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Jonah Глава 1
서론
Без названия
Английский оригинал
In this chapter we have, I. A command given to Jonah to preach at Nineveh, Jon 1:1,2. II. Jonah's disobedience to that command, Jon 1:3. III. The pursuit and arrest of him for that disobedience by a storm, in which he was asleep, Jon 1:4-6. IV. The discovery of him, and his disobedience, to be the cause of the storm, Jon 1:7-10. V. The casting of him into the sea, for the stilling of the storm, Jon 1:11-16. VI. The miraculous preservation of his life there in the belly of a fish (Jon 1:17), which was his reservation for further services.
1-3
A Commission against Nineveh; The Prophet's Disobedience (840 BC)
对尼尼微的差遣；先知的悖逆（主前 840 年）
¹ 耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿，说： ² 你起来往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。 ³ 约拿却起来，逃往他施去躲避耶和华；下到约帕，遇见一只船要往他施去。他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去躲避耶和华。
当注意：第一，神赐给约拿的尊荣——给他一个差遣，要他去向尼尼微说预言。约拿意为鸽子——这对神的一切先知、他一切百姓都是合宜之名，他们都当驯良像鸽子，并当如鸽子为地的罪恶与灾祸哀鸣。他父亲的名叫亚米太——我的真理；因为神的先知当作真理之子。耶和华的话临到他——临到他（原文如此），因为神的话是真实之事物；人的话不过是风，神的话却是实体。他素来已熟悉耶和华的话，能从陌生者的声音中分辨他的声音；如今所吩咐他的是：你起来往尼尼微大城去（拿1:2）。尼尼微此时是亚述帝国的京城，是显赫之城（创10:11），是大城，那大城——周围四十八英里（有人说远不止此），居民众多——如其中婴孩之多所见（拿4:11），财富充盈——其宝物无穷无尽（鸿2:9），权势盛大——有一段时期它统管地上的诸王。但大城和大人物一样，都在神的治理与审判之下。尼尼微是大城，却是异教之城，不认识真神，不敬拜真神。有多少大城、有多少大国，坐在黑暗中、死荫的幽谷里！这大城是邪恶之城：他们的恶达到我面前（有人读作他们的恶意）；他们的恶是狂妄的，他们伸出高傲的手犯罪。想到大城中——罪人众多之处——所犯的罪何其多，实令人忧伤；他们不仅都是罪人，还彼此使对方犯罪。他们的恶达到——即它已到了极高的程度，到了顶峰；其量已满到边缘；他们的恶达到，如所多玛那样（创18:20-21）。它达到我面前——到我的面上（原文如此）；这是对神大胆而公然的亵慢；是在他眼前、当着他的面得罪他；所以约拿必须向其中呼喊——他必须为他们的大恶作见证，并必须警告他们因之而来的毁灭。神正出来对付它，他差约拿在前头，宣告战争，吹响警号。大声呼喊，不要止息。 他不可在角落里耳语他的信息，而要在尼尼微的街道上公诸于众；有耳可听的就当听神藉他的先知向那恶城所说的话。当罪的呼声上达于神，报仇的呼声便发出，临到罪人。他必须往尼尼微去，在当地向其中的恶呼喊。别的先知受命向邻国传送信息，那鸿的预言特别称为尼尼微的默示；但约拿必须亲自前去传达：你快快起来；以速度与勇气、以先知所当有的决心投身此事奉；起来，往尼尼微去。 奉神差遣的人必须起来、必须前往，必须振奋自己以尽所派之工。先知虽先被差到以色列家迷失的羊那里，却并非只到他们那里；他们有儿女的饼吃，尼尼微却吃碎渣儿。第二，约拿因拒绝顺服神的命令、不肯奉差前往而对神所致的不敬（拿1:3）：约拿却——不是起来往尼尼微去，而是起来逃往他施——逃往海上，并不定往哪个港口，只想逃离耶和华的面；只要能如此，他便不在乎往何处去——并非他以为能在神鉴察的眼目之外另寻一处，而是要逃避他特别的同在，逃避那当他承担此工时将他困扰、他急欲摆脱其声音的预言之灵。有人以为约拿是出于某些犹太人的见解——以为预言之灵只限于以色列地（这在以西结与但以理书中已被有效地证为谬误），所以盼望只要出了那地的疆界便可摆脱它。（一）约拿不肯往尼尼微去呼喊，或因那是遥远危险的旅程，且是他所不识的路，或因为他害怕向那大而强盛之城传如此令人不悦的信息，将丧命于此。他与属血气之人商量，因不能安然前往而推却此使命；或因为他为自己的本国之特权嫉妒，不愿别国分享神圣启示的尊荣；他恐怕这将是神国从犹太人移到别国的起头——那别国将结出更多的果子。他自己承认（拿4:2），他厌恶此行的原因，是他预见尼尼微人必将悔改，神必赦免他们、收纳他们蒙恩——这对以色列民将是一种贬损，因他们素来是神特有的子民。（二）所以他往他施去——往基利家的大数（有人如此说），或因他在那里有亲友，希望在那里寄居一时。他下到约帕——以色列地的一个著名海港——寻找一只开往他施的船，在那里找着了一只。护理似乎成全他的计划，给他逃脱的机会。我们可能偏离本分之路，却仍遇见顺风。捷径并不常是正路。他也许发现船正要起锚开往他施，便不失时机。或者，他往他施去是因为他发现船要往那里去；否则各地对他都一样。他并不以为自己在偏行己路——他所要走的路——只要他不在他所当走的路上。于是他给了船价；因他不计花费，只要能达到目的，远远离开耶和华的面。他与他们同去——与水手同、与乘客同、与商人同，无论往他施去的是谁。约拿既忘记了自己的尊严，也忘记了自己的本分，与他们同群，下到船里，与他们同往他施去。看神任凭人凭己意而行时，最好的人是何等光景；我们何等需要当耶和华的话临到之时，也有耶和华的灵伴随而来，将我们心中的每一个意念都纳入顺服。先知以赛亚承认：因此他没有违背，也没有退后，因为神不仅对他说话，更开通他的耳朵（赛50:5）。让我们由此学会停止依靠人，在试炼之时，既不对自己、也不对别人过分自信；而自己以为站得稳的，须谨慎，免得跌倒。
Английский оригинал
A Commission against Nineveh; The Prophet's Disobedience (840 BC)
¹ Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
² Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
³ But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, 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.
Observe, 1. The honour God put upon Jonah, in giving him a commission to go and prophesy against Nineveh. Jonah signifies a dove, a proper name for all God's prophets, all his people, who ought to be harmless as doves, and to mourn as doves for the sins and calamities of the land. His father's name was Amittai—My truth; for God's prophets should be sons of truth. To him the word of the Lord came—to him it was (so the word signifies), for God's word is a real thing; men's words are but wind, but God's words are substance. He has been before acquainted with the word of the Lord, and knew his voice from that of a stranger; the orders now given him were, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, Jon 1:2. Nineveh was at this time the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy, an eminent city (Ge 10:11), a great city, that great city, forty-eight miles in compass (some make it much more), great in the number of the inhabitants, as appears by the multitude of infants in it (Jon 4:11), great in wealth (there was no end of its store, Na 2:9), great in power and dominion; it was the city that for some time ruled over the kings of the earth. But great cities, as well as great men, are under God's government and judgment. Nineveh was a great city, and yet a heathen city, without the knowledge and worship of the true God. How many great cities and great nations are there that sit in darkness and in the valley of the shadow of death! This great city was a wicked city: Their wickedness has come up before me (their malice, so some read it); their wickedness was presumptuous, and they sinned with a high hand. It is sad to think what a great deal of sin is committed in great cities, where there are many sinners, who are not only all sinners, but making one another sin. Their wickedness has come up, that is, it has come to a high degree, to the highest pitch; the measure of it is full to the brim; their wickedness has come up, as that of Sodom, Ge 18:20,21. It has come up before me—to my face (so the word is); it is a bold and open affront to God; it is sinning against him, in his sight; therefore Jonah must cry against it; he must witness against their great wickedness, and must warn them of the destruction that was coming upon them for it. God is coming forth against it, and he sends Jonah before, to proclaim war, and to sound an alarm. Cry aloud, spare not. He must not whisper his message in a corner, but publish it in the streets of Nineveh; he that hath ears let him hear what God has to say by his prophet against that wicked city. When the cry of sin comes up to God the cry of vengeance comes out against the sinner. He must go to Nineveh, and cry there upon the spot against the wickedness of it. Other prophets were ordered to send messages to the neighbouring nations, and the prophecy of Nahum is particularly the burden of Nineveh; but Jonah must go and carry the message himself: "Arise quickly; apply thyself to the business with speed and courage, and the resolution that becomes a prophet; arise, and go to Nineveh." Those that go on God's errands must rise and go, must stir themselves to the work cut out for them. The prophets were sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, yet not to them only; they had the children's bread, but Nineveh eats of the crumbs. 2. The dishonour Jonah did to God in refusing to obey his orders, and to go on the errand on which he was sent (Jon 1:3): But Jonah, instead of rising to go to Nineveh, rose up to flee to Tarshish, to the sea, not bound for any port, but desirous to get away from the presence of the Lord; and, if he might but do that, he cared not whither he went, not as if he thought he could go any where from under the eye of God's inspection, but from his special presence, from the spirit of prophecy, which, when it put him upon this work, he thought himself haunted with, and coveted to get out of the hearing of. Some think Jonah went upon the opinion of some of the Jews that the spirit of prophecy was confined to the land of Israel (which in Ezekiel and Daniel was effectually proved to be a mistake), and therefore he hoped he should get clear of it if he could but get out of the borders of that land. (1.) Jonah would not go to Nineveh to cry against it either because it was a long and dangerous journey thither, and in a road he knew not, or because he was afraid it would be as much as his life was worth to deliver such an ungrateful message to that great and potent city. He consulted with flesh and blood, and declined the embassy because he could not go with safety, or because he was jealous for the prerogatives of his country, and not willing that any other nation should share in the honour of divine revelation; he feared it would be the beginning of the removal of the kingdom of God from the Jews to another nation, that would bring forth more of the fruits of it. He owns himself (Jon 4:2) that the reason of his aversion to this journey was because he foresaw that the Ninevites would repent, and God would forgive them and take them into favour, which would be a slur upon the people of Israel, who had been so long a peculiar people to God. (2.) He therefore went to Tarshish, to Tarsus in Cilicia (so some), probably because he had friends and relations there, with whom he hoped for some time to sojourn. He went to Joppa, a famous seaport in the land of Israel, in quest of a ship bound for Tarshish, and there he found one. Providence seemed to favour his design, and give him an opportunity to escape. We may be out of the way of duty and yet may meet with a favourable gale. The ready way is not always the right way. He found the ship just ready to weigh anchor perhaps, and to set sail for Tarshish, and so he lost no time. Or, perhaps, he went to Tarshish because he found the ship going thither; otherwise all places were alike to him. He did not think himself out of his way, the way he would go, provided he was not in his way, the way he should go. So he paid the fare thereof; for he did not regard the charge, so he could but gain his point, and get to a distance from the presence of the Lord. He went with them, with the mariners, with the passengers, with the merchants, whoever they were that were going to Tarshish. Jonah, forgetting his dignity as well as his duty, herded with them, and went down into the ship to go with them to Tarshish. See what the best of men are when God leaves them to themselves, and what need we have, when the word of the Lord comes to us, to have the Spirit of the Lord come along with the word, to bring every thought within us into obedience to it. The prophet Isaiah owns that therefore he was not rebellious, neither turned away back, because God not only spoke to him, but opened his ear, Isa 50:5. Let us learn hence to cease from man, and not to be too confident either of ourselves or others in a time of trial; but let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
