Jonah 1 · Verse 7

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.
Jonah 1:7, King James Version

Jonah 1:7 in other translations

BSB“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
WEBThey all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
ASVAnd 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.
YLTAnd they say each unto his neighbour, ‘Come, and we cast lots, and we know on whose account this evil is on us.' And they cast lots, and the lot falleth on Jonah.
DARBYAnd they said each one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
BBEAnd they said to one another, Come, let us put this to the decision of chance and see on whose account this evil has come on us. So they did so, and Jonah was seen to be the man.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does Jonah 1:7 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
7. cast lots--God sometimes sanctioned this mode of deciding in difficult cases. Compare the similar instance of Achan, whose guilt involved Israel in suffering, until God revealed the offender, probably by the casting of lots (Pr 16:33; Ac 1:26). Primitive tradition and natural conscience led even the heathen to believe that one guilty man involves all his associates, though innocent, in punishment. So Cicero [The Nature of the Gods, 3.37] mentions that the mariners sailing with Diagoras, an atheist, attributed a storm that overtook them to his presence in the ship (compare Horace's Odes, 3.2.26).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 Come, and let us cast lots - This was a very ancient mode of endeavoring to find out the mind of Divine Providence; and in this case it proves that they supposed the storm to have arisen on account of some hidden crime of some person aboard. A philosopher being at sea in a violent storm. when the crew began to call earnestly to the gods for safety, he said, "Be silent, and cease your prayers; for should the gods know that you are here, we shall all be lost." The lot fell upon Jonah - In this case God directed the lot.

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 1:7 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֞וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אִ֣ישׁ'isheachH376
אֶל\־'el-toH413
רֵעֵ֗הוּre.'E.huneighbor hisH7453
לְכוּ֙le.KhucomeH1980
וְנַפִּ֣ילָהve.na.Pi.lahso let us castH5307
גֽוֹרָל֔וֹתgo.ra.LotlotsH1486
וְנֵ֣דְעָ֔הve.Ne.de.'Ahso we may knowH3045
בְּשֶׁלְּמִ֛יbe.she.le.Miby which of whom?H4310
הָרָעָ֥הha.ra.'Ahthe evilH7451
הַזֹּ֖אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
לָ֑נוּLa.nu[belongs] to <the> us
וַיַּפִּ֙לוּ֙vai.ya.Pi.luand they castH5307
גּֽוֹרָל֔וֹתgo.ra.LotlotsH1486
וַיִּפֹּ֥לvai.yi.Poland it fellH5307
הַגּוֹרָ֖לha.go.Ralthe lotH1486
עַל\־'al-onH5921
יוֹנָֽה\׃yo.NahJonahH3124

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

Cross references for Jonah 1:7

  • Proverbs 16:33

    The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

  • Joshua 7:13-18

    Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: …

  • Numbers 32:23

    But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

  • Joshua 7:10

    And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

  • 1 Samuel 14:41-42

    Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

  • 1 Samuel 10:20-21

    And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

  • Acts 13:19

    And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

  • Psalms 22:18

    They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

  • Isaiah 41:6-7

    They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage. So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

  • Matthew 27:35

    And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

  • Esther 3:7

    In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

  • Job 10:2

    I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
every.
Jud 7:13,14; Isa 41:6,7
and let.
Jos 7:14-18; Jud 20:9,10; 1Sa 10:20,21; 14:41,42; Es 3:7; Ps 22:18
Pr 16:33; Mt 27:35; Ac 1:23-26; 13:19
for.
Jos 7:10,13; 22:16-20; 1Sa 14:38,39; Job 10:2
and the.
Nu 32:23; Jos 7:18; 1Co 4:5

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Jonah 1:8

    Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

Read all of Jonah 1

Jonah 1:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y dijeron cada uno á su compañero: Venid, y echemos suertes, para saber por quién nos ha venido este mal. Y echaron suertes, y la suerte cayó sobre Jonás.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et ils se dirent l’un à l’autre: Venez, jetons le sort, afin que nous sachions à cause de qui ce malheur nous arrive. Et ils jetèrent le sort, et le sort tomba sur Jonas.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und sie sprachen einer zum anderen: Kommt und laßt uns Lose werfen, damit wir erfahren, um wessentwillen dieses Unglück uns trifft. Und sie warfen Lose, und das Los fiel auf Jona.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Et dixit vir ad collegam suum: Venite et mittamus sortes, et sciamus quare hoc malum sit nobis. Et miserunt sortes, et cecidit sors super Jonam.