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1:1And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amathi, saying, 1:2”Arise, and go to Nineveh the great city, and preach in it, for the crying of its wickedness has ascended up to me.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:1 “The blessed Jonah also made other prophecies, but these references are not mentioned in this composition. But we have learned about these references from the fourth book of Kings. For the scriptures teach us such things about Jeroboam, who being third in line from Jehu, ruled the ten tribes. He reestablished the border of Israel from the approach of Emath to the sea on the west, according to the word of the God of Israel, which he spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gethophrah” (PG 81.1724.5-9).

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:2 “The God of the universe ordered this man to come into the city Nineveh and to announce to them the coming destruction because of their excessive transgression. For it says, The cry of their evil has come up to me. That is to say, they drifted away into such abundant wickedness so as to exceed the boundaries of God’s patience” ( PG 81.1724.16-22).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:1-2 “Since it was a very big city, densely populated and more famous than all others in Assyria, it had to be known by repute through all Judah. At this point, while he says only, “preach in it,” he obviously sent him for the purpose of threatening the city also with destruction and obliging all the inhabitants to have an eye to repentance so as to avert the city’s destruction.”

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:1-2 Apart from that which the Septuagint translates as, "the noise of their wickedness has risen up even to me", it has translated the rest similarly. Jonah is sent to the gentiles to condemn Israel, because Nineveh had to repent, but the Israelites still persisted in their sin. And when God says, "their wickedness has come up to me", or "the noise of their wickedness…" it is exactly the text of Genesis: "the noise of Sodom and of Gomorrah is very loud"[8], and to Cain: "the blood of your brother cries to me from the earth"[9]. According to tropology the Lord, our Jonah, that is to say 'dove' or 'suffering', (he is given both meaning, either because the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove and stays with him[10], or because he has suffered for our wounds, wept for Jerusalem[11], and because we have been cured by his malice[12]) is truly the son of Truth, for God is Truth[13]. He is sent to Nineveh the beautiful, that is to the world, where there is nothing more beautiful to our eyes than flesh. In Greek the idea of adornment is in the word cosmos. And when everything had been completed, each one by one, it was said, "and God saw that it was good"[14]. It is to Nineveh that he goes, the great city, so that although Israel has not wanted to listen, the whole world of peoples will hear God's word. And this is because their wickedness has gone up to God. For although God had made the most beautiful house for man who was devoted to serving his creator, man deprived himself of this by his own will; from childhood his heart fixed upon wickedness[15]. He turned his face to the heaven[16] and constructed a tower of pride[17]. He deserves then God to come down to him so that he may be able to rise to heaven by the destruction of repentance, he that did not succeed by the swell of pride.

St. Cyril Commentary on Jonah Jonah's prophesies were both serviceable and sent with intelligence, bringing light to whoever, and yielding much fruit, through the voice of the blessed Paul speaking, "Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also, since God is one; and He will justify the circumcised through the same faith.(Rom. 3:29-30)" And to prove this Peter taught in his narative, in these words, "Truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does righteousness and what is acceptable to Him.(Acts 10:34-35)" He works indeed for both earth and Heaven and all that are in Him, He has made man in the beginning in the image and likeness of Himself, so the ones who rush to virtue and live glowing in holiness and blessedness, they might have the rich gifts of His essence.

Pseudo Philo, Homily on Jonah 2 “Sex crimes and idolatry. It specifies that this idolatry means not recognizing the good gifts which God gave them. The purpose of Jonah’s mission is to bring this sick city back to a state of good health.”

St. John Chrysostom Concerning Statues Hom. XX 21“’The crying of their wickedness has ascended up to me’ is to be understood as nothing else than excess of their wickedness.”

Prudentius Hymn 7; 105 “The mild Avenger calls that prophet stern, And bids him go as herald of the coming woe, But knowing that the Judge who threatens evil dread, Is prone to pardon rather than to scourge and smite,




1:3And Jonah arose to escape into Tharsis from the face of the Lord. And he went down into Joppa, and found a ship going to Tharsis. And he gave his money, and *ascended into it, to sail with them to Tharsis from the face of the Lord.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:3 “For I cried out,” it says, “to the Lord in my affliction, and he heard me. From the belly of Hades my cry.” For I, he says, formerly thinking that he appears to prophets only in Jerusalem, also found him present in the belly of the whale. And offering supplication, I benefited from84 his beneficence. He called the belly of the whale, “the belly of Hades”{S 1468}. Both the beast is capable of bringing death, and he was a dead man by virtue of what had happened to him, but he lived by God’s grace alone._ Above all, as a type of the Lord Christ, who spent three days and nights in the heart of the earth (Matt 12:40),89 he states reasonably that he had been in the belly of Hades. And the most amazing thing of all is that the one who truly tasted death said he would be in the belly90 of the earth three days and three nights, but the one who was under the shadow of death calls the belly of the whale “belly of Hades.” For Jonah, life was not in his control; but for the Lord Christ, both his death was voluntary and his resurrection was willed. On account of this, in the text where there is “Hades” and death, it is designated “the heart of the earth;” but here in the text, where there is Hades, it is designated “the belly of the whale.” “You heard my voice,” he says, “since I would not have continued to live even up to the present.”

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:3 “The prophet did not see himself fleeing from God, considering him to be Lord and maker of all things, and believing him to be present everywhere. But God commanded that all worship be offered to him on Mount Zion, thus giving the idea to the Jews that he both dwelt there and made his appearance there. He thought it quite absurd if, as soon as he was seen by people who had no prior knowledge of him, he immediately gained a name as a sham and a charlatan. Now, some commentators claim that Tarshish means Tarsus, deceived, it would seem by the similarity in sound. Other commentators by contrast claim it is Rhodes. For my part, however, I consider this entire chase after detail to be irrelevant to the subject in hand so far as the account by the prophet is just as equally beyond question, no matter which city you think it to be. He paid the price for his desperation, embarked with the others, and sailed off with the intention of avoiding the problem of God’s making, since God would not show himself in foreign places and press him to set off for the task proposed” (Sprenger 179.10-14; trans. Hill, 195).

