Jonah 1:16 (ASV)

Passage

Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

Nearby Context

Jonah 1:14 Wherefore they cried unto Jehovah, and said, We beseech thee, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man`s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood; for thou, O Jehovah, hast done as it pleased thee.

Jonah 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging.

Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared Jehovah exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows.

Jonah 1:17 And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "feared", "jehovah", "exceedingly", "offered", "sacrifice", and "vows". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "feared" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "So they took up Jonah and cast..." into verse 17's "And Jehovah prepared a great fish to...", so "feared" and "jehovah" belong inside that flow. In Jonah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "feared" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.