Jonah 1:14

for this man's life i. e. for having taken it away. Lit., in the life of this man, according to a well-known use of this Heb. preposition in the sense of -in the place of," -in exchange for." So Genesis 29:18, "I will serve thee for (lit. -in," in exchange for) Rachel;" and Deuteronomy 19:21, "life for (in) life," &c.

lay not upon us innocent blood i. e. the guilt of having shed innocent blood. Comp. Deuteronomy 21:8.

for thou, O Lord, &c. The death of this man is no doing of ours. We are only carrying out Thy declared will. Hold us not, therefore, responsible for it. "That Jonah betook himself to this ship of ours, that the tempest was raised, that Jonah was taken by lot, that he passed this sentence upon himself, all this comes of Thy will." Rosenm.