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:3 The Septuagint here is similar. The prophet knows by an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that the repentance of the people is the destruction of the Jews. In this situation it is not that he is trying to save Nineveh, but that moreover he does not want to see it destroyed. In another place Moses prays for his people: "if you can spare them this sin, spare them; if not, erase me from your book that you have written"[18]; to this prayer, Israel was saved and Moses was not erased from the Book: even better the Lord indeed profited from his servant by sparing his other servants. For when God says, "release me", he shows that he can be held. This is similar to what the apostle says: "I wished to be anathema for my brothers who are Israelites according to their flesh"[19]. Not that he desires to die however, for whom to live is Christ and to die is a profit[20]; but he deserves life more when he wants to save others. Besides, seeing the other prophets sent to the lost flocks of the house of Israel[21] to incite the people to repent, and Balaam[22] the divine author of a prophecy about the deliverance of the Israelite people, Jonah feels himself punished by being chosen alone to speak against the Assyrians, the enemies of Israel, in the foreign capital where idolatry and ignorance of God still ruled. And what is more he feared that in spite of his prophesying they would still not be converted to repent, and that Israel would not be completely abandoned. For he knew by this Spirit which had entrusted him with the role of hero among the gentiles, that once the nations had come together in belief, then Israel would surely perish. And he feared that whatever was to happen in the future would not happen in his time. Thus Jonah does as Cain does: he flees from the face of the Lord[23] and wants to flee to Tarshish, which Josephus interprets as that Tarsus of Cilicia, but changes the first letter. This can also be seen in the book of the Paralipomenon[24], which says that there is a place in India which is called the same. According to the Hebrews Tarshish means more generally 'sea', according to this passage: "by a fierce wind you will break the ships of Tarshish!"[25], or the ships of the sea. And in Isaiah: "cry out, O ships of Tarshish!"[26]. I remember that I have already spoken about this several years ago in a letter to Marcella. The prophet did not intent to flee to such a place, but throwing himself into the sea, he just wants to go anywhere. And this is more pertinent when talking of a fugitive or one who is afraid, that he does not choose carefully where he wants to flee to, but just jumps at the first opportunity to take to the seas. We can also say this: he thought that God was "known" only "in Judea", "and in Israel his name is great"[27]. After he had seen that God was also in the waves he confesses and declares: "I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord of heaven"[28], who made the sea and the dry land. But if he had made the sea and the dry earth, why believe when you leave the land that you can escape the creator of the sea on the sea? At the same time when he sees the others sailors saved and converted, he learns that all the wickedness of Nineveh can be saved and converted by a similar confession. We can say too about our Lord and Saviour that he abandoned his home and country: at the incarnation he fled in some manner the heavens for Tarshish, the sea of that age, according to what is written in another place: "here is the sea, great and wide; there are numerous beings, animals great and small; there the boats come in and go out, and this dragon that you created to be crushed"[29]. And he says too in his passion, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by!"[30], lest at the unified complaints of the people, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him!"[31], and "we have no king except Caesar"[32], the crowd of people should enter all together; and lest the branches of the olive-tree should be broken, and in their place the shoots of the wild olive should grow[33]. He had such honour and love of his country in light of the choice of the patriarchs and of the promise of Abraham, that he said on the cross, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do"[34]. Or even since Tarshish can be translated as 'the contemplation of joy', the prophet, coming to Joppa, whose name means 'beautiful', hastens to hurry towards the joy and to rejoice in the pleasure of rest, to give himself completely over of contemplation. For he thinks that it is better to rejoice in beauty and in the variety of knowledge than to save the other people by letting that people die, from whom Christ would have been born. 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. LXX: "and he went up to Joppa, and he found a boat going to Tarshish; after paying his fare he went on board to sail with them to Tarshish, far from the face of the Lord." Joppa is a port of Judea[35], and it has been seen in the book of Kingdoms[36] and of the Paralipomenon. It was there that the King Hiram of Tyr transported wood from Liban by raft, then they were taken by chariot by road to Jerusalem. In this place even to this day rocks can be seen on the shore on which the chained Andromeda was saved by Perseus. The learned reader will know the story. And in light of the nature of the countryside, it is said quite rightly that the prophet came from a direction that is mountainous and precipitous, and went down to Joppa in the plain. He found there a ship that was moored and he went upon the sea. He paid his fare or the price of embarking, that is of his journey, according to the Hebrew, or the fare for himself, as the Septuagint has translated it. "and he went down into it" as the Hebrew itself says, (for iered in Hebrew is translated as 'went down'), for in his flight he took great care to find a hiding place. Or "he goes up", as it is written in the Vulgate edition, for going where the boat is going, thinking that he has escaped if he has left Judea. But our Lord is also at the edge of the shore of Judea, which is called 'very beautiful' because since he was in Judea, he did not want to take the bread of sons to give it to dogs.[37] But because he had come for the lost flocks of the house of Israel[38] he paid the price to those who transport him. Thus he who at first wants to heal his people, saves the inhabitants of the sea, and through great winds and storms, (that is his suffering and the reproof of the cross) he is plunged into Hell and saves those whom had not noticed by appearing to sleep on the boat[39]. The wise reader will not want to try to make tropology and history concur. For the Apostle refers Agar and Sara[40] to the two Testaments, and all the same we are not able to interpret everything that is recounted in this story in a tropological way. And when explaining about Adam and Eve to the Ephesians, he says, "this is why man leaves his mother and father to join with a wife, and both will become one flesh.[41] There is a great mystery: I mean Christ and the Church."[42] Are we then first to refer the beginning of Genesis, the creation of the world, the formation of mankind, to Christ and to the Church under the pretext that the Apostle has used regarding this text? Let us admit what is written here: "thus man will leave his father"[43], we can apply this to Christ by saying that he left God his Father in heaven to unite the people of the world in the Church. But how can we interpret what follows, "his mother"? Unless perhaps we are to say that he left heavenly Jerusalem, that mother of saints, and other ideas that are more complicated? And this too is written by the same Apostle: "they were drinking from a spiritual rock which was accompanying them, and this rock was Christ"[44], but let us not try to relate the entire book of Exodus to Christ. For what can we say? That this stone was hit by Moses not just once, but twice[45], that the waters flowed[46] and that the floods were filled up. Are we to regard the entire story of this passage in this case as allegory? Is it nor rather that each passage ought to receive a spiritual meaning according to the diversity of history? Therefore just as these texts each in this way have their interpretations and do not entail the same allegory in their context, so the prophet will not be able to be taken completely to the Lord without difficulty for the interpreter. And if it is said in the Gospel, "O wicked and adulterous generation, that she asks for a sign? As a sign she will only have the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah spent three days and three night in the belly of a fish, so the son of man will spend three days and three nights in the bosom of the earth"[47]. The remainder of this account does not concern Christ to the same extent. Indeed wherever this reading can be said to apply without discrepancy, we also try to make it fit.


