And they cried to the Lord, and said: We beseech thee, O Lord let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, oh Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.
וַיִּקְרְא֨וּ אֶל־יְהוָ֜ה וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אָנָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אַל־נָ֣א נֹאבְדָ֗ה בְּנֶ֙פֶשׁ֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַל־תִּתֵּ֥ן עָלֵ֖ינוּ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑יא כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר חָפַ֖צְתָּ עָשִֽׂיתָ׃
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The captain realized through experience that this was not a typical storm, but rather a divine chastisement, a violent upheaval against which human skill finds no efficacy, rendering the captain's efforts futile. To master this chaos, a far superior captain was required, one who holds dominion over all creation. Consequently, the crew abandoned their oars, sails, and equipment, raised their hands toward heaven, and sought divine intervention through prayer.
The prophet willingly accepted his fate of death and committed himself to risking his life to rescue them from their fear. Yet, despite their deep apprehension, they hesitated to carry out the act of murder, hoping instead to save the servant of God and bring him safely to land, thereby averting the divine wrath. They exerted every effort to maneuver the vessel to shore, but their attempts were fruitless, as the winds whipped into an uncontrollable frenzy, battering the ship with tremendous force. In the face of this, they turned to God, seeking His mercy through prayer and pleading for forgiveness for their intentions. They were reluctant to take a life and felt as though they were compelled by divine judgment to cast Jonah into the sea. Ultimately, they did as they felt moved. The sea, upon receiving him, fell into calmness, enveloping everything in peace and instilling hope of salvation in the sailors. Always obedient to the Creator's work and following the Lord's decrees, the waters swiftly became tranquil.
Those aboard the vessel, along with the sailors, appeal to the Lord in the Book of Jonah, saying, "We beseech you, O Lord, that we not perish for this man's life, and that you do not hold us accountable for innocent blood; for you, O Lord, have acted according to your will." They are unaware of the motives behind the situation and what the prophet, the reluctant servant, has done. Yet they proclaim God's righteousness and acknowledge the innocence of the blood of one whose deeds remain unknown to them. And in truth, "Thou, O Lord, hast done what is pleasing to Thee!"
They cried out to the Lord, expressing their request: "We implore you, O Lord, that we do not die for this man's life, nor shall we be charged with the blood of the righteous; for you, O Lord, have done according to your desire." The faith of the sailors stands out remarkably; despite being in peril themselves, they plead for another's salvation. They understand that the death of a sinner is a greater tragedy than losing their own lives. "Let not," they implore, "the blood of the innocent be held against us." They call upon the Lord as their witness, expressing that they do not wish to harm Your prophet. Yet, he, too, has declared Your wrath, and the raging storm serves as evidence of this, for "Thou, O Lord, hast done as Thou wilt," and Your will is enacted through our actions. The sentiments of the sailors resemble not the declaration of Pilate, who washed his hands proclaiming, "I am innocent of the blood of this just man" (Matthew 27:24). The Gentiles do not desire to harm Christ; they testify to the innocence of His blood, while the Jews declare, "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27:25). Hence, if they raise their hands to heaven, their cries will go unheard, for they are stained with blood. "For Thou, O Lord, hast done as Thou wilt": in the tempest we experience, in the raging winds, in the tumultuous sea, in casting lots that reveal the fugitive, in his assertion of what should be done—in all these, we witness Thy will, O Lord, for "Thou hast done as Thou wilt." Thus, the Savior also remarks in the Psalm: "to do Thy will, O Lord, as Thou wilt" (Psalm 39:9).
Having fully understood that the verdict against him was declared by the Almighty, they plead for mercy for those who carry out this decree. They entreat, "Do not lay upon us the blood of the righteous," imploring, O Lord, that we may not suffer punishment for the blood of the innocent. Therefore, although the tumultuous waters calmed when the Prophet was surrendered to the sea, the witnesses to these events experienced an even deeper dread within their hearts; and upon their return, they presented offerings to God.
Asking the Lord not to hold them accountable for the shed innocent blood, referring to the unjust death of a man who had shown no malice towards them and had committed no wrong, Jonah's companions admit that they cast Jonah into the ocean not by their own desire, but in obedience to God's plan: for You, O Lord, have acted according to Your wishes. The divine intention was made clear to them through the onset of the tempest, the determination of its source by the lot that was drawn to Jonah, and Jonah's own admission of wrongdoing. All these actions were orchestrated by the Lord.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS