֙sa.'U.nipick up meH5375
וַהֲטִילֻ֣נִיva.ha.ti.Lu.niand throw meH2904
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הַיָּ֔םhai.Yamthe seaH3220
וְיִשְׁתֹּ֥קve.yish.Tokso it may be calmH8367
הַיָּ֖םhai.Yamthe seaH3220
מֵֽעֲלֵיכֶ֑םme.'a.lei.Khemfrom on <the> youH5921
כִּ֚יkiforH3588
יוֹדֵ֣עַyo.De.a'[am] knowingH3045
אָ֔נִי'A.niIH589
כִּ֣יkithatH3588
בְשֶׁלִּ֔יve.she.Liby which to <the> me
הַסַּ֧עַרha.Sa.'arthe stormH5591
הַגָּד֛וֹלha.ga.Dol<the> greatH1419
הַזֶּ֖הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
עֲלֵיכֶֽם\׃'a.lei.Khem[is] on youH5921

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Jonah 1:12

  • 2 Samuel 24:17

    And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father’s house.

  • 1 Chronicles 21:17

    And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.

  • Joshua 7:12

    Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.

  • John 11:50

    Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

  • Joshua 7:20-21

    And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

  • Ecclesiastes 9:18

    Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

  • Acts 27:24

    Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Cesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Take.
2Sa 24:17; Joh 11:50
for.
Jos 7:12,20,21; 1Ch 21:17; Ec 9:18; Ac 27:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Jonah 1:11

    Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.

  • Jonah 1:12

    And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

  • Jonah 1:13

    Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

Read all of Jonah 1

Jonah 1:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El les respondió: Tomadme, y echadme á la mar, y la mar se os quietará: porque yo sé que por mí ha venido esta grande tempestad sobre vosotros.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il leur dit: Prenez-moi et jetez-moi à la mer, et la mer s’apaisera pour vous; car je sais que c’est à cause de moi que cette grosse tempête est venue sur vous.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er sprach zu ihnen: Nehmet mich und werfet mich ins Meer, so wird das Meer sich gegen euch beruhigen; denn ich weiß, daß dieser große Sturm um meinetwillen über euch gekommen ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixit ad eos: Tollite me, et mittite in mare, et cessabit mare a vobis: scio enim ego quoniam propter me tempestas hæc grandis venit super vos.