Jonah 1:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Believing in the existence of one true God, they reaped significant benefits; however, they remained ensnared by a foolish misconception that countless deities existed in the world. As a result, they offered sacrifices aligned with nature to the one and true God, abandoning their false idols and the beings they previously revered in error, who usurped the honor rightfully belonging to God. They directed their vows to Him, although typically, such vows were made to sea demons. The Greeks imagined that the authority over the sea was entrusted to a figure named Poseidon, steeped in myths, nonsensical tales, and outrageous folly. In contrast, we, in reverence to Him who is inherently God, affirm, "You have dominion over the power of the sea" (Ps. 88:10).

The servants of the Lord were filled with trepidation, as were the people of God, who experienced profound fear that led them to offer sacrifices and make vows to the Lord. Similarly, the LXX presents this account. Prior to the Lord's suffering, they cried out in dread to their deities, but post-suffering, their reverence turned toward the Lord, indicating a deep honor and worship, transcending mere fear, as expressed in the beginning (Jon. 1:5): they approached with monumental fear, with their whole being, as stated in the words, "with all your soul, and with all your heart, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37). They made offerings, not in a literal sense, for they had none amidst the tumultuous waves; rather, it was the offering of a contrite spirit that pleases God (Psalm 50:19).

The extraordinary cessation of peril instilled a deep reverence for the Lord among the Gentiles. They had previously experienced this awe before the God of Jonah when they implored Him not to hold them accountable for Jonah's blood. Their respect was now manifested in their acts of worship, as they offered sacrifices to the Lord, expressing gratitude for their deliverance. They also engaged in prayer, with the Hebrew term meaning to make vows. This interpretation is sometimes associated with the Greek word for prayer, according to Greek Lexicons. The companions of Jonah went beyond merely thanking the Lord with their offerings while aboard the ship; they also made promises to glorify the Lord upon their return home, wishing to commemorate the miraculous occurrence. It seems, however, that they did not entirely forsake their own deities, as they honored the God of Jonah alongside them.