Jonah 1:11

What shall we do unto thee No doubt in their thus appealing to Jonah to tell them what was to be done, instead of at once ridding themselves of him as the acknowledged cause of their calamity, we may recognise their reverence for Jehovah, and in a measure also for His servant. At the same time it was only natural and reasonable that, having learned of him the cause, they should seek to know from him the cure of their trouble. "Since you are a worshipper of the most High and Almighty God, you ought to know how the anger of your God can be appeased." Rosenm.

may be calm unto us Lit., may be quiet from upon us, i. e.from pressing upon us and being hostile to us. The word used for being quiet or silent in this and the next verse only occurs beside in Psalms 107:30, of quiet after a storm at sea, and in Proverbs 26:20, of the ceasing of strife.

wrought, and was tempestuous Lit., was going and being tossed, i. e. according to the Hebrew idiom, became increasingly tempestuous. So in Genesis 8:3, "the waters returned from off the earth continually," is literally, "returned to go and to return," i.e. returned increasingly, or more and more. Grew more and more tempestuous, R. V.