Hesychius: Commentary on Jonah Fragment 2 “Tharsis: a place located by India. For if, according to Isaiah (23:1) the Hebrew calls Tharsis Carthage, it does not contradict the passage” (Yves Marie Duval, Le Livre de Jonas dans la Litterature Chretienne, Greque, et Latin: Sources et Influence du Commentair sur Jonas de Saint Jerome , vol. 2. [Paris: Etudes Augustiennes, 1973], 633).

Targum Jonathan Jonah 1:3 “And he went down to Joppa and found a ship that was going in the sea” (trans. Levine, 56).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:3 He sets off racing for the ship and pays the fare on the spot. He does not mention how much Jonah pays.

Josephus Antiquities Book 1 chapter 2 “Tharsis is the same as Tharsus. This was the name the ancients gave to Cilicia. So even today Tarsus, the most important city in the entire province, retains the ancient name, the Greek letter theta being altered to the Greek tau.”

St. Gregory Nazranzen [In Defence of His Flight to Pontus Oration 2; 107,109 “He fled from having to announce the dreadful and awful message to the Ninevites, and from being subsequently convicted of falsehood, if the city was saved by repentance; not that he was displeased at the salvation of the wicked, but he was ashamed of being made an instrument of falsehood, and exceedingly zealous for the credit of prophecy, which was in danger of being destroyed in his person, since most men are unable to penetrate the depth of the Divine dispensation in such cases. Jonah was not ignorant of the mighty hand of God, nor did he imagine that he could utterly escape the Divine power; this we are not to believe; but when Jonah saw the falling away of Israel, and he realized the grace passing over to the Gentiles in the prophecy- this was the cause of his ceasing from preaching and the delay in fulfilling the command. He left Joppa, which in Hebrew it means ‘beautiful’, and he fell into a deep sorrow and ran from his command given to him.”

St. John of the Cross The Ascent of Mount Carmel Chapter 20:7 “When God sent Jonah as the preacher of the destruction of Nineveh, he fled because of his knowledge of the diverse meanings and causes of God’s words. Lest the people make fun of him when his prophecy was unfulfilled, he fled from prophesying.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 29: "But this "intimate and vital of man to God" (GS 19, 1) can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: revolt against evil in the world; religious ignorance or indifference; the cares and riches of this world; the scandal of bad example on the part of believers; currents of thought hostile to religion; finally, that attitude of sinful man which makes him hide from God out of fear and flee his call" (emphasis added)

Summa Theologica:
1:4And the Lord raised up a wind upon the sea, and there came great waves on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being crushed. 1:5And the sailors were afraid, and cried everyone to his god, and they cast out the baggage that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it from them. But Jonah went down into the interior of the ship, *and went to sleep, and snored.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:4 He even paid the fare for the sea voyage, so the expense from it might not hold him back. But the Maker of earth, sea, and heaven roused billowing waves against the boat and cast bands of waves around the boat. While the other boats were navigating successfully, the storm of the sea and the dashing surf were boiling up around Jonah’s boat only. The lot casting of the sailors teaches us this clearly.

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:4 “When he had set sail, however, God made clear to him that he had taken on a flight that was idle and futile, stirring up a violent wind and causing such a storm at sea that the ship ran the risk of falling apart, being unable to sustain the force of the waves” (Sprenger 179.15-19; trans. Hill, 195-196).

Jerome: Commentary on Jonah 1:4 "and the Lord induced a great wind over the sea and a great storm was over the sea, and the boat threatened to break up." The flight of the prophet can be related to man in general, who, forsaking the commands of God, flees from his face and goes out into the world. But in consequence a storm of wickedness and the shipwreck of the entire world are sent against him, and he is made to pay attention to God and to return to that which he had fled. From this we can understand that what appears to be advantageous to mankind, turns into their downfall by God's will. And not only is their aid no use to those whom it is offered, but even those who offer it are destroyed. Therefore we read that the Assyrians conquered Egypt because she helped Israel against the will of the Lord[48]. The boat is in danger because it has taken on board a dangerous passenger. The waves are aroused by the wind, a storm begins over a calm sea. When God is opposed nothing is safe.

Pseudo Philo, Homily on Jonah 8 The height of the wind was like a great, inextinguishable fire going through a forest. He also describes the accompanying flood which has the power to overcome the ship and sink it.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:5 For surely, if the rough surf was shared in common, they would not attempt to learn the reason for the rough surf by lot. But since they saw the other ships cutting through the surface of the sea without any danger, and their own ship was being tossed about by waves three times larger than normal, they first turned to prayer, beseeching the one each individual thought was God. Consequently finding no passage of safety, they awakened Jonah who was held fast by sleep. Since Jonah was pricked by his conscience, hit with discouragement, and not bearing the stings of reason,49 he obtained consolation from sleep. And when such a disturbance arose against the boat—the waves breaking against the boat outside, {S 1465} and the sailors fretting inside—he himself did not sleep simply or moderately. But since he was seized by a deep sleep, he also snored, as he himself indicated when he wrote his book.