4-10
The Prophet in the Storm; The Prophet Convicted by the Lot (840 BC)
风暴中的先知；先知被掣签所定罪（主前 840 年）
⁴ 然而耶和华使海中起大风，海就狂风大作，甚至船几乎破坏。 ⁵ 水手便惧怕，各人哀求自己的神。他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些。约拿却已下到底舱，躺卧沉睡。 ⁶ 船主到他那里对他说：你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？起来，求告你的神，或者神顾念我们，使我们不至灭亡。 ⁷ 船上的人彼此说：来吧，我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。于是他们掣签，掣出约拿来。 ⁸ 众人对他说：请你告诉我们，这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故？你以何事为业？从哪里来？你是哪一国、属哪一族的人？ ⁹ 他对他们说：我是希伯来人。我敬畏耶和华那创造沧海旱地之天上的神。 ¹⁰ 那些人就大大惧怕，对他说：你作的是什么事呢？那些人已经知道他躲避耶和华，因为他告诉了他们。
约拿既已上了船，扬帆开往他施，便以为自己够安全了；但此处我们看见他被追赶、被追上、被揭穿、被定为罪——如同一个从神那里逃营的人，如同一个折下自己旗号的人。
I. 神差遣一位追兵在他后头——海中的狂风大作（拿1:4）。神有风在他的府库中（诗135:7），从这些府库中神使风出来——他抛出（原文如此），以力量与猛力，大风进入海中；连狂风也成就他的话，常作他怒气的使者；他用手心量诸水，聚风在掌握之中（箴30:4），在那里他握住它们，又从中随意挤出它们；因为虽然对于我们而言风随着意思吹，但对于神却非如此——它只吹向他所指引的方向。这风的效果便是狂风大作；因为风起则浪起。注意，罪将风暴带进灵魂、带进家庭、带进教会与国家；它是一件扰人不宁之物。风暴猛烈到一个地步，船几乎破坏；水手别无所期；那只船（有人如此读），就是那一只，而非别的。当时同一海上有别的船，然而似乎约拿所乘的那只船比任何别的船颠簸更甚、危险更大。这风是追赶约拿而发的，为要带他回到神那里、回到他的本分；当我们走迷之时，被挽回、被召回家——即使是藉着风暴——也是极大的怜悯。
II. 船员被这场大风所惊动，惟独约拿——当事人——却不以为意（拿1:5）。水手虽非神所与之争论的对象，却受其危险所感。第一，他们惧怕——虽因他们的职业常与此类危险打交道，素来不以为意，但如今连最老练最刚强的也开始颤抖，因他们察觉这风暴中有异常之处——它起得如此突然，发作如此猛烈。注意，神能使最胆大之人惊恐，使大人与首领也呼求岩石山岭的遮蔽。第二，他们各人哀求自己的神——这是他们惧怕的效果。许多人直到被惊吓才被引到祷告；要学祷告的，让他航海去。主啊，他们在急难的时候寻求你。 他们各人都祷告——并非有的祷告、有的咒骂，而是人人投入；危险既是公共的，向天的呼求也是公共的；并非一人为众人祷告，而是各人为自己祷告。他们各人哀求自己的神——他本国或本城的神，或他自己的守护神；人人都有神、都有信神之心，这是对无神论的见证；但异教的愚妄在于：他们神祇众多，各人凭自己所好择一，而其实只能有一位神，也无需更多。然而他们虽失去了本性之光中"只有一位神"的指示，仍循着本性的律法而行——神是当向他祷告的（这百姓不当求问自己的神吗？赛8:19），尤其当我们在困境危险之中。在患难之日求告我。 有人受苦吗？ 有人惊恐吗？让他祷告。 第三，他们求救的祷告有努力相伴——既已呼求他们的神来帮助他们，他们也尽己力自救；因为法则是：自助者神助之。 他们将船上的货物抛在海中，为要使船轻些，正如保罗的水手在类似情形中也抛下船具与麦子（徒27:18-19,38）。看来他们是作买卖的航程，船上装了许多货物商品，盼望获利；但如今他们甘受损失将之抛下海，以救性命。看对性命的天然之爱何等强。以皮代皮，人愿舍一切所有的保全性命。我们岂不也当同样看重属灵的性命——灵魂的性命——看全世界的得着不足以补偿灵魂的失丧？看世上财富的虚空，看其在我们身上的无常。财富为自己长出翅膀飞去；不，有时情形如此，我们不得不为它们制造翅膀，将它们赶走——如此处，它们不能为物主保留反倒加害，以致物主自己也巴不得摆脱它们，沉下那否则将使自己沉下之物，尽管全无指望收回。巴不得人为自己的灵魂也如此智慧，情愿舍弃那不能保留而不失了信心与无亏良心以致永远毁坏灵魂的财富、快乐与尊荣！如此为保全属灵福祉而放弃暂时利益的人，至终必是无可言喻的得利者；因为他们如此所失的，必寻见以至于永生。但约拿此时在哪里？人本以为他下到自己的舱房——不，下到底舱，船的两侧之间——他躺在那里，沉睡；外面的喧嚣、里面的罪疚，都未能唤醒他。也许他前些时一直避免睡觉，惟恐神又在梦中向他说话；如今既以为自己脱离了那危险，便睡得更沉。注意，罪具有令人麻木之性，我们当谨慎，免得任何时候我们的心被它的诡诈所硬化。撒但的策略是：当他藉试探将人引离神与其本分之后，便摇晃他们入睡于肉体的安逸之中，使他们不觉自己的悲惨与危险。我们大家都当因此儆醒。
III. 船主将约拿唤起祷告（拿1:6）。船主到他那里，叫他羞愧，快起来——为性命祷告，也预备迎死；他给他：第一，公正而必要的责备：你这沉睡的人哪，为何这样呢？ 此处我们称赞船主——他给予这番责备；因为虽是陌生人，此时却如同他家中的一员；凡有宝贵灵魂的人，我们都当尽所能帮助救他免于死亡。我们可怜约拿——他需要这番责备；身为耶和华的先知，他若在本位，原可在责备尼尼微王，但既偏离本分之路，自己反受一个卑下的船主责备。看人因自己的罪与愚如何自贬、自取卑微。然而我们当赞叹神的良善——差他这番及时的责备，因为这是他复原的第一步，如鸡叫之于彼得。注意，在风暴中沉睡之人，被问"你这是什么意思"是应当的。第二，切中要害的劝言：起来，求告你的神；我们在此各人呼求自己的神，你为何不起来呼求你的？你在所怕的危险中、在所愿的拯救中，岂不与他人同样有分吗？注意，别人的灵修当激发我们的；凡盼望同得公共怜悯的人，理当为那怜悯的祷告与恳求贡献自己的一份。在公众困苦之时，我们若在施恩座前有任何分，便当为公共利益运用它。连神的仆人自己，有时也需被唤起、被激励尽这本分。第三，这劝言的好理由：或者神顾念我们，使我们不至灭亡。 看来他们所呼求的许多神，在他们看来不过是在他们与至高神之间的中保、为他代求的；因为船主仍论到一位神——他指望从他得着解救。为激励祷告，他暗示危险极大而紧迫："我们都将灭亡；我们与死亡之间不过一步，而那一步正要迈出。"然而他也暗示尚有指望——他们的毁灭或可防止，他们可以不至灭亡。只要还有性命，就有指望；只要还有指望，就有祷告的余地。他也暗示惟独神能成就他们的拯救，它必从他的权能与怜悯而来。"他若顾念我们，为我们行事，我们还可以得救。"所以我们必须仰望他，必须信靠他，无论危险何等紧迫。
IV. 约拿被查出是这场风暴的缘由。
1. 水手在风暴本身或自己在其中的困境中，观察到如此特别、如此不寻常之处，以致断定这是神圣公义所差来逮捕船上某人的使者——那人必犯了某种大罪——他们如化外人那样判断（徒28:4）："无疑我们中间有一个是杀人凶手，或犯了亵渎、伪证之类的，正被海的报应所追赶，我们都是因他而受苦。"连本性之光也教导：在非常的审判中，神的怒气从天上显明出来，针对某些特别的罪和罪人。无论何时有何邪恶临到我们，我们必须断定其中必有原因——是我们行了恶，否则这恶不会临到我们；其中必有神争论的根据。
2. 他们决定以掣签来查察谁是引发这场风暴的罪人：我们掣签，看看这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故。 他们中没有一人怀疑自己，或说：主啊，是我吗？是我吗？ 他们彼此怀疑，定要找出那人。注意，当任何邪恶临到我们之时，知道它为何临到我们，乃是可渴慕之事——好叫所偏差的得以修正，既已除弊，苦楚也可消除。为此我们必须向上仰望，祷告：主啊，求你指示我你为何与我争辩；我所看不见的求你指教我。 这些水手想知道谁是他们船中的重累、那当灭之物，好叫那一人为民而死，全船不至灭亡；这不仅是有益的，更是极其公正的。为此他们掣签——以此向神的判断申诉，他的眼目察看全心，从他毫无隐晦，他们同意顺服他的显明与决定，以签所表明的为真；因为他们凭本性之光知道圣经所告诉我们的：签放在怀里，定事由耶和华。 连外邦人也视掣签为神圣之事，当以严肃与庄重行之，不可戏耍。基督徒若对向护理的申诉缺乏同样的敬畏，便是羞耻。
3. 签掣出约拿——他若肯将自己良心所告诉他的话告诉他们，你就是那人，本可使他们省此麻烦；但罪犯通常如此，直到发现无可推诿，直到签掣出他，才肯承认。我们可假定船中有其他人在别的方面比约拿罪更大，然而风暴所追赶的、签所指定的，却是他；因为父母所纠正的、主人所责罚的，正是自己的儿女、自己的仆人——他们若行差；别人冒犯则交于律法。风暴追赶约拿，因为神有工要他作，它被差来是要带他回到那工。注意，神有许多法子使隐藏的罪与罪人显露出来，使那以为向一切活人眼目隐藏的愚妄显明出来。神的右手必找出一切弃绝他的仆人，正如找出一切谋害他的仇敌；是的，即使他们逃到海极，或下到船的两侧之间。
4. 约拿因此受审于船主与水手之前。他是陌生人；他们中没有一人能说认识这囚犯，或对他有何指控，所以他们必须从他口中逼出承认、凭他的话定他罪；而这无需刑具，他们所面临的船难之险已足以惊吓他说出真话。签虽已发现他就是他们因此受损、因此受险的人，他们却没有如人恐怕他们会那样狂暴地扑向他，而是平静温和地查询他的案情。对于被发现、被定罪的冒犯者，也当有怜恤。他们不用恶言相加，只说：请你告诉我们，究竟是怎么回事？ 他们向他查问两件事：（一）他是否肯亲口承认他就是风暴所因之人——如签所暗示的：告诉我们这灾临到我们是因谁的缘故；果然是因你吗？若是，是因什么？你所犯的、为此被追讨的，究竟是何罪？也许约拿的仪表举止之庄重得体使他们怀疑签找错了人、射错了目标，所以不愿信它，除非他自己肯认罪；因此他们恳求他在这事上给他们满意的答复。注意，要找出烦恼的因由，不能只开头查问，还须追问到底——下到细节，作殷勤的搜索。（二）他的身世如何——无论其职业还是其籍贯。[一] 他们查问其职业：你以何事为业？ 这对一个流浪者是恰当的问题。也许他们怀疑他的职业可能为他们招来这麻烦：你是占卜的、行邪术的、研究黑术的吗？你曾为这风作法吗？或你如今要去作什么生意？如巴兰那样去咒诅神的百姓，这风岂不是为拦阻你而发的？[二] 他们查问其籍贯。一人问：你从哪里来？ 另一人等不及那答案，问：你是哪一国？ 第三人异口同声：属哪一族的人？ 你是迦勒底人吗——他们以占卜著称；或是阿拉伯人吗——他们以偷盗著称？他们想知道他是哪国人，好因知道他本国的神是谁，便可猜他是否在这风暴中能对他们有所帮助。
5. 在这些盘问的回答中，约拿作了完整的交代。（一）他们查问其籍贯吗？他告诉他们自己是希伯来人（拿1:9）——不仅属于以色列国，更属于他们从列祖所承受的宗教。他是希伯来人，因此越发自羞承认自己是罪人；因为希伯来人的罪——如此认信宗教、如此享有特权之人——比别人更大，更加极有罪。（二）他们查问其职业——你以何事为业？ 他对此的回答是陈述自己的宗教，因为那就是他的职业，那就是他的事业，那就是他所致力之事：我敬畏耶和华——耶和华是我所敬拜的神、我所呼求的神；他是天上的神——全体的至高主，创造沧海旱地、兼辖海陆。不是某国特有的神——如他们所查问的、如他们各人所呼求的那些；而是全地之神——既造了海与陆地，便在海陆中任意行事，任意使用。他提到此事，不仅为定自己逃避这位神之面的愚妄为罪，更为设计引导这些水手脱离他们众多神祇的敬拜与事奉，归向独一又真又活的神。当我们在陌生人之中，我们应当尽力引导他们认识神——在各种场合随时承认我们与他的关系、对他的敬畏。（三）他们查问其罪——他如今所被追讨的？他承认自己躲避耶和华——他在此正是逃离本分，风暴被差来追回他。我们有理由想他是带着忧愁羞愧而说这话——称义神、定罪自己，并向水手们暗示耶和华是何等伟大的神——竟能差这样的使者如这场风暴追缉一个逃跑的仆人。
6. 我们被告知这在水手心中留下何等印象：那些人就大大惧怕——他们公正地惧怕，因为他们察觉：（一）神发怒了——正是那位创造沧海旱地的神。这风暴来自被得罪之公义的手，所以他们有理由担心情形将很严峻。为某项特别之罪而降的审判，在其上有特别的分量与可畏。（二）神向一位敬畏他、敬拜他的人发怒——只因一次、在某件特别的事上逃离其工；这使他们为自己惧怕。"若主的先知仅因一次过犯便如此受严惩，我们这犯了如此多、如此大、如此重之罪的人将如何呢？"若义人尚且如此艰难得救、因一次悖逆之行为便如此紧密被追讨，不敬虔和犯罪的人将出现在何处呢？（彼前4:17-18）。他们对他说：你作的是什么事呢？ 你既敬畏那创造沧海旱地的神，为何竟愚妄地以为能逃避他的面？这是何等荒谬、何等不可解之事！如此他被责备——正如亚伯拉罕被亚比米勒所责备（创20:16）；因为宗教的认信者若行错事，必当预期从那些不作如此认信的人那里听见责备。你为何向我们这样行呢？（也可如此读）你为何将我们卷入追讨之中？注意，故意犯罪之人不知道其恶果将蔓延多远，也不知道它能造成何等的祸患。
Английский оригинал
The Prophet in the Storm; The Prophet Convicted by the Lot (840 BC)
⁴ But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
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.
