Jonah 1 · Verse 6

Jonah 1:6

So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
Jonah 1:6, King James Version

Jonah 1:6 in other translations

BSBThe captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
WEBSo the ship master came to him, and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God! Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
ASVSo the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.
YLTAnd the chief of the company draweth near to him, and saith to him, ‘What--to thee, O sleeper? rise, call unto thy God, it may be God doth bethink himself of us, and we do not perish.'
DARBYAnd the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, sleeper? arise, call upon thy God; perhaps God will think upon us, that we perish not.
BBEAnd the ship's captain came to him and said to him, What are you doing sleeping? Up! say a prayer to your God, if by chance God will give a thought to us, so that we may not come to destruction.
WebsterSo the ship-master came to him, and said to him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, it may be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

What does Jonah 1:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. call upon thy God--The ancient heathen in dangers called on foreign gods, besides their national ones (compare Psa 107:28). Maurer translates the preceding clause, "What is the reason that thou sleepest?" think upon us--for good (compare Ge 8:1; Ex 2:25; 3:7, 9; Psa 40:17).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 The shipmaster - Either the captain or the pilot. Arise, call upon thy God - He supposed that Jonah had his god, as well as they had theirs; and that, as the danger was imminent, every man should use the influence he had, as they were all equally involved in it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Jonah 1:4-7

God sent a pursuer after Jonah, even a mighty tempest. Sin brings storms and tempests into the soul, into the family, into churches and nations; it is a disquieting, disturbing thing. Having called upon their gods for help, the sailors did what they could to help themselves. Oh that men would be thus wise for their souls, and would be willing to part with that wealth, pleasure, and honour, which they cannot keep…

Read the full comment on Jonah 1:4-7 →

Jonah 1:6 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.

וַיִּקְרַ֤בvai.yik.Ravand he drew nearH7126
אֵלָיו֙'e.Lavto himH413
רַ֣בrav[the] chief ofH7227
הַחֹבֵ֔לha.cho.Velthe sailor[s]H2259
וַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
ל֖וֹloto <the> him
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
לְּךָ֣le.Kha[is] to <the> you
נִרְדָּ֑םnir.DamsleepingH7290
ק֚וּםkumariseH6965
קְרָ֣אke.Ra'callH7121
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khagod yourH430
אוּלַ֞י'u.LaiperhapsH194
יִתְעַשֵּׁ֧תyit.'a.Shethe will give thoughtH6245
הָאֱלֹהִ֛יםha.'E.lo.Himthe godH430
לָ֖נוּLa.nuto <the> us
וְלֹ֥אve.Lo'and notH3808
נֹאבֵֽד\׃no.Vedwe will perishH6

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

Cross references for Jonah 1:6

  • Psalms 107:28-29

    Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

  • Jonah 3:9

    Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

  • Mark 4:37-41

    And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? …

  • Ephesians 5:14

    Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

  • 2 Samuel 12:22

    And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

  • Psalms 107:12-13

    Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

  • Amos 5:15

    Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

  • Acts 21:13

    Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

  • Psalms 78:34

    When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

  • Psalms 107:6

    Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

  • Romans 13:11

    And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

  • Joel 2:11

    And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
Isa 3:15; Eze 18:2; Ac 21:13; Ro 13:11; Eph 5:14
arise.
Ps 78:34; 107:6,12,13,18-20,28,29; Jer 2:27,28; Mr 4:37-41
if.
3:9; 2Sa 12:22; Es 4:16; Joe 2:11; Am 5:15

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

Context

  • Jonah 1:5

    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.

  • Jonah 1:6

    So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

  • Jonah 1:7

    And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Read all of Jonah 1

Jonah 1:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y el maestre de la nave se llegó á él, y le dijo: ¿Qué tienes, dormilón? Levántate, y clama á tu Dios; quizá él tendrá compasión de nosotros, y no pereceremos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le maître des rameurs s’approcha de lui, et lui dit: Que fais-tu, dormeur? Lève-toi, crie à ton Dieu! Peut-être Dieu pensera-t-il à nous, et nous ne périrons pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und der Obersteuermann trat zu ihm hin und sprach zu ihm: Was ist mit dir, du Schläfer? Stehe auf, rufe deinen Gott an! vielleicht wird der Gott unser gedenken, daß wir nicht umkommen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et accessit ad eum gubernator, et dixit ei: Quid tu sopore deprimeris? surge, invoca Deum tuum, si forte recogitet Deus de nobis, et non pereamus.