Jonah Chapter 1 verse 8 Holy Bible
Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
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Then they said to him, Now make clear to us what is your work, and where you come from? what is your country, and who are your people?
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And they said unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us: what is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
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Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?
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read chapter 1 in WBT
Then they asked him, "Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us. What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is your country? Of what people are you?"
read chapter 1 in WEB
And they say unto him, `Declare to us, we pray thee, on what account this evil `is' on us? what `is' thine occupation, and whence comest thou? what `is' thy country, seeing thou art not of this people?'
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 8. - The mariners having, as they supposed, discovered the culprit, proceed calmly to investigate his guilt; amid the roaring of the tempest and the peril that surrounded them, they give him every opportunity of clearing himself or confessing his crime. For whose cause. Some manuscripts of the Hebrew and the Greek omit this clause as unnecessary; but, as Keil remarks, it is not superfluous, the sailors thereby wishing to induce Jonah to confess his guilt with his own mouth. In their excitement they crowd question upon question, asking him about his business, his journey, his country, his parentage. Jerome notes the pregnant brevity of these inquiries, and compares Virgil, 'AEneid,' 8:112, etc. - "Juvenes, quae causa subegitIgnotas tentare vias? quo tenditis? inquit.Qui genus? unde domo? pacemne huc fertis an arma?" "Warriors, what cause constrained you thus to temptA path untrodden? Whither are ye bound?What is your race? Where dwell ye?Peace or war, Come ye to bring?"(Comp. Hom., 'Od.,' 1:170.) What is thine occupation? His occupation, they thought, might have been one to excite the wrath of the gods; or his country and family might have been exposed to the hatred of Heaven; hence the succeeding questions.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(8) For whose cause . . .--The Hebrew idiom is peculiar, on account of which to whom; but in this verse, when addressed by the sailors to the prophet, it is expressed in a more elegant form than when used to each other in the preceding verse, one among many touches marking the artistic perfection of this narrative. It is true some MSS. omit this repetition of the question, and it is therefore by some commentators treated as a gloss. But the repetition is quite natural. The sailors seeing the lot fall on one whose appearance was so little suspicious, are anxious to have it confirmed by his confession. Not less natural is the rapid and excited leap from question to question. (Comp. Virg. 'n. 8:112, 113.)