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:5 “Everyone fell to calling upon anything they considered their God and normally worshipped, begging to be saved from the present danger. But as the storm intensified, they even tossed overboard the ship’s contents as is usual with tempest tossed sailors, in the hope that the ship would be lightened and escape the danger. Jonah, by contrast, had gone down into the ship’s hold and was fast asleep snoring. It was not that after this happened he went below and was sleeping; it would have been ridiculous if with such alarm raised and everyone’s life at risk he had surrendered himself to sleep; rather, he did so as soon as he went on board. After describing the storm, the text went on to add what was done by the prophet at that time, that the pilot went off and saw the prophet asleep in the midst of such a hubbub, and was amazed that with such trouble on hand he had no sense of the troubles affecting them, instead sleeping and snoring in utter serenity” ( Sprenger 179.27-180.7; trans. Hill, 196).

Jerome: Commentary on Jonah 1:5: "and the sailors were afraid and each one cried out to his God and they threw the boat's cargo into the sea to lighten the boat". They believe that the ship with its normal cargo is too heavy, and do not understand that all the weight comes from the fleeing prophet. The sailors are afraid, each one cries out to his God. They do not know the truth, but they do not forget providence, and with a false religion they know that there is something to pray to. They cast their cargo into the sea so that the ship might cross the immensity of the waves more lightly. But for Israel, neither prosperity nor wickedness can lead her back to know God. Christ weeps for the people, but He has dry eyes. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. LXX: "Now Jonah went down to the heart of the boat and slept and snored". According to the history of this passage it describes the peace of the spirit of the prophet. He is troubled by the storm, or by the dangers; he just keeps the same manner of spirit when the storm is imminent, as when the weather is calm. The others though cry out to their gods, and cast the cargo overboard: each man to his own. But Jonah is so peaceful, so calm, his spirit is so at rest that he goes down to the heart of the ship to enjoy a peaceful sleep. Indeed we can also say: he knows he is a fugitive and a sinner, because he has not obeyed the commands of the Lord. It is because all the other men do not know why there is a storm that Jonah knows that he alone is the cause of it. This is why he goes down to the interior of the ship and hides himself sadly, so that he does not see the waves, like the avengers of God, rise up against him. And if he sleeps, this is not necessarily a sign of his security, but of worry. For we read that the apostles gave in to sleep on account of great sadness at the sight of the Lord's suffering[49]. For if we interpret the sleep of the prophet as a sign, his terrible torture, they represent a man who has fallen asleep from the drug of his wickedness: not only has he fled from God but moreover he ignores the wrath of God as his spirit is clouded by a sort of madness. He sleeps therefore in a kind of false security and his deep sleep sounds out through his nostrils.

Targum Jonathan Jonah 1:5 “And the mariners were afraid, and each man petitioned his fear. But they saw that they were useless. And they threw the items that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them” (Levine, 59-60).

Pseudo Philo’s Homily on Jonah The sailors raise their hands in prayer, but there is no mention of idols with them. The sailors then throw their ship’s tools overboard to lighten the load.

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:5b (Pusey 1.571.18-23). A prophet would never sleep through a dangerous situation without trying to appease the God of the universe. He also adds the detail that the holy ones often flee turbulence and crowds to sit alone to free themselves from a life of pleasure (Lam 3:27-28, Jer 15:17).

Pseudo Philo, Homily on Jonah 9 Jonah’s snoring sounds like a loud trumpet. He does not snore for natural reasons, but because of his great duress over the coming judgment for his sins.

St. Methodius Fragments on the History of Jonah “And the ship in which Jonah embarked, and which was tempest and tossed, is this brief and hard life in the present time; just as though we had turned and removed from the blessed and secure life, to that which was most tempestuous and unstable, as from solid land to a ship. For what a ship is to land, that our present life is to that which is immortal. And the storm and the tempests which beat us are the temptations of this life, which in the world, as in a tempest sea, do not permit us to have a fair voyage free from pain, in a calm sea, and one which is free from evils.”

St. John Chrysostom Homily on Repentance 3:8 “They threw the baggage that was in the ship into the sea, but the ship was not getting any lighter, not because the nature of the weight of the material that was on the ship but from the weight of sin. For nothing is so heavy and onerous to bear as sin and disobedience.”




1:6And the navigator came to him, and said to him, “What, you are snoring? Get up, and call upon your God, so that God may bring us safely through, and we shall never perish.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:6 “But after the captain woke him up, he compelled Jonah to offer prayers to his God right away, not realizing that his flight removed such liberty of approaching God” ( PG 81.1725.55-1728.2).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:6 “The captain suggested to him to get up and call on his own God in the off-chance of their being saved by him. The prophet, however, did no such thing, thinking it was too risky to offer prayers to the one from whom he was fleeing” ( Sprenger 180.6-9; trans. Hill, 196).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:6 (Pusey 1 572.9-12). The captain is angry at Jonah for his indifference, and thinks his sailors are going to fare better than Jonah.

Jerome: Commentary on Jonah 1:6 “and the helmsman come to him and he said to him, what are you doing sleeping? Get up, and call upon your God. If he can find a way to save us then we may not die. It is natural that each one has more confidence in someone else when they feel themselves to be in such danger. This is why the helmsman or captain, who should have been encouraging the frightened crewmembers, but saw the seriousness of the danger, woke and reprimanded the sleeper for his thoughtless security and asked him to pray to his God immediately. He shared everyone's danger, and therefore he had to pray along with everyone else. According to tropology there are many men sailing with Jonah, who each have their own God and hasten towards the 'contemplation of joy'. But when Jonah has been discovered by chance and his death has appeased the all-encompassing storm and made calm the waters, then the one God is revered and spiritual victims are sacrificed, which according to the text were not found when they were amongst the waves.