⁶ So the ship-master 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.
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.
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?
⁹ And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.
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.
When Jonah was set on ship-board, and under sail for Tarshish, he thought himself safe enough; but here we find him pursued and overtaken, discovered and convicted as a deserter from God, as one that had run his colours.
I. God sends a pursuer after him, a mighty tempest in the sea, Jon 1:4. God has the winds in his treasure (Ps 135:7), and out of these treasures God sent forth, he cast forth (so the word is), with force and violence, a great wind into the sea; even stormy winds fulfil his word, and are often the messengers of his wrath; he gathers the winds in his fist (Pr 30:4), where he holds them, and whence he squeezes them when he pleases; for though, as to us, the wind blows where it listeth, yet not as to God, but where he directs. The effect of this wind as a mighty tempest; for when the winds rise the waves rise. Note, Sin brings storms and tempests into the soul, into the family, into churches and nations; it is a disquieting disturbing thing. The tempest prevailed to such a degree that the ship was likely to be broken; the mariners expected no other; that ship (so some read it), that and no other. Other ships were upon the same sea at the same time, yet, it should seem, that ship in which Jonah was was tossed more than any other and was more in danger. This wind was sent after Jonah, to fetch him back again to God and to his duty; and it is a great mercy to be reclaimed and called home when we go astray, though it be by a tempest.
II. The ship's crew were alarmed by this mighty tempest, but Jonah only, the person concerned, was unconcerned, Jon 1:5. The mariners were affected with their danger, though it was not with them that God has this controversy. 1. They were afraid; though, their business leading them to be very much conversant with dangers of this kind, they used to make light of them, yet now the oldest and stoutest of them began to tremble, being apprehensive that there was something more than ordinary in this tempest, so suddenly did it rise, so strongly did it rage. Note, God can strike a terror upon the most daring, and make even great men and chief captains call for shelter from rocks and mountains. 2. They cried every man unto his god; this was the effect of their fear. Many will not be brought to prayer till they are frightened to it; he that would learn to pray, let him go to sea. Lord, in trouble they have visited thee. Every man of them prayed; they were not some praying and others reviling, but every man engaged; as the danger was general, so was the address to heaven; there was not one praying for them all, but every one for himself. They cried every man to his god, the god of his country or city, or his own tutelar deity; it is a testimony against atheism that every man had a god, and had the belief of a God; but it is an instance of the folly of paganism that they had gods many, every man the god he had a fancy for, whereas there can be but one God, there needs to be no more. But, though they had lost that dictate of the light of nature that there is but one God, they still were governed by that direction of the law of nature that God is to be prayed to (Should not a people seek under their God? Isa 8:19), and that he is especially to be prayed to when we are in distress and danger. Call upon me in the time of trouble. Is any afflicted? Is any frightened? Let him pray. 3. Their prayers for deliverance were seconded with endeavours, and, having called upon their gods to help them, they did what they could to help themselves; for that is the rule, Help thyself and God will help thee. They cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them, as Paul's mariners in a like case cast forth even the tackling of the ship, and the wheat, Ac 27:18,19,38. They were making a trading voyage, as it should seem, and were laden with many goods and much merchandise, by which they hoped to get gain; but now they are content to suffer loss by throwing them overboard. to save their lives. See how powerful the natural love of life is. Skin for skin, and all that a man has, will he give for it. And shall we not put a like value upon the spiritual life, the life of the soul, reckoning that the gain of all the world cannot countervail the loss of the soul? See the vanity of worldly wealth, and the uncertainty of its continuance with us. Riches make themselves wings and fly away; nay, and the case may be such that we may be under a necessity of making wings for them, and driving them away, as here, when they could not be kept for the owners thereof but to their hurt, so that they themselves are glad to be rid of them, and sink that which otherwise would sink them, though they have no prospect of ever recovering it. 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 without making shipwreck of faith and a good conscience and ruining their souls for ever! Those that thus quit their temporal interests for the securing of their spiritual welfare will be unspeakable gainers at last; for what they lose upon those terms they shall find again to life eternal. But where is Jonah all this while? One would have expected gone down into his cabin, nay, into the hold, between the sides of the ship, and there he lies, and is fast asleep; neither the noise without, nor the sense of guilt within, awoke him. Perhaps for some time before he had avoiding sleeping, for fear of God's speaking to him again in a dream; and now that he imagined himself out of the reach of that danger, he slept so much the more soundly. Note, Sin is of a stupifying nature, and we are concerned to take heed lest at any time our hearts be hardened by the deceitfulness of it. It is the policy of Satan, when by his temptations he has drawn men from God and their duty, to rock them asleep in carnal security, that they may not be sensible of their misery and danger. It concerns us all to watch therefore.
III. The master of the ship called Jonah up to his prayers, Jon 1:6. The ship-master came to him, and bade him for shame get up, both to pray for life and to prepare for death; he gave him, 1. A just and necessary chiding: What meanest thou, O sleeper? Here we commend the ship-master, who gave him this reproof; for, though he was a stranger to him, he was, for the present, as one of his family; and whoever has a precious soul we must help, as we can, to save it from death. We pity Jonah, who needed this reproof; as a prophet of the Lord, if he had been in his place, he might have been reproving the king of Nineveh, but, being out of the way of his duty, he does himself lie open to the reproofs of a sorry ship-master. See how men by their sin and folly diminish themselves and make themselves mean. Yet we must admire God's goodness in sending him this seasonable reproof, for it was the first step towards his recovery, as the crowing of the cock was to Peter. Note, Those that sleep in a storm may well be asked what they mean. 2. A pertinent word of advice: "Arise, call upon thy God; we are here crying every man to his god, why dost not thou get up and cry to thine? Art not thou equally concerned with the rest both in the danger dreaded and in the deliverance desired?" Note, The devotions of others should quicken ours; and those who hope to share in a common mercy ought in all reason to contribute their quota towards the prayers and supplications that are made for it. In times of public distress, if we have any interest at the throne of grace, we ought to improve it for the public good. And the servants of God themselves have sometimes need to be called and stirred up to this part of their duty. 3. A good reason for this advice: If so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. It should seem, the many gods they called upon were considered by them only as mediators between them and the supreme God, and intercessors for them with him; for the ship-master speaks of one God still, from whom he expected relief. To engage prayer, he suggested that the danger was very great and imminent: "We are all likely to perish; there is but a step between us and death, and that just ready to be stepped." Yet he suggested that there was some hope remaining that their destruction might be prevented and they might not perish. While there is still life there is hope, and while there is hope there is room for prayer. He suggested also that it was God only that could effect their deliverance, and it must come from his power and his pity. "If he think upon us, and act for us, we may yet be saved." And therefore to him we must look, and in him we must put our trust, when the danger is ever so imminent.
IV. Jonah is found out to be the cause of the storm.
1. The mariners observed so much peculiar and uncommon either in the storm itself or in their own distress by it that they concluded it was a messenger of divine justice sent to arrest some one of those that were in that ship, as having been guilty of some enormous crime, judging as the barbarous people (Ac 28:4), "no doubt one of us is a murderer, or guilty of sacrilege, or perjury, or the like, who is thus pursued by the vengeance of the sea, and it is for his sake that we all suffer." Even the light of nature teaches that in extraordinary judgments the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against some extraordinary sins and sinners. Whatever evil is upon us at any time we must conclude there is a cause for it; there is evil done by us, or else this evil would not be upon us; there is a ground for God's controversy.
2. They determined to refer it to the lot which of them was the criminal that had occasioned this storm: Let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause the evil is upon us. None of them suspected himself, or said, Is it I, Lord; is it I? But they suspected one another, and would find out the man. Note, It is a desirable thing, when any evil is upon us, to know for what cause it is upon us, that what is amiss may be amended, and, the grievance being redressed, the grief may be removed. In order to this we must look up to heaven, and pray, Lord, show me wherefore thou contendest with me; that which I see not teach thou me. These mariners desired to know the person that was the dead weight in their ship, the accursed thing, that that one man might die for the people and that the whole ship might not be lost; this was not only expedient, but highly just. In order to this they cast lots, by which they appealed to the judgment of God, to whom all hearts are open, and from whom no secret is hid, agreeing to acquiesce in his discovery and determination, and to take that for true which the lot spoke; for they knew by the light of nature, what the scripture tells us, that the lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposal thereof is of the Lord. Even the heathen looked upon the casting of lots to be a sacred thing, to be done with seriousness and solemnity, and not to be made a sport of. It is a shame for Christians if they have not a like reverence for an appeal to Providence.
3. The lot fell upon Jonah, who could have saved them this trouble if he would but have told them what his own conscience told him, Thou are the man; but as is usual with criminals, he never confesses till he finds he cannot help it, till the lot falls upon him. We may suppose there were those in the ship who, upon other accounts, were greater sinners than Jonah, and yet he is the man that the tempest pursues and that the lot pitches upon; for it is his own child, his own servant, that the parent, that the master, corrects, if they do amiss; others that offend he leaves to the law. The storm is sent after Jonah, because God has work for him to do, and it is sent to fetch him back to it. Note, God has many ways of bringing to light concealed sins and sinners, and making manifest that folly which was thought to be hidden from the eyes of all living. God's right hand will find out all his servants that desert him, as well as all his enemies that have designs against him; yea, though they flee to the uttermost parts of the sea, or go down to the sides of the ship.
4. Jonah is hereupon brought under examination before the master and mariners. He was a stranger; none of them could say that they knew the prisoner, or had any thing to lay to his charge, and therefore they must extort a confession from him and judge him out of his own mouth; and for this there needed no rack, the shipwreck they were in danger of was sufficient to frighten him, so as to make him tell the truth. Though it was discovered by the lot that he was the person for whose sake they were thus damaged and exposed, yet they did not fly outrageously upon him, as one would fear they might have done, but calmly and mildly enquired into his case. There is a compassion due to offenders when they are discovered and convicted. They give him no hard words, but, "Tell us, we pray thee, what is the matter?" Two things they enquire of him:—(1.) Whether he would himself own that he was the person for whose sake the storm was sent, as the lot had intimated: "Tell us for whose cause this evil is upon us; is it indeed for thy cause, and, if so, for what cause? What is this offence for which thou art thus prosecuted?" Perhaps the gravity and decency of Jonah's aspect and behaviour made them suspect that the lot had missed its man, had missed its mark, and therefore they would not trust it, unless he would himself own his guilt; they therefore begged of him that he would satisfy them in this matter. Note, Those that would find out the cause of their troubles must not only begin, but pursue the enquiry, must descend to particulars and accomplish a diligent search. (2.) What his character was, both as to his calling and as to his country. [1.] They enquire concerning his calling: What is thy occupation? This was a proper question to be put to a vagrant. Perhaps they suspected his calling to be such as might bring this trouble upon them: "Art thou a diviner, a sorcerer, a student in the black art? Hast thou been conjuring for this wind? Or what business are thou now going on? It is like Balaam's, to curse any of God's people, and is this wind send to stop thee?" [2.] They enquire concerning his country. One asked, Whence comest thou? Another, not having patience to stay for an answer to that, asked, What is thy country? A third to the same purport, "Of what people art thou? Art thou of the Chaldeans," that were noted for divination, "or of the Arabians," that were noted for stealing? They wished to know of what country he was, that, knowing who was the god of his country, they might guess whether he was one that could do them any kindness in this storm.
5. In answer to these interrogatories Jonah makes a full discovery. (1.) Did they enquire concerning his country? He tells them he is a Hebrew (Jon 1:9), not only of the nation of Israel, but of their religion, which they received from their fathers. He is a Hebrew, and therefore is the more ashamed to own that he is a criminal; for the sins of Hebrews, that make such a profession of religion and enjoy such privileges, are greater than the sins of others, and more exceedingly sinful. (2.) Did they enquire concerning his calling—What is thy occupation? In answer to that he gives an account of his religion, for that was his calling, that was his occupation, that was it that he made a business of: "I fear the Lord Jehovah; that is the God I worship, the God I pray to, even the God of heaven, the sovereign Lord of all, that has made the sea and the dry land and has command of both." Not the god of one particular country, which they enquired after, and such as the gods were that they had been every man calling upon, but the God of the whole earth, who, having made both the sea and the dry land, makes what work he pleases in both and makes what use he pleases of both. This he mentions, not only as condemning himself for his folly, in fleeing from the presence of this God, but as designing to bring these mariners from the worship and service of their many gods to the knowledge and obedience of the one only living and true God. When we are among those that are strangers to us we should do what we can to bring them acquainted with God, by being ready upon all occasions to own our relation to him and our reverence for him. (3.) Did they enquire concerning his crime, for which he is now persecuted? He owns that he fled from the presence of the Lord, that he was here running away from his duty, and the storm was sent to fetch him back. We have reason to think that he told them this with sorrow and shame, justifying God and condemning himself and intimating to the mariners what a great God Jehovah is, who could send such a messenger as this tempest was after a runagate servant.
6. We are told what impression this made upon the mariners: The men were exceedingly afraid, and justly, for they perceived, (1.) That God was angry, even that God that made the sea and the dry land. This tempest comes from the hand of an offended justice, and therefore they have reason to fear it will go hard with them. Judgments inflicted for some particular sin have a peculiar weight and terror in them. (2.) That God was angry with one that feared and worshipped him, only for once running from his work in particular instance; this made them afraid for themselves. "If a prophet of the Lord be thus severely punished for one offence, what will become of us that have been guilty of so many, and great, and heinous offences?" If the righteous be thus scarcely saved, and for a single act of disobedience thus closely pursued, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 1Pe 4:17,18. 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? What an absurd unaccountable thing is it!" Thus he was reproved, as Abraham by Abimelech (Ge 20:16); for if the professors of religion do a wrong thing they must expect to hear of it from those that make no such profession. "Why hast thou done this to us?" (so it may be taken) "Why has thou involved us in the prosecution?" Note, Those that commit a willful sin know not how far the mischievous consequences of it may reach, nor what mischief may be done by it.
