Charles Spurgeon Commentary Jonah 1:9

"And he said unto them, I am a Hebrew; and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who hath made the sea and the dry land." — Jonah 1:9 (ASV)

And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew:

That let them know from where he came, and what his country was.

And I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.

That, I suppose, must be regarded as his occupation; and what a blessed occupation it is, – to be occupied with the fear of the Lord!

So, you see that, though Jonah was not properly following his occupation while he was on board that ship, yet he did not hesitate to avow, I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land. The child of God, even when he gets where he ought not to be, if you test him and try him, will stand to his colors. He will confess that he is, after all, a servant of the living God.