St. Clement of Alexandria Stromata Bk. 5 Chapter XIV For the expression ‘your God’ the sailor makes as if to one who knew Him (God) by way of knowledge; and the expression ‘that God may bring us safely through’ revealed the consciousness in the mind of the heathens who had applied their mind to the Ruler of all, but had not yet believed.”

St. Cyril Catech. Lectures Letter XIV 17 “When we examine the story of Jonah, great is the resemblance. Jesus was sent to preach repentance; Jonah also was sent, but fled not knowing what should come to pass; the other of course willingly, to give repentance unto salvation. Jonah was asleep in the ship, and snores during the stormy sea; while Jesus also slept, the sea, according to God’s providence, began to rise, to show the might of Him who slept. The one they said, ‘What, you are snoring? Get up and call upon your God, so that God may bring us safely through;’ but in the other case they say to the Master, ‘Lord, save us (Matthew 25:26).’ Where in Jonah’s case they said, ‘Call upon your God’; with Jesus the disciples said, ‘You save.’ But the one says, ‘Take me, and cast me into the sea; so shall the sea be calm for you; the other, Himself rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.”





1:7And each one said to his fellow man, “Come let us cast lots, and we may know for whose sake this evil is upon us.” And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.

Theodoret: Commentary on Jonah 1:7 But since the danger did not desist in any way, they were able to learn the reason for the rough water by lot, knowing that in all likelihood (for they had possessed natural knowledge), vengeance is stored up for sinners, and we pay the penalty we deserve for the things we have done wrong. And since the lot was an accuser and witness against the prophet, he is led to the judgment place. The sailors play the role of jurors, and demand a public examination of the way Jonah had lived his life.

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:7 “With severe recriminations they then adopted a judicial attitude, as it were, so as to treat him like a man already condemned by lot, and demanded to be told what crime had been committed by him” (Sprenger 180.20-22; trans. Hill, 197).

Ephrem, Hymns on Virginity and the Symbols of the Lord, #48: “A judgment took place on the ship of Jonah. There has not been one like it in all the houses of judgment. The lot became for him a judgment seat. The fish snuffed him in like a judge. He shut him in his belly, a prison, so he could not escape from the Creator of all” ( Trans. McVey, 454).

Cyril: Commentary on Jonah 1:7 The casting lots is used specifically to find out why God is angry.

Jerome: Commentary on Jonah 1:7 “'and they said to each other: come, let us draw lots to see who it is that has brought this wickedness upon us. And they drew lots, and the lot fell to Jonah.' They knew the ways of the sea and knew the causes of the storms and winds in such weather. Without a doubt they had seen the waves rise up as usual, and as they must have seen many times before, but they must never before have found the person to blame for the shipwreck, and through him tried to avoid certain danger. We should not be driven by this example to believe in fate, or to believe that this text should be connected to that of the Acts of the Apostles where Matthias is chosen by lot[50], because personal privileges do not make common law. For just as an old lady speaks up for the condemning of Balaam[51], as Pharaoh[52] and Nebuchadnezzar[53], in their own judgement, knew the future through dreams and yet do not see that there is a divine judgement in this, like Caiaphas prophesies unknowing, that it is better for one to die for all[54]: just as this fugitive is betrayed by fate, not by the powers of the fates, above all the powers of the pagan fates, but by the will of hi who controlled uncertain fate. With regard to the meaning of the expression "to know by whom this wickedness had come upon us", we ought to take 'wickedness' as a synonym of affliction, of disaster, as in this passage: "every day his wickedness was enough"[55], and in the prophet Amos: "is there wickedness in a town without God being the author?"[56]. And in Isaiah: "It is I the Lord, who make goodness and wickedness"[57]. But in other places too wickedness can be seen to be the opposite of virtue, as in the passage of our prophet that we have read above: "the cry of their wickedness went up to me"[58].

Pseudo-Philo’s Homily on Jonah All the people on the boat were praying and asking forgiveness for their sins. The people and the captain all ask Jonah about his burdens which might cause the ship to sink. At this point, Jonah realizes the heavy burden of his own sins because of his flight.

St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica “Lots: If we ascribe it to chance it does not seem to imply any vice other than vanity. If, on the other hand, the decision by lot be left to a spiritual cause, it is sometimes ascribed to demons, as in the case in Ezekiel 21:21, which is unlawful and forbidden. Sometimes, however, the decision is left to God, according to Proverbs 16:33. This sortilege is not wrong in itself. If anyone resort to the drawing of lots in Church elections, this should be carried out by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Wherefore as Bede says (Super Act. Apos.) ‘Before Pentecost the ordination of Matthias was decided by lot; because as yet the fullness of the Holy Spirit was not yet poured forth into the Church.’




1:8And they said to him, “Tell us what your trade is. And where you have come from, and from what region and from what kind of people are you?”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:8 “For announce to us, they say, What is your work, and from where do you come? And where are you going and from what sort of country and what sort of people are you” Therefore, with absolute precision, they were asking questions, since they wanted to learn from every angle the reason for the storm. They order him to say not only for what reason he takes off and where he is going, but also from what sort of people he originates, in order that they might learn the life of the man from the common customs of the people” ( PG 81.1728.9-16).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:8 “They demanded to be told what crime had been committed by him, what business he was involved in, where he came from, where he was going, what country he belonged to, and from what race of people he came” (Sprenger 180.22-24; trans. Hill, 197).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:8-10 ( Pusey 1.573.6-8). A request that Jonah tell the sailors about the nature of his offense, something which the lots did not reveal.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:8 “and they said to him, 'tell us how this wickedness has come upon us: what is your occupation, where do you come from, where you are going to, from which country, and which people you are from?' '. Fate had shown him to them: they force him to admit why such a great storm, or for what reason divine wrath had come against them. Tell us, they say, where this wickedness comes from, which has come upon us, what work you do, from what land, from what people you flee, and where you are going to so quickly? Let us note the brevity here that is also seen in Virgil[59]: young men, what cause has brought you to try out unknown ways? Where are you going? He says. Your people? From which land? Do you bring war or peace? This questioning brings his identity, his country, his journey, the town he comes from, so that the reason for the wickedness can be known.





