Matthew Henry Commentary Jonah 1:8-12

"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? 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. Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of Jehovah, because he had told them. Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous. 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." — Jonah 1:8-12 (ASV)

Jonah gave an account of his religion, for that was his duty. We may hope that he told it with sorrow and shame, justifying God, condemning himself, and explaining to the mariners what a great God Jehovah is. They said to him, "Why have you done this? If you fear the God that made the sea and the dry land, why were you such a fool as to think you could flee from His presence?"

If professors of religion do wrong, they will hear of it from those who make no such profession. When sin has raised a storm and laid us under the signs of God's displeasure, we must consider what must be done about the sin that raised the storm. Jonah uses the language of true penitents, who desire that no one but themselves may suffer more because of their sins and follies.

Jonah sees this to be the punishment for his iniquity; he accepts it and justifies God in it. When conscience is awakened and a storm is raised, nothing will turn it into a calm except parting with the sin that caused the disturbance. Parting with our money will not pacify the conscience; the Jonah must be thrown overboard.