For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Who cast Jonah into the sea?
Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:
The sailors
“So they picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped its raging.” (Jonah 1:15)
God
“For You had cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.” (Jonah 2:3)
(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)
Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:
- When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction. A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time. To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
- In dealing with this alleged Bible contradiction it is important to know the context of the two verses cited.
- In terms of the context Jonah 1:15 is part of the narrative of what happened to Jonah when he ran away from God and Jonah’s disobedience to God’s command to go preach to those in Nineveh. Jonah here is on board a ship (v.3) but then God brought a storm (v.4) and here in Jonah 1:15 it is clear that the Gentile sailors after much reluctance finally picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea.
- In terms of the context Jonah 2:3 occurred after the event in Jonah 1 which climaxed with Jonah being swallowed up by the sea creature after being thrown off board the ship. Jonah 2:3 is part of Jonah’s prayer to God in the “stomach of the fish” (Jonah 2:1). In talking to God Jonah said “You had cast me into the deep.“
- In looking at Jonah 1:15 and Jonah 2:3 according to its context it is clear that the two verses would yield the answer of “the sailors” and “God” respectively to the question “Who cast Jonah into the sea?”
- But the answers “the sailors” and “God” are not mutually exclusive concerning the question “Who cast Jonah into the sea?” so this here is not necessarily a Bible contradiction. In talking about who cast Jonah into the Sea we are talking the cause(s) for the effect of Jonah entering into the sea. But remember that there can be different kinds of causes. For example philosophers have noted the distinction of efficient cause, material cause, formal cause, final cause, etc. The point here is that we must remember there are possible ways that there is not a contradiction here if we keep in mind that there are different kinds of causation.
- Picking up with point 4 we must note that this is not just a hypothetical discussion of causation; Scripture is clear that the causation by man and God is not necessarily the same. The Bible teaches that God can cause things to happen in ways that is different than other beings in that God can bring about an effect through secondary means such as human agents, other creatures and His creation.
- Proverb 21:1 states “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes.” Note that a king’s heart is not above God and that God is sovereign in directing it. Thus God in some sense can cause a certain effect by directing the heart of kings or that of other human beings to accomplish His will while at the same time there is a proximate cause of a king or another human being who are “willing” and doing the action.
- Proverbs 16:1 states “The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Here the Lord can cause a specific answer from a man but even as the Lord causes this to happen there is the secondary cause of the man himself since the answer comes from the man’s tongue. The man in one sense is causing his tongue to speak while in another sense God’s causation can also be simultaneously be operating according to this verse.
- See my example in Who brought evil on Job?
- From point 5 and the two examples from the Bible we see that there can be concurrent causation by both God and creatures though of course the causation are distinct in that one is that of the Creator and the other of creatures. Thus we shouldn’t see a contradiction here with both God and men casting Jonah into the sea.
- To be more specific with God’s role of casting Jonah into the sea don’t forget that God brought about certain circumstances that led the sailors to cast Jonah into the sea. God caused the storm to happen. God frustrated the sailors’ attempt to row back to land. These factors, being caused by God then caused the sailors to cast Jonah into the sea. It is no wonder that in Jonah 2:3 Jonah himself would see beyond the immediate cause and saw God’s causation, something Jonah talked to God about in his prayers.
- There is also something interesting to note with the Hebrew verb for “cast” in Jonah 2:3 that helps us further in seeing that there is not a Bible contradiction here. The Hebrew verb for “cast” is וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי. It is a waw conjunction plus a Hiphael imperfect second person masculine singular of שׁלך which has the lexical meaning of “throw down.” The verb also has a first person common singular suffix. The verb’s root שׁלך is actually a different verb for throwing than the ones that were repeated again and again in Jonah chapter one. This particular root verb שׁלך in Jonah 2:3 is used in the Old Testament in places like Psalm 51:11, 102:10 with the sense of a punitive separation from God’s presence. Thus there is not a contradiction here since two different sense of “cast” is being used. While Jonah 1:15 describes the human and physical causation of how Jonah got thrown into the sea in Jonah 2:3 the moral/punitive causation and God’s providential causation is being described. If there are different sense of causation being discussed there is not here a contradiction since they aren’t used in the same sense at the same time in a way that is incompatible.
There is not a Bible contradiction here. Just another fishy attempt by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to make something out of nothing.
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thank you for the reblog! Still praying for your recovery!
Yankee Whiskey Bravo, will blogging an update of my progress tomorrow. Excellent chance of going home later today 😎
The sailors acted to save their boat , Jonah said throw me overboard and the sea will be calm. So they followed Jonah and threw him in and the sea calmed , all part of Gods plan so both are right.
Yep! No contradiction! Don’t you think the Skeptic Annotated Bible is trying to make something out of nothing with this contradiction? =)
The blind lead the blind. wow
Thanks for another fine analysis! I’m glad there are believers versed in philosophy such as yourself who can go toe-to-toe with these skeptics. I don’t know one “cause” from the other! 🙂
One thing we all know at the end of the day with these guys making up Bible contradictions: The “cause’ for them seeing Bible Contradictions isn’t necessarily rational, since their examples given is irrational…lol.
Irrational? I thought atheists always adhered strictly to logic? Pshaw!
Ain’t they ever heard of delegation. When my boss has me do something at his command, it is as if he is the one doing it but just not directly.
Patrick, that’s a simple yet clear and good example. This is where doing apologetics as a body of Christ is important: you just contributed a point with why this alleged contradiction is further problematic. Thanks brother Patrick, rock on!
A basic principle of hermeneutics is that God works through means. He created through his Word; he divided the waters of the Red Sea with a mighty wind; He provided wine at Cana through six jars of water. So God through Jonah into the sea by means of the unbelieving sailors, who then became believers by means of the events surrounding Jonah. J.
J, you’re right on with your observation. I think it adds to the post and what was said. Recently I’ve been trying to understand more the biography and background of the author and it’s incredible to me that the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible claimed to be a Christian before but it makes me wonder just how deep his understanding of the Bible was before when he’s rolling out contradictions like these that is so ill-informed of the Bible itself such as your point about God using means. Not trying to be mean, but am I the only one who find this ignorance incredible?
Good causes or allows every event that occurs, so even when the sailors did it to Jonah it was still God
Exactly. The Skeptic Annotated Bible is not accounting for the sovereignty of God which to me is a glaring omission isn’t it? Also I’m much encouraged to hear you listening through the series on holiness!
Well I just really started. Got about 5 minutes into part 1 this afternoon. Then got home. I listen in my work truck so once I get home I am done. I will pick up where i left off Monday through.
thanks to the author for taking his clock time on this one.
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[…] Who cast Jonah into the sea? […]
This shows the Calvinistic doctrine of Compatablism is biblical
I’m convinced the atheist are calling this a contradiction just to slander God and HIs word. I mean, Come on!
[…] Who cast Jonah into the sea? […]
I’m glad I found your answer
[…] the means God accomplished His goal is through agency of human beings and creaturely means. See Who cast Jonah into the sea? for more discussion about this […]
They know nothing about the biblical doctrine of compatiblism
For those of us who still read the Bible, this is laughable. And “laughable” is an understatement!
[…] See also the example from our response to the skeptic with Who cast Jonah into the sea? […]