11-17
The Prophet Confesses His Folly; The Prophet Reads His Own Doom; The Prophet Cast into the Sea; Jonah's Preservation in the Fish's Belly (840 BC)
先知认己之愚妄；先知自宣判语；先知被抛入海；约拿在鱼腹中得保全（主前 840 年）
¹¹ 他们对他说：我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？这话是因海浪越发翻腾。 ¹² 他对他们说：你们将我抬起来，抛在海里，海就平静了；我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。 ¹³ 然而那些人竭力荡桨，要把船拢岸，却是不能；因海浪越发向他们翻腾。 ¹⁴ 他们便求告耶和华说：耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要因这人的性命使我们死亡；不要使流无辜人血的罪归与我们。耶和华啊，你随自己的意旨行事。 ¹⁵ 他们遂将约拿抬起，抛在海里；海的狂浪就平息了。 ¹⁶ 那些人便大大敬畏耶和华，向耶和华献祭，并且许愿。 ¹⁷ 耶和华安排一条大鱼吞了约拿。约拿在鱼腹中三日三夜。
约拿显然就是那使灾祸临到他们的人，但查明他如此还不够，不能平息这场风暴所要求的；他们查出了他，但还要作更多，因为海浪越发翻腾（拿1:11），又（拿1:13）越发翻腾（旁注如此读）；因为我们若发现罪是烦恼的因由却不弃绝它，不过是使坏的更坏。所以他们继续追讨。
I. 他们向约拿本人请教，他们当如何处置他（拿1:11）：我们当向你怎样行，使海浪平静呢？ 他们看出约拿是耶和华的先知，所以不愿作任何事——不，连他自己的案子也不——而不先咨询他。他显为有过犯之人，但也显为悔改之人，所以他们不侮辱他，不对他粗暴。注意，我们对那些在过错中被追上、因之陷入困境的人，当以极大的温柔行事。他们若能想出别的办法来救船，便不愿将他抛入海中。或者，他们如此行，为要显明案情何等明显——除将他抛下海之外别无救法；让他作自己的判官，正如他作过自己的告发者——他自己也必如此说。注意，当罪掀起风暴、将我们置于神不悦的记号之下之时，我们必须查问当怎样行才能使海浪平静；当怎样行呢？当在风暴中祷告相信，努力成全风暴被差来的目的，那时风暴必变为平静。但我们尤其必须考虑当如何处置那掀起风暴的罪；它必须被查出、痛悔地承认；它必须被恨恶、被弃绝、被彻底离弃。我与它还有什么相干？钉死它，钉死它，因它所造成的这祸。II. 约拿自宣判语（拿1:12）：你们将我抬起来，抛在海里。 他不愿自己跳入海中，却将自己交在他们手中，由他们将之抛入海中，并向他们保证那时——也只有那时——海就平静了。他提出此议，是为体贴水手，使他们不至因他受苦。愿你的手攻击我（大卫如此说，代上21:17），因为我有罪；让我为我自己的罪而死，不要让无辜的人为之受苦。这是真实悔改者的言语——他们恳切盼望，除了他们自己之外，无人因他们的罪与愚妄而受苦或受损。他也为顺服神的旨意而提出此议——这风暴正是追赶他而发的；所以他自己断定当被抛入海中，因为他明明看见神如此断定他，为使他不被主审判至于永远的痛苦。注意，真正为罪自卑的人，必乐意顺服神的旨意——甚至在死刑的判决中也是如此。约拿既见这是他罪孽的刑罚，便接受它、服在它之下，并在其中称义神。肉体被毁坏也无妨，无论如何被毁坏也无妨，只要灵在主耶稣的日子可以得救（林前5:5）。他所给的理由是：我知道你们遭这大风是因我的缘故。 看约拿何等乐意将一切罪咎归于自己，将一切烦恼视为他们所受的："这风暴临到你们，纯粹是为我的缘故——我有罪；所以将我抛入海中；因为"第一，"我配受。我恶念地背离了我的神，正因我的缘故他向你们发怒。我确实不配呼吸那因我而搅动的空气，不配住在那因我而如此颠簸的船中。将我随那因我而抛下的货物一并抛入海中。淹死对我尚属太轻；一次的死对如此复杂的罪过而言，刑罚太轻。"第二，"所以别无使海平静之法。掀起风暴的既是我，抛下货物便不能平息它；不，你们必须将我抛下去。"当良心被唤醒、其中起了风暴之时，除了抛弃那造成扰乱的罪、弃绝它之外，没有别的能使之平静。抛弃我们的钱财不能安抚良心；不，必须把约拿抛下海。约拿在此是基督的预表——他舍命作多人的赎价；但有一项重大差异：约拿所甘心平息的风暴，乃是他自己掀起的；而基督所甘心平息的风暴，乃是我们掀起的。然而正如约拿甘愿被抛入狂怒的海中以使之平静，我们的主耶稣也是如此——他死，使我们得以活。
III. 可怜的水手竭力要免去不得不将约拿抛入海中的必要，却徒然无功（拿1:13）：他们竭力荡桨，要把船拢岸——若必须与约拿分别，便让他安然上岸；却是不能。他们一切的努力归于无用；因为海比他们所能作的越发翻腾，向他们翻腾，以致他们无论如何不能拢岸。他们若有时以为已经达到目的，很快又被推回海上。他们的船仍然过载——他们抛下货物，并不使船减轻，只要约拿仍在其中。况且他们逆风逆潮而划——神报仇之风，他旨意之潮；与神相争是徒然，想以除灭罪以外的任何法子自救也是徒然。由此显出这些水手极不愿对约拿执行他自己所定的判决——虽然他们知道这风暴是因他的缘故。他们如此退缩，部分因为惧怕招致流血之罪，部分因为他们对可怜的约拿不能不怀的怜悯——他既是善人，又是困苦之人，也是真诚之人。注意，罪人越自卑、越自审自判，便越有可能在神和人面前得着怜恤。约拿越急切地说将我抛入海中，他们越退缩不肯行。
IV. 他们既知必须将约拿抛入海中，便先向神祷告，使这流他血的罪不归他们、不归在他们账上（拿1:14）。他们既见努力荡桨归于徒然，便放下桨去祷告：他们便求告耶和华——求告耶和华那又真又活的神，不再求告他们先前所呼求的许多神、许多主（拿1:5）。他们向以色列的神祷告——因为他们如今因神关于约拿的护理、并他所给他们的信息，确信唯独他是神。既已决定将约拿抛入海中，他们先在天上的法庭登记一项声明：他们不是出于情愿，更非出于恶意，也非因这风暴因他而临到便设计向他报复。不；愿他的神赦免他，正如他们如此行！但他们是为自卫而不得不如此行——别无他法可以救自己的性命；并且他们作为公义的执行者而行——神和他自己都已定他如此大死。所以他们向约拿所敬畏的神献上谦卑的恳求，使他们不至因这人的性命灭亡。请看：第一，他们对染上流血之罪的恐惧何等之大——尤其是那敬畏神、敬拜他、与他相交之人的血——如他们所察觉约拿所有的，虽然他在一事上有过犯。天然的良心不能不畏惧流血之罪，并使人在祷告中极其恳切，如大卫为求脱离它而祷告（诗51:14）。他们在此也如此：耶和华啊，我们恳求你，不要使流无辜人血的罪归与我们。 他们如今恳求脱离罪的险境，正如先前恳求脱离海的险境——尤其因为约拿在他们看来非凡人，而是大好人，是神人，是创造天地之伟大造物主的敬拜者；因此连这些粗鲁的水手也对他生出敬畏，一想到要取他性命便战兢。无辜之血是宝贵的，圣徒的血、先知的血更为宝贵——凡以任何方式使自己陷于其罪的人，必将发觉如此。水手看见约拿被神的报应所追赶，却仍不能不怀着惊恐想到作他的行刑者。他的神虽与他有争辩，他们想：不要让我们的手加在他身上。 以色列人此时正杀先知，因他们尽其本分（耶洗别近来的逼迫可见），并且浪费他们的性命——这些外邦人对一位他们所察觉为先知之人所怀的温柔，更显得他们的行为可恶——虽然他如今偏离本分之路。
第二，他们对招致神震怒的恐惧何等之大；他们恐怕若作了约拿的致死之因，神便要发怒，因为他曾说过：不可难为我受膏的人，也不可恶待我的先知；你们若如此行，便自担风险。"主啊，"*他们说，"不要因这人的性命使我们灭亡。 不要让我们陷入如此致命的进退两难。我们看见若顾惜他的性命便必灭亡；啊，不要让我们因取去他的性命而灭亡。"他们的答辩是好的：因为耶和华啊，你随自己的意旨行事； 你已使我们不得不如此行；追赶他的风、发现他的签，都在你的指引之下，我们在此受其治理；我们不过是护理的工具，我们如此行实属违心；但我们不得不说：愿主的旨意成就。 注意，当我们明明被护理引领去作与自己喜好相反、完全出乎自己意料的事之时，我们若能说：耶和华啊，你随自己的意旨行事——便得了相当的安慰。神若使自己喜悦，我们便当满足——虽然他未使我们喜悦。
V. 既已恳求免于所惧怕的罪咎，他们便执行（拿1:15）：他们遂将约拿抬起，抛在海里。 他们将他从他们的船上、从他们的同伴中抛出，抛入海中——翻腾狂暴的海，它呼喊："交出来，交出来；交出叛徒，否则别想平安。"我们可想象可怜的约拿看见自己即将被赶到那位他如今正在逃离的主面前——不是作为主，而是作为审判官——他心中何等惊惶失措。注意，那些逃离神的人不知道自己正奔向何等毁灭。祸哉他们！因为他们逃避我。 当罪是那掀起风暴的约拿之时，它便当如此被抛入海中；我们必须弃绝它、置之于死地，必须淹没那否则将淹没我们于毁灭与沉沦之中之物。我们若如此藉彻底的悔改与改过将我们的罪抛入海中，不再召回、不再归回，神也必以赦免的怜悯制伏我们的罪孽，将它们投入海的深处（弥7:19）。
VI. 将约拿抛入海中立即止息了风暴。海得到了它所来取之物，便知足而息；它从狂怒中平息。这是神主权能的实例——他能很快将风暴转为平静；也是他治理之公义的实例——当苦难的目的既已达到，苦难便立即被撤去。他不永远相争，不与我们相争直到我们屈服、交出本案之前。我们若从我们的罪转回，他必很快从他的怒气转回。
VII. 水手因此更加确信约拿的神是独一真神（拿1:16）：那些人便大大敬畏耶和华——他们心中对以色列的神怀着极深的敬畏，并下定决心今后惟独敬拜他；因为再无别神能如此毁灭、如此拯救。当他们看见神在兴起与平息风暴中的大能，当他们看见他对自己的仆人约拿所施的公义，当他们看见他对他们从毁灭边缘施救的良善——那时他们便敬畏耶和华（耶5:22）。作为敬畏他的证据，他们回到以色列地岸边之时便向他献祭，并且当下许愿要如此行——为他们的得救感恩，并为他们的灵魂赎罪。或者，他们船上也许还有可立即献给神为祭之物。或者此处的祭可指祷告与赞美的属灵之祭——神喜悦它胜过有角有蹄的公牛。参诗107:2等。我们当许愿——不仅在我们追求怜悯之时，更（这是更为豁达的）在我们领受怜悯之后——作为那仍在思量当献什么的人。
VIII. 约拿的性命毕竟藉神迹得以保全，此后我们还要听见他的事。在审判之中神记念怜悯。约拿将被惊吓甚于受害——与其说是为罪受罚，不如说是被引回本分。他虽逃离耶和华的面，似乎落入他报仇的手中，神却还有工要他作，所以已安排一条大鱼吞了约拿（拿1:17）——我们的主称之为鲸鱼（太12:40），是最大的一种鲸，喉部比别种更宽，其腹中曾发现过穿戴盔甲的人尸。创造的记载中特别提到神创造大鲸（创1:21），并鳄鱼在水里在其中嬉戏（诗104:26）。但神为这鳄鱼找到工——已安排它，已编号它（原文如此），已指定它作约拿的收纳者与解救者。注意，神掌管一切受造之物，能使它们中任何一个为他待他百姓的怜悯之旨意效力——连海中的鱼，那些最在人认识之外的，连大鲸，那些全在人治理之外的。这鱼被预备，潜伏在船边水底，为要使约拿不至沉到海底，保全他活着——虽然他配死。让我们站住看耶和华这拯救，赞叹他的大能——竟能如此救一个将淹死的人；赞叹他的怜悯——竟肯如此救一个逃避他、得罪他的人。约拿此时未遭灭亡，全是因耶和华的怜悯。鱼吞了约拿，不是为吞吃他，而是为保护他。从吃者出来肉；因为约拿在鱼腹中三日三夜仍然存活完好——未被动物体温所消化，也未因缺乏空气而窒息。诚然，对自然而言这是不可能的，但对自然之神的而言，并非不能，因为在他凡事都能。约拿藉此奇妙的保全，被设计成为：第一，神圣怜悯的记念碑，为鼓励那些已经犯罪、已经远离神的人归回悔改。第二，尼尼微的成功的传道者；而为他的解救所行的神迹，若其消息传到尼尼微，也将有助于他的成功。第三，基督的荣美预表——他照圣经所说埋葬了，又照圣经所说复活了（林前15:4），照着这圣经，因为约拿三日三夜在鲸鱼腹中，人子也这样三日三夜在地里头（太12:40）。约拿的埋葬是基督埋葬的影像。神预备了约拿的坟墓，他也预备了基督的——早在许久之前便已命定他与财主同葬（赛53:9）。约拿的坟墓是奇特的、是新的吗？基督的也是——从未有人葬在其中过。约拿在其中三日三夜的大部分时间吗？基督也是如此；但二者都是为着他们复活——为要将悔改之道带给外邦世界。来看主躺卧之处。
Английский оригинал
The Prophet Confesses His Folly; The Prophet Reads His Own Doom; The Prophet Cast into the Sea; Jonah's Preservation in the Fish's Belly (840 BC)
¹¹ Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
¹² And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.
¹³ Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.
¹⁴ Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
¹⁵ So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
¹⁶ Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.
¹⁷ Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
It is plain that Jonah is the man for whose sake this evil is upon them, but the discovery of him to be so was not sufficient to answer the demands of this tempest; they had found him out, but something more was to be done, for still the sea wrought and was tempestuous (Jon 1:11), and again (Jon 1:13), it grew more and more tempestuous (so the margin reads it); for if we discover sin to be the cause of our troubles, and do not forsake it, we do but make bad worse. Therefore they went on with the prosecution.
