Jonah 1 · Verse 8

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?
Jonah 1:8, King James Version

Jonah 1:8 in other translations

BSB“Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”
WEBThen they asked him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?”
ASVThen 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?
YLTAnd they say unto him, ‘Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil is on us? what is thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what is thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'
DARBYAnd they said 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?
BBEThen they said to him, Now make clear to us what is your work, and where you come from? what is your country, and who are your people?
WebsterThen said they to him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thy occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?

What does Jonah 1:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. The guilty individual being discovered is interrogated so as to make full confession with his own mouth. So in Achan's case (Jos 7:19).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 8 Tell us - for whose cause - A very gentle method of bringing the charge home to himself, and the several questions here asked gave the utmost latitude to make the best of his own case.

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 do wrong, they will hear it from those who make no such profession. When sin has raised a storm, and laid us under the tokens of God's displeasure, we must consider what is to be done to the sin that raised the storm. Jonah uses the language of true penitents, who desire that none but themselves may fare the worse for their sins and follies. Jonah sees this to be the punishment of his iniquity, he accepts it, and justifies God in it. When conscience is awakened, and a storm raised, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin that caused the disturbance. Parting with our money will not pacify the conscience, the Jonah must be thrown overboard.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Jonah 1:8 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.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּvai.yo.me.Ruand they saidH559
אֵלָ֔יו'e.Lavto himH413
הַגִּידָה\־ha.gi.dah-tell !H5046
נָּ֣אna'pleaseH4994
לָ֔נוּLa.nuto <the> us
בַּאֲשֶׁ֛רba.'a.Sherbecause <which>H834
לְמִי\־le.mi-of whom?H4310
הָרָעָ֥הha.ra.'Ahthe evilH7451
הַזֹּ֖אתha.Zot<the> thisH2063
לָ֑נוּLa.nu[belongs] to <the> us
מַה\־mah-what?H4100
מְּלַאכְתְּךָ֙me.lakh.te.Kha[is] occupation yourH4399
וּמֵאַ֣יִןu.me.'A.yinand from where?H370
תָּב֔וֹאta.Vo'do you comeH935
מָ֣הmahwhat?H4100
אַרְצֶ֔ךָ'ar.Tze.kha[is] land yourH776
וְאֵֽי\־ve.'ei-and where?H335
מִזֶּ֥הmi.Zehfrom thisH2088
עַ֖ם'ampeopleH5971
אָֽתָּה\׃'A.tah[are] youH859

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

Cross references for Jonah 1:8

  • Genesis 47:3

    And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers.

  • 1 Samuel 30:13

    And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

  • James 5:16

    Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

  • Joshua 7:19

    And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.

  • 1 Samuel 14:43

    Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Tell.
Jos 7:19; 1Sa 14:43; Jas 5:16
What is thine.
Ge 47:3; 1Sa 30:13

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

Context

  • 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?

  • Jonah 1:9

    And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

Read all of Jonah 1

Jonah 1:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces le dijeron ellos: Decláranos ahora por qué nos ha venido este mal. ¿Qué oficio tienes, y de dónde vienes? ¿cuál es tu tierra, y de qué pueblo eres?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils lui dirent: Déclare-nous à cause de qui ce mal nous est arrivé? Quelle est ton occupation? et d’où viens-tu? Quel est ton pays, et de quel peuple es-tu?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Da sprachen sie zu ihm: Tue uns doch kund, um wessentwillen dieses Unglück uns trifft! Was ist dein Geschäft, und woher kommst du? Welches ist dein Land, und von welchem Volke bist du?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et dixerunt ad eum: Indica nobis cujus causa malum istud sit nobis: quod est opus tuum? quæ terra tua, et quo vadis? vel ex quo populo es tu?