1:9And he said to them, *“I am a slave of the Lord, and I worship the Lord God of Heaven, the One Who made the sea and the dry land.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:9 “The prophet is truly admirable and worthy of praise. For even when he is awaiting the sentence of death, he becomes a herald of the power of the God of the universe, calling him Maker and Master of all. But the majority of people in that time were serving idols, and they were ignorant about the Creator of all. The blessed prophet had to reveal this to the ignorant” (PG 1728. 20-26).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:9 “You see, since they were devoted to idols, he showed what was special in his worship by saying he was a servant of God, that is he was totally devoted to his worship” (Sprenger 180.29-31; trans. Hill, 197).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:8-10 ( Pusey 1.573.14-17). The sailors immediately recognize the power of Jonah’s God when he states he is a servant of God.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:9 “'and he replied: I am a worshipper of the Lord, and I revere God of the heavens who made the sea and the dry land'. He did not say, 'I am a Jew', the name given to the people after the schism between the ten and two tribes[60], but ' I am a Hebrew', that is to say perates[61] , passing by as Abraham who was able to say: "I am a guest and a traveller as all my fathers"[62], and about whom it is written in another psalm: "they passed from one nation to another, from one realm to another people"[63]. Moses says, "I will go so that I might see this great vision."[64] I fear the Lord God of the heavens, not the gods that you have invoked and who cannot save us, but the God of heaven who made the sea and the dry land. The sea that I flee to, the earth that I flee from. And appropriately the land is not just called land, but rather dry land so that it contrasts with the sea. In short here he mentions the creator of the universe who is the Lord of heaven, earth, and sea. But one question begs to be asked: how do they know that he speaks the truth? 'I fear the Lord God of heaven', since he has not done what this God has actually commanded him to do. The reply would surely be that the sinners themselves would fear God, and that it is appropriate for servants of the Lord not to love, but to fear. Here however you can see fear in the cult according to the meaning of those who were listening and until now knew not God.

St. Irenaeus Against Heresies Chapter 20:1-2This was said by Jonah so that those sailors might receive an unhoped for salvation from God, and might turn and glorify God, and repeat that word which was uttered by Jonah, ‘I am a slave of the Lord, and I worship the Lord God of Heaven, the One Who made the sea and the dry land.’

Targum Jonathan Jonah 1:9 “And he said, I am a Jew” (trans. Levine, 64).




1:10And the men were terrified with great fear, and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” since the men knew that he was fleeing from the face of the Lord, because he told them.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:10 “And they said to him, “Why have you done this?” They are saying: “How do you, who know these things and have been entrusted to teach the others, bring yourself 67 to flee a God who is present everywhere?” Not yielding to God bears such great shame. For indeed the prophet, the teacher of others, received the judgment by men who were trapped in ignorance. But nevertheless, even after hearing his words, blaming him severely and feeling resentment, the sailors are not prepared to carry out a death sentence. But, they wait for him, as a prophet, to show what should be done.

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:10 “When the sailors learned that he had fled from God and resisted an admonition from that source, and then involved them in the present trouble so as to come to the realization that God is present everywhere, and that it is not possible to flee from such a one, then they said to the prophet, ‘What are we to do to you so the sea will quieten down for us?’ Learning the truth about him from his own words, they wanted to find out from him what they should do to be freed from the present trouble” (Sprenger 181.8-18; trans. Hill, 197).

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:10 “'Then the men were very afraid and said to him, "why have you done this?" for the men knew that he had fled from the face of the Lord, since he had told them.' The chronological order is reversed here, for you could have said there was no reason to fear because of his declaration: "I am a Hebrew and I fear the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land". Immediately we are told why they were afraid: because he had told them that he was fleeing the presence of the Lord without having carried out his commands. Then they make excuses and say, "why did you do this?", and this means, "if you fear God, why did you do this? If this God that you revere is so powerful according to you, then how can you believe that you will be able to escape him?". They are seized by a great fear, for they realise that he is holy, and from a holy nation (having set out from Joppa they must have known the privilege of the Hebrew people), yet nonetheless they are not able to hide the fugitive. For he who flees may be powerful, but he who seeks is all the more powerful. They do not dare to hand him over to the Lord, yet they cannot hide him. They reprehend blame, and avow their fear. They pray to Jonah to give himself up for the sin he has committed. Or indeed, when they say, "why have you done this?", they are not inciting him, but questioning, wanting to know the cause of his flight, the flight of a servant from his master, of a son from his father, of a man from his God. They ask, therefore, what is this great mystery that makes you flee from the land and seek the seas, leave your country and set out for foreign lands?




11And they said to him, “What will we do to you, so that the sea will die down for us?” because the sea went on and lifted swells all the more.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:10-11 “For they say: “What shall we do to you so the sea will abate from us? For the surf became more intense after casting lots. So finally the blessed prophet, since he recognized divine wrath, condemned himself to death. Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:11 “Learning the truth about him from his own words, and that he was God’s minister and prophet, and realizing that the events were in agreement with his words, they wanted to find out from him what they should do to be freed from the present trouble” (Sprenger, 181.16- 18; trans. Hill, 197).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:11-12 ( Pusey 1.574.28-575.2). that placing the decision upon Jonah is a necessity for the sailors’ survival.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:11”then they said to him, what should we do with you, so that the sea is calm for us? For the sea was surging its waves more and more'. It is because of you, you say, that the winds, the waves, the sea and swells have been unleashed. You have revealed the cause of this wickedness, now tell us how to stop it. The sea swells against us, and we know that a God is angry because we took you on board. If we have sinned by taking you in, then what can we do so that the Lord does not become angrier? "What should we do with you?" that is to say: "shall we kill you?" but you are faithful to the Lord. Are we to protect you? But you flee from Him. All we have to do is carry out whatever you command, all you have to do is give the command that the sea be calm, for now its wildness attests the wrath of the creator. The narrator also adds the reason for this question. The sea, he says, was continually increasing in wildness. It was swelling, in the known way; it was swelling for the revenge of its Lord; it was swelling, following the fleeing prophet. And at every moment it was becoming more and more wild, and to the delaying sailors' eyes it rose in greater waves to show that it would not put off for long the creator's revenge.

