The Lot Falls on Jonah

The lot exposes Jonah, and his confession makes his behavior look even stranger: he says he fears YHWH, “the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land,” while attempting to escape by sea. The sailors understand the contradiction immediately. Where this fits in the story: Jonah’s creed is orthodox, but the narrative asks whether he will live as though it is true. The Creator language reaches back to Genesis and Israel’s confession of YHWH as maker of heaven, earth, sea, and dry land.