יונה, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ב

Faced with a raging storm that threatens to destroy the ship, Jonah takes full responsibility for the crisis and offers a dramatic solution to save the crew. With remarkable calm, he admits his guilt and instructs the sailors to lift him up and throw him into the water, ensuring they escape the surrounding danger [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. He explains that this terrifying ordeal has come upon them entirely because of his own actions and his personal failures [מצודת ציון, רד״ק].

Commentators explore the deeper motives behind his willingness to die at sea. One perspective suggests that Jonah understands the storm is not an attempt to force him back on his mission to Nineveh, as he remains steadfast in his refusal to go. Instead, he views the tempest as a direct, personal punishment for rebelling against God. By volunteering to be thrown overboard, he seeks to reassure the terrified sailors. He wants them to know that the storm is not a punishment for their decision to grant him passage, but rather a targeted judgment against him alone. He is certain that once he drowns, the sea will finally calm down for them [מלבי״ם].

Another approach reveals a more deliberate and ideological motive. Jonah actively desires death specifically to prevent the people of Nineveh from receiving his message and repenting. However, his sudden proposal of such an extreme measure is also driven by a practical reality. He only offers to be thrown into the sea after hearing the sailors themselves discussing their intention to do so [אבן עזרא].