What Can We Learn from Pagan Sailors?
Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish." And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done!" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?" for the sea grew more and more tempestuous. He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O Lord, have done as it pleased you." So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.
Key Facts
Term Name
Pagan Sailors
Role
Non-Israelite Seafarers
Born
c. 8th century BC
Died
c. 8th century BC
Key Takeaways
- Pagan sailors demonstrated reverence for God despite being non-Israelite.
- Their actions during the storm highlight divine sovereignty and cross-cultural impact.
- The sailors' response to Jonah's guilt reveals humility and moral courage.
Who Were the Pagan Sailors in the Bible?
The pagan sailors in the book of Jonah were non-Israelite crew members whose interactions with the prophet reveal themes of divine sovereignty and cross-cultural reverence.
These sailors, likely polytheistic pagans from a seafaring culture, first encounter Jonah during a violent storm (Jonah 1:4-10). When Jonah confesses his guilt as the cause of the storm (Jonah 1:12), they initially attempt to row back to shore but eventually cast him overboard at his insistence (Jonah 1:13-15). Their actions in Jonah 1:7-8 - casting lots to identify the offending passenger - demonstrate practical problem-solving rather than theological understanding.
After Jonah’s miraculous survival and the storm’s cessation, the sailors “feared the Lord greatly” and offered sacrifices to Him (Jonah 1:16). This shift from ignorance to reverence underscores the narrative’s emphasis on God’s power transcending cultural and religious boundaries, a dynamic that invites further exploration of their symbolic role in the story.
The Storm and Jonah’s Secret
Faced with a violent storm sent by God, the pagan sailors in Jonah 1:4-16 grappled with fear and uncertainty as they sought to identify the cause of divine wrath.
In Jonah 1:7-8, the sailors cast lots to determine which passenger had incurred God’s judgment, a practice common in their culture for resolving crises. When the lot fell on Jonah, he revealed his guilt for fleeing God’s command (Jonah 1:10-12), prompting the sailors to initially attempt returning to land (Jonah 1:11). However, Jonah’s insistence led them to reluctantly cast him overboard (Jonah 1:15), an act marked by both fear and a grim sense of duty. Their actions reflected a conflicted morality - respect for divine judgment yet discomfort with its personal cost.
What We Can Learn From the Pagan Sailors
The pagan sailors’ actions in Jonah 1:7-16 model integrity and humility in the face of divine mystery.
When confronted with a storm and Jonah’s guilt, they cast lots to identify the culprit (Jonah 1:7-8), sought to return to shore (Jonah 1:11), and ultimately obeyed Jonah’s request to cast him overboard (Jonah 1:15) - demonstrating moral courage and responsiveness to God’s signs. Their subsequent fear of the Lord (Jonah 1:16) shows a deep, though sudden, respect for His power.
Their faithfulness contrasts sharply with Jonah’s disobedience (Jonah 1:3), underscoring that God’s authority transcends cultural and religious boundaries. Their story invites reflection on how divine grace operates even among those outside the covenant.
Further Reading
Key Scripture Mentions
Jonah 1:1-16
The story of pagan sailors and Jonah's encounter during a storm.
Related Concepts
Jonah (Figures)
The prophet whose disobedience led to the sailors' divine encounter.
Divine Sovereignty (Theological Concepts)
God's authority over all people and events, demonstrated through the sailors' experience.
Casting Lots (Terms)
A cultural practice used by the sailors to identify the cause of the storm.