Jonah 1:7
5 The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
6 The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.”
“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
8 “Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”
9 “I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- “Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- They all said to each other, “Come! Let’s cast lots, that we may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- And they said each one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
- BLB
- And they said, each man to his companion, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know by whom this evil [is] upon us!” And they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.
- ÅB
- Og de sa til hverandre: Kom, la oss kaste lodd, så vi kan få vite hvem som er skyld i at denne ulykke har hendt oss! Så kastet de lodd, og loddet falt på Jonas.
- OTB
- Sjømennene sa til hverandre, “Kom, la oss kaste lodd for å finne ut hvem som er ansvarlig for denne ulykken.” De kastet lodd, og loddet falt på Jona.
- B1930
- Og de sa til hverandre: Kom, la oss kaste lodd, så vi kan få vite hvem som er skyld i at denne ulykke har hendt oss! Så kastet de lodd, og loddet falt på Jonas.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.
Read in contextJoshua 7:13–18
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
Read in contextNumbers 32:23
But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
Read in contextJoshua 7:10
But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
Read in context1 Samuel 14:41–42
So Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim; but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the people were cleared of the charge.
Read in context1 Samuel 10:20–21
Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
Read in contextActs 13:19
And having vanquished seven nations in Canaan, He gave their land to His people as an inheritance.
Read in contextPsalms 22:18
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.
Read in context