Jonah 1:14 (GNV)

Passage

Wherefore they cryed vnto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let vs not perish for this mans life, and lay not vpon vs innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done, as it pleased thee.

Nearby Context

Jonah 1:12 And he said vnto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea: so shall the sea be calme vnto you: for I knowe that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.

Jonah 1:13 Neuerthelesse, the men rowed to bring it to the lande, but they coulde not: for the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.

Jonah 1:14 Wherefore they cryed vnto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let vs not perish for this mans life, and lay not vpon vs innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done, as it pleased thee.

Jonah 1:15 So they tooke vp Ionah, and cast him into the sea, and the sea ceased from her raging.

Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice vnto the Lord, and made vowes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "cryed", "vnto", "lord", "said", "beseech", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "cryed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Neuerthelesse the men rowed to bring it..." into verse 15's "So they tooke vp Ionah and cast...", so "wherefore" and "cryed" 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 "wherefore" and "cryed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.