I. They enquired of Jonah himself what he thought they must do with him (Jon 1:11): What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm to us? They perceived that Jonah is a prophet of the Lord, and therefore will not do any thing, no, not in his own case, without consulting him. He appears to be a delinquent, but he appears also to be a penitent, and therefore they will not insult over him, nor offer him any rudeness. Note, We ought to act with great tenderness towards those that are overtaken in a fault and are brought into distress by it. They would not cast him into the sea if he could think of any other expedient by which to save the ship. Or, perhaps, thus they would show how plain the case was, that there was no remedy but he must be thrown overboard; let him be his own judge as he had been his own accuser, and he himself will say so. Note, When sin has raised a storm, and laid us under the tokens of God's displeasure, we are concerned to enquire what we shall do that the sea may be calm; and what shall we do? We must pray and believe, when we are in a storm, and study to answer the end for which it was sent, and then the storm shall become a calm. But especially we must consider what is to be done to the sin that raised the storm; that must be discovered, and penitently confessed; that must be detested, disclaimed, and utterly forsaken. What have I to do any more with it? Crucify it, crucify it, for this evil it has done.
II. Jonah reads his own doom (Jon 1:12): Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea. He would not himself leap into the sea, but he put himself into their hands, to cast him into the sea, and assured them that then the sea would be calm, and not otherwise. He proposed this, in tenderness to the mariners, that they might not suffer for his sake. "Let thy hand be upon me" (says David, 1Ch 21:17), "who am guilty; let me die for my own sin, but let not the innocent suffer for it." This is the language of true penitents, who earnestly desire that none but themselves may ever smart, or fare the worse, for their sins and follies. He proposed it likewise in submission to the will of God, who sent this tempest in pursuit of him; and therefore judged himself to be cast into the sea, because to that he plainly saw God judging him, that he might not be judged of the Lord to eternal misery. Note, Those who are truly humbled for sin will cheerfully submit to the will of God, even in a sentence of death itself. If Jonah sees this to be the punishment of his iniquity, he accepts it, he subjects himself to it, and justifies God in it. No matter though the flesh be destroyed, no matter how it is destroyed, so that the spirit may be but saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1Co 5:5. The reason he gives is, For I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. See how ready Jonah is to take all the guilt upon himself, and to look upon all the trouble as theirs: "It is purely for my sake, who have sinned, that this tempest is upon you; therefore cast me forth into the sea; for," 1. "I deserve it. I have wickedly departed from my God, and it is upon my account that he is angry with you. Surely I am unworthy to breathe in that air which for my sake has been hurried with winds, to live in that ship which for my sake has been thus tossed. Cast me into the sea after the wares which for my sake you have thrown into it. Drowning is too good for me; a single death is punishment too little for such a complicated offence." 2. "Therefore there is no way of having the sea calm. If it is I that have raised the storm, it is not casting the wares into the sea that will lay it again; no, you must cast me thither." When conscience is awakened, and a storm raised there, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin that occasioned the disturbance, and abandoning that. It is not parting with our money that will pacify conscience; no, it is the Jonah that be thrown overboard. Jonah is herein a type of Christ, that he gives his life a ransom for many; but with this material difference, that the storm Jonah gave himself up to still was of his own raising, but that storm which Christ gave himself up to still was of our raising. Yet, as Jonah delivered himself up to be cast into a raging sea that it might be calm, so did our Lord Jesus, when he died that we might live.
III. The poor mariners did what they could to save themselves from the necessity of throwing Jonah into the sea, but all in vain (Jon 1:13): They rowed hard to bring the ship to the land, that, if they must part with Jonah, they might set him safely on shore; but they could not. All their pains were to no purpose; for the sea wrought harder than they could, and was tempestuous against them, so that they could by no means make the land. If they thought sometimes that they had gained their point, they were quickly thrown off to sea again. Still their ship was overladen; their lightening it of the wares made it never the lighter as long as Jonah was in it. And, besides, they rowed against wind and tide, the wind of God's vengeance, the tide of his counsels; and it is in vain to contend with God, in vain to think of saving ourselves any other way than by destroying our sins. By this it appears that these mariners were very loth to execute Jonah's sentence upon himself, though they knew it was for his sake that this tempest was upon them. They were thus very backward to it partly from a dread of bringing upon themselves the guilt of blood, and partly from a compassion they could not but have for poor Jonah, as a good man, as a man in distress, and as a man of sincerity. Note, The more sinners humble and abase themselves, judge and condemn themselves, the more likely they are to find pity both with God and man. The more forward Jonah was to say, Cast me into the sea, the more backward they were to do it.
