Revisiting Jonah, The Mortals, 1:10-16

From the prior post, this is really the third section of Jonah. The first two were The Descent, and The Dice. Initially I had called this section The Sea, but we have met the sea already in verses 5 and 9 and will again in chapter 2. The sea could gather in all four of these subsections, so I ought not to name only one of them after it but rather chose a word that recurs here and is unique, and one such word is readily to hand so I have renamed it:

The Mortals

וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים יִרְאָה גְדוֹלָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו מַה זֹּאת עָשִׂיתָ כִּי יָדְעוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים כִּי מִלִּפְנֵי יְהוָה הוּא בֹרֵחַ כִּי הִגִּיד לָהֶם	1.10	and the mortals feared, a great fear, and they said to him what is this you have done? for the mortals knew that from the face of יְהוָה he had run away for he had made it clear to them
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ וְיִשְׁתֹּק הַיָּם מֵעָלֵינוּ כִּי הַיָּם הוֹלֵךְ וְסֹעֵר	1.11	and they said to him what will we do to you that the sea may be quieted for us for the sea worked up a tempest
וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם שָׂאוּנִי וַהֲטִילֻנִי אֶל הַיָּם וְיִשְׁתֹּק הַיָּם מֵעֲלֵיכֶם כִּי יוֹדֵעַ אָנִי כִּי בְשֶׁלִּי הַסַּעַר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה עֲלֵיכֶם	1.12	and he said to them lift me up and hurl me onto the sea and the sea will be quieted for you for I, I know that it is from me that this great tempest is upon you
וַיַּחְתְּרוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים לְהָשִׁיב אֶל הַיַּבָּשָׁה וְלֹא יָכֹלוּ כִּי הַיָּם הוֹלֵךְ וְסֹעֵר עֲלֵיהֶם	1.13	But the mortals dug hard to turn to the dry land but they could not for the sea worked up a tempest against them
וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל יְהוָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אָנָּה יְהוָה אַל נָא נֹאבְדָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה וְאַל תִּתֵּן עָלֵינוּ דָּם נָקִיא כִּי אַתָּה יְהוָה כַּאֲשֶׁר חָפַצְתָּ עָשִׂיתָ	1.14	so they called out to יְהוָה and said we beseech you יְהוָה please, let us not perish in the being of this man and do not make us pay for innocent blood for you יְהוָה have done according to what you wanted
וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֶת יוֹנָה וַיְטִלֻהוּ אֶל הַיָּם וַיַּעֲמֹד הַיָּם מִזַּעְפּוֹ	1.15	and they lifted up Jonah and they hurled him onto the sea and the sea stood back from his rage
וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים יִרְאָה גְדוֹלָה אֶת יְהוָה וַיִּזְבְּחוּ זֶבַח לַיהוָה וַיִּדְּרוּ נְדָרִים	1.16	and the mortals feared יְהוָה, a great fear and they offered an offering to יְהוָה and they vowed vows

Jonah 1:10-16

Selected recurring words in relative order (10 to 16)

Word and gloss * first usage

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Vs

Root

וייראו and feared

░

10

ירא

האנשׁים the mortals

░

10

אנושׁ

יראה a fear

░

10

ירא

גדולה great

░

10

גדל

ויאמרו and they said

░

10

אמר

מה what

░

10

מה

עשׂית that you have done

░

10

עשׂה

כי for

░

10

כי

ידעו knew

░

10

ידע

האנשׁים the mortals

░

10

אנושׁ

כי that

░

10

כי

יהוה יהוה

░

10

יהוה

כי for

░

10

כי

ויאמרו and they said

░

11

אמר

מה what

░

11

מה

נעשׂה will we do

░

11

עשׂה

וישׁתק that may be quietd

░

11

שׁתק

הים the sea

░

11

ים

כי for

░

11

כי

הים the sea

░

11

ים

הולך worked up

░

11

הלך

וסער a tempest

░

11

סער

ויאמר and he said

░

12

אמר

שׂאוני lift me up

░

12

נשׂא

והטילני and hurl me

░

12

טול

הים the sea

░

12

ים

וישׁתק and will be quieted

░

12

שׁתק

הים the sea

░

12

ים

כי for

░

12

כי

יודע I know

░

12

ידע

כי that

░

12

כי

הסער that tempest

░

12

סער

הגדול great

░

12

גדל

הזה this

░

12

זה

האנשׁים the mortals

░

13

אנושׁ

כי for

░

13

כי

הים the sea

░

13

ים

הולך worked up

░

13

הלך

וסער a tempest

░

13

סער

יהוה יהוה

░

14

יהוה

ויאמרו and said

░

14

אמר

יהוה יהוה

░

14

יהוה

הזה this

░

14

זה

כי for

░

14

כי

יהוה יהוה

░

14

יהוה

עשׂית you have done

░

14

עשׂה

וישׂאו and they lifted up

░

15

נשׂא

ויטלהו and they hurled him

░

15

תטל

הים the sea

░

15

ים

הים the sea

░

15

ים

וייראו and feared

░

16

ירא

האנשׁים the mortals

░

16

אנושׁ

יראה a fear

░

16

ירא

גדולה great

░

16

גדל

יהוה יהוה

░

16

יהוה

ויזבחו and they offered

░

16

זבח

זבח an offering

░

16

זבח

ליהוה to יהוה

░

16

יהוה

וידרו and they vowed

░

16

נדר

נדרים vows

░

16

נדר

This section is definitely framed by the repeated use of mortals, and the frame is strengthened by the surrounding fear. It is therefore one section. Note the recurrence of hurl from section 1. יהוה had hurled the wind, and the seafarers had hurled cargo. Now Jonah is to be hurled onto the sea to calm the tempest. Note also the sequence of recurring roots indicating actions of the mortals. The mortals (no longer just seafarers) take several actions, of which four are visible as recurring words that you can see in the table: they lift up and hurl Jonah into the sea as he had instructed them, then of their own accord, they offer an offering, and they vow vows. 

5 more posts to come - one per day till the end of the month.