11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"
11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
11 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.
11 They said to him, "What are we going to do with you - to get rid of this storm?" By this time the sea was wild, totally out of control.
11 Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"--for the sea was growing more tempestuous.
11 And since the storm was getting worse all the time, they asked him, "What should we do to you to stop this storm?"
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Jonah 1:11
Commentary on Jonah 1:8-12
(Read Jonah 1:8-12)
Jonah gave an account of his religion, for that was his business. We may hope that he told with sorrow and shame, justifying God, condemning 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 that made the sea and the dry land, why wast thou such a fool as to think thou couldst flee from his presence? If the professors of religion do 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's displeasure, we must consider what is to be done to the sin that raised the storm. Jonah uses the language of true penitents, who desire that 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 storm raised, nothing will turn it into a calm but parting with the sin that caused the disturbance. Parting with our money will not pacify the conscience, the Jonah must be thrown overboard.