Jonah 1:16
New International Version
At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

New Living Translation
The sailors were awestruck by the LORD’s great power, and they offered him a sacrifice and vowed to serve him.

English Standard Version
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.

King James Bible
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

New King James Version
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.

New American Standard Bible
Then the men became extremely afraid of the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

NASB 1995
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

NASB 1977
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the men greatly feared Yahweh, and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.

Amplified Bible
Then the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Christian Standard Bible
The men were seized by great fear of the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

American Standard Version
Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

Contemporary English Version
The sailors were so terrified that they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made all kinds of promises.

English Revised Version
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The men were terrified of the LORD. They offered sacrifices and made vows to the LORD.

Good News Translation
This made the sailors so afraid of the LORD that they offered a sacrifice and promised to serve him.

International Standard Version
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him.

NET Bible
The men feared the LORD greatly, and earnestly vowed to offer lavish sacrifices to the Lord.

New Heart English Bible
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

World English Bible
Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and made vows.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the men fear YHWH [with] a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to YHWH, and vow vows.

Young's Literal Translation
and the men fear Jehovah -- a great fear, and sacrifice a sacrifice to Jehovah, and vow vows.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the men feared Jehovah with great fear, and they will sacrifice a sacrifice to Jehovah, and they will vow vows.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and sacrificed victims to the Lord, and made vows.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the men feared the Lord greatly, and they sacrificed victims to the Lord, and they made vows.

New American Bible
Seized with great fear of the LORD, the men offered sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the men feared the LORD even more, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the men were greatly terrified from the presence of the LORD, and they offered sacrifices of righteousness to the LORD and made vows.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And those men feared with great fear before LORD JEHOVAH and they sacrificed sacrifices to LORD JEHOVAH and they vowed vows
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the men feared the Lord very greatly, and offered a sacrifice to the Lord, and vowed vows.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonah Cast Into the Sea and Swallowed
15At this, they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm. 16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him. 17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.…

Cross References
Matthew 12:41
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Luke 11:32
The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Acts 27:35
After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

Mark 4:41
Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Acts 16:29-31
Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. / Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” / They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Psalm 107:28-31
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. / He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed. / They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired. ...

1 Samuel 12:18
So Samuel called to the LORD, and on that day the LORD sent thunder and rain. As a result, all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

2 Kings 17:32-33
So the new residents worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed for themselves priests of all sorts to serve in the shrines of the high places. / They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods according to the customs of the nations from which they had been carried away.

Acts 14:15
“Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

Romans 1:21
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.

Revelation 15:4
Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

1 Kings 18:39
When all the people saw this, they fell facedown and said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”

Daniel 6:26-27
I hereby decree that in every part of my kingdom, men are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: For He is the living God, and He endures forever; His kingdom will never be destroyed, and His dominion will never end. / He delivers and rescues; He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth, for He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Exodus 14:31
When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.


Treasury of Scripture

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.

feared.

Jonah 1:10
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

Isaiah 26:9
With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Daniel 4:34-37
And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: …

offered, etc.

Genesis 8:20
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Judges 13:16
And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

2 Kings 5:17
And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

made.

Genesis 28:20
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Psalm 50:14
Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

Psalm 66:13-16
I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, …

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Jonah 1
1. Jonah, sent to Nineveh, flees to Tarshish.
4. He is betrayed by a great storm;
11. thrown into the sea;
17. and swallowed by a fish.














At this
This phrase indicates a pivotal moment of realization and response. The sailors, who were initially pagans, have just witnessed the calming of the sea after Jonah was thrown overboard. This moment signifies a turning point, where the miraculous intervention of God becomes undeniable. In the Hebrew context, such moments often lead to a deeper understanding or revelation of God's power and presence.

the men
Referring to the sailors, these men were initially polytheistic, each crying out to their own gods (Jonah 1:5). Their transformation throughout the narrative is significant, as they move from fear of the storm to fear of the LORD. This highlights the universal reach of God's influence, extending beyond Israel to all nations and peoples.

greatly feared
The Hebrew word used here is "yare," which can mean both fear and reverence. This dual meaning is crucial, as it suggests that the sailors' fear was not just terror but also a profound respect and awe for the LORD. This fear is a common biblical response to witnessing God's mighty acts, leading to worship and obedience.

the LORD
The use of "the LORD" (Yahweh) is significant, as it denotes the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal and relational nature. The sailors' acknowledgment of Yahweh indicates a shift from their previous beliefs to recognizing the one true God. This acknowledgment is a testament to God's sovereignty and the power of His name.

and they offered a sacrifice
Sacrifices in the ancient Near East were acts of worship and atonement. The sailors' offering signifies their desire to honor and appease the LORD, acknowledging His supremacy. This act of sacrifice is a physical manifestation of their newfound faith and reverence, aligning with the biblical theme of sacrifice as a means of drawing near to God.

to the LORD
Reiterating the focus on Yahweh, this phrase underscores the sailors' complete shift in allegiance. Their sacrifices are directed solely to the LORD, indicating a rejection of their former gods. This exclusive devotion is a key aspect of biblical faith, where God demands and deserves undivided worship.

and made vows to Him
Vows in the biblical context are solemn promises made to God, often in response to His deliverance or blessing. The sailors' vows reflect a commitment to continue honoring the LORD beyond the immediate crisis. This act of making vows is a demonstration of their sincere conversion and dedication to living in accordance with God's will.

(16) Offered.--There may have been some live-stock on board suitable for sacrifice; but the offering could only be completed on landing, wherefore they made vows.

Verse 16. - Feared the Lord. They recognized the supernatural element in the transaction, and conceived an awe and fed, of Jehovah, who had wrought these wonders Offered a sacrifice unto the Lord. Many commentators think that they sacrificed on reaching shore, as they had thrown the cargo overboard, and would have had no animal to offer. The Chaldee renders accordingly, "They said that they would offer sacrifices." But the text implies that they sacrificed immediately on the cessation of the storm. They may naturally have had some animal on board fit for offering. And made vows. Vowed to make other offerings when it was in their power. Henderson compares Virgil, 'AEneid,' 3:403, etc. -

"Quin, ubi transmissae steterint trans aequora classes
Et positis aris jam vota in litore solves."

"And when thy fleet hath safely crossed the seas,
And, raising altars on the shore, thy vows
Thou shalt perform."
It has been supposed that these sailors embraced Judaism and became proselytes. At any rate, they showed themselves in the light of believers on this occasion.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֛ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

feared
וַיִּֽירְא֧וּ (way·yî·rə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3372: To fear, to revere, caus, to frighten

the LORD
יְהוָ֑ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

greatly,
גְדוֹלָ֖ה (ḡə·ḏō·w·lāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

and they offered
וַיִּֽזְבְּחוּ־ (way·yiz·bə·ḥū-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

a sacrifice
זֶ֙בַח֙ (ze·ḇaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

to the LORD
לַֽיהוָ֔ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

and made
וַֽיִּדְּר֖וּ (way·yid·də·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5087: To promise

vows [to Him].
נְדָרִֽים׃ (nə·ḏā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5088: A promise, a thing promised


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OT Prophets: Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly (Jon. Jh)
Jonah 1:15
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