John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew , etc.] He does not say a Jew, as the Targum wrongly renders it; for that would have been false, since he was of the tribe of Zebulun, which was in the kingdom of Israel, and not of Judah; nor does he say an Israelite, lest he should be thought to be in the idolatry of that people; but a Hebrew, which was common to both; and, besides, it not only declared what nation he was of, but what religion he professed, and who was his God: and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land] ; this answers to the other question, what was his occupation or business? he was one that feared the Lord, that served and worshipped him; a prophet of the great God, as Josephus expresses and so Kimchi; the mighty Jehovah, that made the “heavens”, and dwells in them; and from whence that storm of wind came, which had so much distressed the ship, and still continued: and who made the “sea”, which was now so boisterous and raging, and threatened them with ruin; and “the dry land”, where they would be glad to have been at that instant. By this description of God, as the prophet designed to set him forth in his nature and works, so to distinguish him from the gods of Heathens, who had only particular parts of the universe assigned to them, when his Jehovah was Lord of all; but where was the prophet’s fear and reverence of God when he fled from him, and disobeyed him? it was not lost, though not in exercise.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-12 - Jonah gave an account of his religion, for that was his business. We may hope that he told with sorrow and shame, justifying God, condemnin himself, and explaining to the mariners what a great God Jehovah is They said to him, Why hast thou done this? If thou fearest the God tha made the sea and the dry land, why wast thou such a fool as to thin thou couldst flee from his presence? If the professors of religion d wrong, they will hear it from those who make no such profession. When sin has raised a storm, and laid us under the tokens of God' displeasure, we must consider what is to be done to the sin that raise the storm. Jonah uses the language of true penitents, who desire tha none but themselves may fare the worse for their sins and follies Jonah sees this to be the punishment of his iniquity, he accepts it and justifies God in it. When conscience is awakened, and a stor raised, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin tha caused the disturbance. Parting with our money will not pacify the conscience, the Jonah must be thrown overboard.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 אליהם413 עברי5680 אנכי595 ואת853 יהוה3068 אלהי430 השׁמים8064 אני589 ירא3373 אשׁר834 עשׂה6213 את853 הים3220 ואת853 היבשׁה׃3004