IV. When they found it necessary to cast Jonah into the sea they first prayed to God that the guilt of his blood might not lie upon them, nor be laid to their charge, Jon 1:14. When they found it in vain to row hard they quitted their oars and went to their prayers: Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, unto Jehovah, the true and living God, and no more to the gods many. and lords many, that the had cried to, Jon 1:5. They prayed to the God of Israel, being now convinced, by the providences of God concerning Jonah and the information he had given them, that he is God alone. Having determined to cast Jonah into the sea, they first enter a protestation in the court of heaven that they do not do it willingly, much less maliciously, or with any design to be revenged upon him because it was for his sake that this tempest was upon them. No; his god forgive him, as they do! But they are forced to do it se defendendo—in self-defence, having no other way to save their own lives; and they do it as ministers of justice, both God and himself having sentenced him to so great a death. They therefore present a humble petition to the God whom Jonah feared, that they might not perish for his life. See, 1. What a fear they had of contracting the guilt of blood, especially the blood of one that feared God, and worshipped him, and had fellowship with him, as they perceived Jonah had, though in a single instance he had been faulty. Natural conscience cannot but have a dread of blood-guiltiness, and make men very earnest in prayer, as David was, to be delivered from it, Ps 51:14. So they were here: We beseech thee, O Lord! we beseech thee, lay not upon us innocent blood. They are now as earnest in praying to be saved from the peril of sin as they were before in praying to be saved from the peril of the sea, especially because Jonah appeared to them to be no ordinary person, but a very good man, a man of God, a worshipper of the great Creator of heaven and earth, upon which account even these rude mariners conceived a veneration for him, and trembled at the thought of taking away his life. Innocent blood is precious, but saints' blood, prophets' blood, is much more precious, and so those will find to their cost that any way bring themselves under the guilt of it. The mariners saw Jonah pursued by divine vengeance, and yet could not without horror think of being his executioners. Though his God has a controversy with him, yet, think they, Let not our hand be upon him. The Israelites were at this time killing the prophets for doing their duty (witness Jezebel's late persecution), and were prodigal of their lives, which is aggravated by the tenderness these heathens had for one whom they perceived to be a prophet, though he was now out of the way of his duty. 2. What a fear they had of incurring the wrath of God; they were jealous lest he should be angry if they should be the death of Jonah, for he had said, Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm; it is at your peril if you do. "Lord," say they, "let us not perish for this man's life. Let it not be such a fatal dilemma to us. We see we must perish if we spare his life; Oh let us not perish for taking away his life." And their plea is good: "For thou, O Lord! hast done as it pleased thee; thou had laid us under a necessity of doing it; the wind that pursued him, the lot that discovered him, were both under thy direction, which we are herein governed by; we are but the instruments of Providence, and it is sorely against our will that we do it; but we must say, The will of the Lord be done." Note, When we are manifestly led by Providence to do things contrary to our own inclinations, and quite beyond our own intentions, it will be some satisfaction to us to be able to say, Thou, O Lord! has done as it pleased thee. And, if God please himself, we ought to be satisfied though he do not please us.
V. Having deprecated the guilt they dreaded, they proceeded to execution (Jon 1:15): They took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea. They cast him out of their ship, out of their company, and cast him into the sea, a raging stormy sea, that cried, "Give, give; surrender the traitor, or expect no peace." We may well think what confusion and amazement poor Jonah was in when he saw himself ready to be hurried into the presence of that God as a Judge whose presence as a Master he was now fleeing from. Note, Those know not what ruin they run upon that run away from God. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me. When sin is the Jonah that raises the storm, that must thus be cast forth into the sea; we must abandon it, and be the death of it, must drown that which otherwise will drown us in destruction and perdition. And if we thus by a thorough repentance and reformation cast our sins forth into the sea, never to recall them or return to them again, God will by pardoning mercy subdue our iniquities, and cast them into the depths of the sea too, Mic 7:19.
VI. The throwing of Jonah into the sea immediately put an end to the storm. The sea has what she came for, and therefore rests contended; she ceases from her raging. It is an instance of the sovereign power of God that he can soon turn the storm into a calm, and of the equity of his government that when the end of an affliction is answered and attained the affliction shall immediately be removed. He will not contend for ever, will not contend any longer till we submit ourselves and give up the cause. If we turn from our sins, he will soon turn from his anger.
VII. The mariners were hereby more confirmed in their belief that Jonah's God was the only true God (Jon 1:16): Then the men feared the Lord with a great fear, were possessed with a deep veneration for the God of Israel, and came to a resolution that they would worship him only for the future; for there is no other God that can destroy, that can deliver, after this sort. When they saw the power of God in raising and laying the tempest, when they saw his justice upon Jonah his own servant, and when they saw his goodness to them in saving them from the brink of ruin, then they feared the Lord, Jer 5:22. As an evidence of their fear of him, they offered sacrifice to him when they came ashore again in the land of Israel, and for the present made vows that they would do so, in thankfulness for their deliverance, and to make atonement for their souls. Or, perhaps, they had something yet on board which might be for a sacrifice to God immediately. Or it may be meant of the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise, with which God is better pleased than with that of an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs. See Ps 107:2, etc. We must make vows, not only when we are in the pursuit of mercy, but, which is much more generous, when we have received mercy, as those that are still studying what we shall render.
VIII. Jonah's life, after all, is saved by a miracle, and we shall hear of him again for all this. In the midst of judgment God remembers mercy. Jonah shall be worse frightened than hurt, not so much punished for his sin as reduced to his duty. Though he flees from the presence of the Lord, and seems to fall into his avenging hands, yet God has more work for him to do, and therefore has prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah (Jon 1:17), a whale our Saviour calls it (Mt 12:40), one of the largest sorts of whales, that have wider throats than others, in the belly of which has sometimes been found the dead body of a man in armour. Particular notice is taken, in the history of creation, of God's creating great whales (Ge 1:21) and the leviathan in the waters made to play therein, Ps 104:26. But God finds work for this leviathan, has prepared him, has numbered him (so the word is), has appointed him to be Jonah's receiver and deliverer. Note, God has command of all the creatures, and can make any of them serve his designs of mercy to his people, even the fishes of the sea, that are most from under man's cognizance, even the great whales, that are altogether from under man's government. This fish was prepared, lay ready under water close by the ship, that he might keep Jonah from sinking to the bottom, and save him alive, though he deserved to die. Let us stand still and see this salvation of the Lord, and admire his power, that he could thus save a drowning man, and his pity, that he would thus save one that was running from him and had offended him. It was of the Lord's mercies that Jonah was not now consumed. The fish swallowed up Jonah, not to devour him, but to protect him. Out of the eater comes forth meat; for Jonah was alive and well in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, not consumed by the heat of the animal, nor suffocated for want of air. It is granted that to nature this was impossible, but not to the God of nature, with whom all things are possible. Jonah by this miraculous preservation was designed to be made, 1. A monument of divine mercy, for the encouragement of those that have sinned, and gone away from God, to return and repent. 2. A successful preacher to Nineveh; and this miracle wrought for his deliverance, if the tidings of it reached Nineveh, would contribute to his success. 3. An illustrious type of Christ, who was buried and rose again according to the scriptures (1Co 15:4), according to this scripture, for, as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so was the Son of man three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, Mt 12:40. Jonah's burial was a figure of Christ's. God prepared Jonah's grave, so he did Christ's, when it was long before ordained that he should make his grave with the rich, Isa 53:9. Was Jonah's grave a strange one, a new one? So was Christ's, one in which never man before was laid. Was Jonah there the best part of three days and three nights? So was Christ; but both in order to their rising again for the bringing of the doctrine of repentance to the Gentile world. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
在本章中我们有以下内容：I. 神赐给约拿一项命令，要他在尼尼微传道（拿 1:1-2）。II. 约拿违背那命令（拿 1:3）。III. 他因那违命而被暴风追赶并拘拿，当时他正沉睡（拿 1:4-6）。IV. 他和他的违命被查出乃是暴风的缘由（拿 1:7-10）。V. 他被抛入海中以平息暴风（拿 1:11-16）。VI. 他的性命在海中一条大鱼的腹中奇迹般地得以保全（拿 1:17），这便是为要留他作日后的服事。