St. Paulinus of Nola Poem 22 Jonah surely teaches us that the sea and stars are moved under God’s control. By vainly seeking to flee from God the controller of all things whom none can escape, he aroused the anger of both sky and sea. Nature, which belongs to the Almighty Lord, realized that Jonah was revolting, and it was afraid to play conspirator by transporting the guilty man safely through its domain, it chained the runaway with winds and waves.”




1:12And Jonah said to them, “Lift me up, and throw me into the sea, and the sea will die down for you. Because I know that because of me this great swell is upon you.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:12 But when the sailors heard these words, they did not immediately carry out his command, but they waited,70 expecting there would be some cessation to their troubles. And using the oars, they tried to bring the boat to shore. But since the force of the sea was preventing them from doing this, first having propitiated God in prayer, they handed Jonah over to the sea without waiting any further.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:12 “'and he said to them, take me and throw me into the sea, and the sea will become calm for you. For I know well that it is on account of me that these great waves are against you.' It is against me that the thunder sounds, it seeks me, it threatens to shipwreck you in order to reach me. It will seize me so that my death might let you live. For I know this, he says. This great storm is on my account. And I am not unaware that this is my punishment, this confusion of the elements, this trouble of the world. This wrath is for me, but you are going to be the victims of a shipwreck. The waves themselves command you to throw me into the sea. And since I will have felt the full effect of the storm you will be in calm seas again. We must note here the greatness of spirit of our fugitive: he is not evasive, he does not hide or deny his guilt, but having confessed his flight he accepts his punishment willingly. He would rather die so that the other sailors do not perish on account of him, and so that he does not add murder to desertion. That's it for the story. But we are also not unaware of the wild winds, which the Lord orders in the Gospel to quiet, that the ship in danger in which Jonah was sleeping, and that the raised sea which is reprimanded: "silence, and calm down"[65], refer to the Lord the Saviour and to the Church in peril, or even to Christ awaking the apostles, and they themselves leaving their sufferings behind throw him somehow headlong into the waves. Our Jonah says, "for I know that it is on account of me that this great storm is upon you", for the winds are watching me journey to Tarshish with you, that is travel to the contemplation of joy to lead you with me to goodness so that wherever I am, so is the Father and you will be there too[66]. This is why this anger rumbles, why the world which is in wickedness[67] groans. It is in this way that the elements are disturbed. Death wants to devour me so that you may be killed as well: she does not see that as she took food in a net, my death will cause her death. Take me and throw me into the sea. For we do not have to run away from death, but receive it with open arms when it takes us from others. Thus, in the persecutions it is not allowed to kill oneself, unless chastity is in danger, but one must put ones neck to the executioner. Go, he says, calm the winds, pour libations on the sea: the storm which savages against you on account of me will be calmed by my death.




1:13And the men *pressed on to turn around towards the land, and they were not able, for the sea went on and it lifted up upon them all the more.

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:12-13 “But when the sailors heard these words, they did not immediately carry out his command, but they waited, expecting there would be some cessation to their troubles; and using the oars, they tried to bring the boat to the shore. But since the force of the sea was preventing them from doing this, first having propitiated God in prayer, they handed Jonah over to the sea without waiting any further.” (PG 81.1728. 52-1729.4).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:12-13 “But they thought it was dangerous simply to cast out into the sea such a man who was close to God, and they strove for some way to get back to land and thus eject the prophet from the boat. Since they could not do it, however, without the stormy sea getting worse for them, they offered excuses to God for what they were about to do, and so threw the prophet into the sea” (Sprenger 181.30-182.1; trans. Hill, 198).

St. John Chrysostom Homily on Repentance 3:8 Although the ocean condemned him and the lot exposed him, when he implicated himself and confessed his flight, they still were not in a hurry to annihilate the prophet, rather, they demonstrated toleration and contraint and did everything possible to keep him from the fury of the ocean after such proof of his guilt. However, the ocean did not permit even this, or better yet, God did not allow this to happen, because he wanted to sober him through the sailors in the same way as through the whale. For this reason when they heard, ‘Lift me up, and throw me into the sea, and the sea will die down for you,’ they strained to reach the shore, although the waves did not allow it.”

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:13-15 (Pusey 1.575.19-21). the sailors were afraid of committing murder.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:13 “and the sailors strive to turn the ship to dry land but they cannot, for the sea swelled up against them'. The prophet has pronounced sentence against himself; but the sailors do not dare touch him because they have learned that he is a follower of God. They were striving to return to the dry land, to get out of this danger; they refused to shed blood, preferring rather to die than kill. O how changed are they now! The people that had served God[68] saying, "crucify him, crucify him"[69]. They are ordered to kill him: the sea is raging, the storm commands this, and they forget their own danger and only think to save another. Therefore the phrase of the Septuagint is appropriate: parebiazonto, they wanted to use all their force and conquer nature so as not to offend the prophet of God. If the sailors rowed to regain the land, it was because they believed they could deliver the ship from danger without realising what Jonah, who ought to have suffered, had said. All the while Jonah was in the sea the ship sat safely in the water.

St. Jerome Letter CXXXIII 12 “Jonah, in his humility was thrown into the deep that he might rise in glory to be a type of the Lord.”

Pseudo Philo’s Homily on Jonah The sailors, not wishing to inflict harm upon Jonah, believe that he would be rescued by another boat, or perhaps even a really large fish.




1:14And they cried out to the Lord, and said, *“By no means O Lord! You should not destroy us because of the soul of this man. And let it not be permitted against us the blood of the just. For you, O Lord, in what manner you desire, you do.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:14 “And clearly, since they have learned that the sentence against him was decreed by God, they pray that in assisting with the sentence, they not pay the penalty. For do not place, they say, innocent blood on us” ( PG 81.1729.8-11).

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:14 “Do not inflict punishment on us for idly throwing a righteous man into the sea, since it was a matter of great concern to us for him to be saved; but it was not to be, since you obviously did not agree, because the waves got higher and did not allow us to achieve the person’s safety” (Sprenger 182.9-13; trans. Hill, 198).

Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:13-15 ( Pusey 1.575.25-576.3). The sailors’ request for pardon since they are only acting on behalf of God’s wishes.

Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:14 “and they cried to the Lord and said, but no, Lord, let us not die to let this man live. Lay not innocent blood upon us. For O Lord you have done as you wished.' The sailors' faith is strong: they are all in danger of losing their lives, and yet pray for the lives of another. They know well that spiritual death is worse than natural death of the body. Do not lay innocent blood upon us, they say. They take the Lord as witness not to visit them for what they are about to do, and say something like this: 'we do not want to kill your prophet, but he himself has proclaimed your wrath, and the storm shows us that you have done what you wished, O Lord. Your wish is accomplished by our doing'. This seems to be the confession of Pilate, as he washes his hands and says, "I am clean of the blood of this man"[70]. The gentiles do not want Christ to die, and affirm that it is innocent blood. And the Jew say, "let his blood fall upon us again and on our son"[71]. This is why when they raise their hands to the sky, they will not be heard, for they are full of blood. For your will has been done, Lord. We welcomed the passenger, and the whirlwind began, the winds blew and the sea swelled in waves. The fugitive was brought by fate, and tells what we must do: all of this, Lord, is the effect of your will. Yes, Lord, your will has been done. In this way the Saviour speaks in the Psalm, "Lord, I wanted to do your will"

St. Jerome Against the Pelagians 2:23 They do not know the reasons why the prophet, a fugitive servant, deserved to be punished. And yet they justify God and acknowledge the blood of him whose deeds they do not know to be innocent. And in conclusion, they say, ‘For you, O Lord, in what manner you desire, you do.’ They do not question the justice of the judgment of God but acknowledge the veracity of the just Judge.”

Pseudo Philo’s Homily on Jonah, The prophet throws himself into the waves.




1:15And they took Jonah, and they cast him into the sea, and the sea stopped from its fury.

St. Jerome Commentary on Jonah 1:15 'and they took Jonah and they threw him into the sea, and the sea became ceased from its agitation'. He did not say, they grabbed him and threw him but they raised him up as if they were carrying him with respect and honour, and they threw him into the sea without him struggling, but rather he went willingly. And the sea ceased because it had found the man it was searching for. Just as when you pursue a fugitive, and running, catch up with him, then stop to grab hold of him; so too the sea was wild without Jonah, and then when it had in its lap what it desired it rejoiced in having him and cherished him, and the calm returned by this joy. If we consider before the suffering of Christ, the confessions of the world, the contrary winds of different opinions, the ship and all human kind, that is all creation to be in danger, then, after the suffering of Christ there is the calm of faith, the peace of the world, universal safety, conversion to God, and we will see how after Jonah has been thrown overboard the sea ceases from its raging.

St. John Chrysostom Concerning Statues Homily 5:18 “The sailors therefore threw Jonah in the sea, and the ship was preserved. Let us then drown our sins, and our vessel will assuredly be safe! Flight will certainly be no advantage to us; for it did not profit him; on the contrary, it did him injury.”

St. Methodius Fragments On the History of Jonah “And the casting of Jonah from the ship into the sea signifies the fall of man from life to death, who received that sentence because, through having sinned, he fell from righteousness.”

Theodoret, Commentary on Jonah 1:15-16 “The souls of the men who saw this were instilled with fear so that they offered sacrifices to God after they returned to the shore, and they believed that this one is the only Lord of all” (PG 81.1729.15-18).

Pseudo Philo’s Homily on Jonah does not point out the conversion of the sailors, but rather the conversion of Jonah. The important aspect of the story here is Jonah realizing his sins and understanding God’s forgiveness, not the recognition of his God by the sailors.




16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

Targum Jonathan changes the Hebrew slightly by saying, “They decided to offer a sacrifice,” rather than the original Hebrew, “they offered a sacrifice.” Cyril, Commentary on Jonah 1:16 ( Pusey 1.576.16-17).Cyril suggests the sacrifice on the ship would be the customary offering to sea deities such as Poseidon. He does not portray any type of conversion experience.

Theodore, Commentary on Jonah 1:16 “They sacrificed to the Lord and made vows, not meaning that they sacrificed to the Lord on the spot, being unlikely to perform sacrifices on board boat, but in the sense that they completely gave up the idols and devoted themselves to the worship of God, promising in the future to join his service and offer due sacrifice to him” (Sprenger 182.20-24; trans. Hill, 198).


Jerome, Commentary on Jonah 1:16 “Before the anger of the Lord the sailors implored their gods under the effect of their fear; after his anger they fear the Lord, that is they revere and worship Him. They do not worship Him in the usual way, as we have seen in the beginning, but with "a great fear", according to that which is said: "from all their spirit and all their heart and all their soul"[73]. And they sacrificed victims that indeed, to take this literally, they were not able to have out at sea. But this is because sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit.[74] And it is said in another place: "offer to God a sacrifice of praise, acquit your vows to the Highest."[75] And again: "we acquit ourselves to you of our vows that we have promised".[76] This is how they offer a sacrifice in the middle of the sea, and they promise others vowing never to be far from Him whom they have begun to revere and worship. They were seized by a great fear for they recognised from the calm sea and the disappearing storm that the prophet had spoken true. Jonah at sea, a fugitive and shipwrecked, once dead saves the ship in the waves, saves the pagans who had been beforehand divided in different beliefs by the wickedness of the world. And Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, and Joel, who prophesied at the same time did not manage to convert the people in Judea. This shows that the shipwreck could only be saved by the death of the fugitive.