Jonah 1 · Verse 3

Jonah 1:3

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
Jonah 1:3, King James Version

Jonah 1:3 in other translations

BSBJonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.
WEBBut Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
ASVBut Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah.
YLTAnd Jonah riseth to flee to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah, and goeth down to Joppa, and findeth a ship going to Tarshish, and he giveth its fare, and goeth down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the face of Jehovah.
DARBYBut Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish, from the presence of Jehovah.
BBEAnd Jonah got up to go in flight to Tarshish, away from the Lord; and he went down to Joppa, and saw there a ship going to Tarshish: so he gave them the price of the journey and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish, away from the Lord.
WebsterBut Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare of it, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

What does Jonah 1:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. flee--Jonah's motive for flight is hinted at in Jon 4:2: fear that after venturing on such a dangerous commission to so powerful a heathen city, his prophetical threats should be set aside by God's "repenting of the evil," just as God had so long spared Israel notwithstanding so many provocations, and so he should seem a false prophet. Besides, he may have felt it beneath him to discharge a commission to a foreign idolatrous nation, whose destruction he desired rather than their repentance. This is the only case of a prophet, charged with a prophetical message, concealing it. from the presence of the Lord--(Compare Ge 4:16). Jonah thought in fleeing from the land of Israel, where Jehovah was peculiarly present, that he should escape from Jehovah's prophecy-inspiring influence. He probably knew the truth stated in Psa 139:7-10, but virtually ignored it (compare Ge 3:8-10; Jr 23:24). went down--appropriate in going from land to the sea (Psa 107:23). Joppa--now Jaffa, in the region of Dan; a harbor as early as Solomon's time (2Ch 2:16). Tarshish--Tartessus in Spain; in the farthest west at the greatest distance from Nineveh in the east.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 To flee unto Tarshish - Some say Tartessus, in Spain, near the straits of Gibraltar, others, Tarsus, in Cilicia; and others, Taprobana, or the island of Ceylon, formerly called Taprobah; and Tabrobavagh in Sanscrit, to the present day. And went down to Joppa - This place is celebrated as that where Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus, was chained to a rock, and exposed to be devoured by a sea-monster, from which she was delivered by the valor of Perseus. It is the nearest port to Jerusalem on that side of the Mediterranean. And he found a ship - The Phoenicians carried on a considerable trade with Tartessus, Eze 27:12; and it was probably in one of their ships that Jonah embarked. He paid the fare thereof - He paid for his passage. This shows that there was traffic between the two places, and that each passenger paid a stated fare. From the presence of the Lord - He considered that God was peculiarly resident in Judea; and if he got out of that land, the Lord would most probably appoint another prophet to carry the message; for Jonah appears to have considered the enterprise as difficult and dangerous, and therefore wished to avoid it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 1:1-3

It is sad to think how much sin is committed in great cities. Their wickedness, as that of Nineveh, is a bold and open affront to God. Jonah must go at once to Nineveh, and there, on the spot, cry against the wickedness of it. Jonah would not go. Probably there are few among us who would not have tried to decline such a mission. Providence seemed to give him an opportunity to escape; we may be out of the way of…

Read the full comment on Jonah 1:1-3 →

Jonah 1:3 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.

וַיָּ֤קָםvai.Ya.komand he aroseH6965
יוֹנָה֙yo.NahJonahH3124
לִבְרֹ֣חַliv.Ro.achto fleeH1272
תַּרְשִׁ֔ישָׁהtar.Shi.shahTarshish towardsH8659
מִלִּפְנֵ֖יmi.lif.Neifrom to beforeH6440
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיֵּ֨רֶדvai.Ye.redand he went downH3381
יָפ֜וֹya.FoJoppaH3305
וַיִּמְצָ֥אvai.yim.Tza'and he foundH4672
אָנִיָּ֣ה\׀'a.ni.Yaha shipH591
בָּאָ֣הba.'Ah[which was] about to goH935
תַרְשִׁ֗ישׁtar.ShishTarshishH8659
וַיִּתֵּ֨ןvai.yi.Tenand he gaveH5414
שְׂכָרָ֜הּse.kha.Rahfare itsH7939
וַיֵּ֤רֶדvai.Ye.redand he went downH3381
בָּהּ֙bahin <the> it
לָב֤וֹאla.Vo'to goH935
עִמָּהֶם֙'i.ma.Hemwith themH5973
תַּרְשִׁ֔ישָׁהtar.Shi.shahTarshish towardsH8659
מִלִּפְנֵ֖יmi.lif.Neifrom to beforeH6440
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

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

Cross references for Jonah 1:3

  • Psalms 139:7-12

    Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. …

  • Joshua 19:46

    And Me–jarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Japho.

  • Genesis 4:16

    And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

  • Acts 9:43

    And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:9

    Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

  • Acts 9:36

    Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

  • Jonah 4:2

    And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

  • 1 Kings 19:3

    And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beer–sheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

  • Isaiah 23:6

    Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

  • Isaiah 23:1

    The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:16

    For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

  • Isaiah 23:10

    Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
to flee.
4:2; Ex 4:13,14; 1Ki 19:3,9; Jer 20:7-9; Eze 3:14; Lu 9:62; Ac 15:38
26:19; 1Co 9:16
from.
Ge 3:8; 4:16; Job 1:12; 2:7; Ps 139:7-12; 2Th 1:9
Joppa.
Jos 19:46; 2Ch 2:16; Ac 9:36
Tarshish.As Jonah embarked at Joppa, a seaport on the Mediterranean, it was probably either Tarsus in Cilicia, or rather Tartessus in Spain, to which he intended to flee. When we reflect how such a message would be received in the streets of London at this day, we shall not wonder at the prophet's reluctance to announce the destruction of the proud and idolatrous Nineveh.
Isa 2:16; 23:1,6,10; 60:9; Eze 27:12

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

Context

  • Jonah 1:2

    Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

  • Jonah 1:3

    But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

  • Jonah 1:4

    But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.

Read all of Jonah 1

Jonah 1:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jonás se levantó para huir de la presencia de Jehová á Tarsis, y descendió á Joppe; y halló un navío que partía para Tarsis; y pagando su pasaje entró en él, para irse con ellos á Tarsis de delante de Jehová.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jonas se leva pour s’enfuir à Tarsis, de devant la face de l’ Éternel; et il descendit à Joppé et trouva un navire allant à Tarsis; et ayant donné le prix de sa place, il y descendit pour aller avec eux à Tarsis, de devant la face de l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Aber Jona machte sich auf, um von dem Angesicht Jehovas hinweg nach Tarsis zu fliehen; und er ging nach Japho hinab und fand ein Schiff, das nach Tarsis fuhr; und er gab sein Fährgeld und stieg in dasselbe hinab, um mit ihnen nach Tarsis zu fahren von dem Angesicht Jehovas hinweg.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et surrexit Jonas, ut fugeret in Tharsis a facie Domini, et descendit in Joppen: et invenit navem euntem in Tharsis, et dedit naulum ejus, et descendit in eam ut iret cum eis in Tharsis a facie Domini.