This page offers Bible study questions for Jonah chapter 1, with leader’s notes for each one. It is written for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. The chapter tells of a prophet who runs from God’s command, a storm that nearly sinks a ship full of sailors, and a rescue that begins in the sea. Work through the questions in order, or choose the set that fits your time.
Jonah 1 at a Glance
God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh and speak against its wickedness. Jonah instead boards a ship heading in the opposite direction, toward Tarshish. Once at sea, a violent storm rises, and the sailors, each calling on a different god, cast cargo overboard. Jonah is asleep below deck until the captain wakes him. Lots are drawn, and the lot falls on Jonah, who confesses his flight from the LORD.
The chapter ends with Jonah thrown into the sea at his own suggestion, the storm stopping at once, the sailors turning to worship the LORD, and a great fish swallowing Jonah. Keep this arc in view as you read, because the questions below follow it closely.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the verse that supports each answer, and keep the discussion anchored in what the text literally says rather than what it might mean.
Jonah 1:1-2
1 Now the LORD’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
(WEB)
Read this passage first to establish the command God gives Jonah and the reason behind it. Hearing the call aloud at the start frames everything that follows and reminds the group what Jonah is avoiding.
Jonah 1:3
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
(WEB)
This verse records the moment of flight. Reading it slowly helps the group notice the repeated movement downward and the phrase “from the presence of the LORD,” which give the story its tension.
Jonah 1:4-5
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. 5 Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep.
(WEB)
Reading the storm passage aloud brings out its urgency. The contrast between the sailors’ labor and Jonah’s sleep is easier to hear than to read silently, and it sets up the confrontation that comes next.
Jonah 1:14-16
14 Therefore they cried to the LORD, and said, “We beg you, the LORD, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you, the LORD, have done as it pleased you.” 15 So they took up Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly; and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD, and made vows.
(WEB)
This passage shows the sailors turning to the LORD in prayer and worship. Reading it aloud gives the group a sense of the change that takes place among people who were once strangers to Israel’s God.
Jonah 1:17
The LORD prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
(WEB)
Ending the reading with this verse leaves the group in suspense, since the chapter closes with Jonah in the belly of the fish. Pause here and let the question of what comes next carry into the next session.
Memory Verse for Jonah 1
Jonah 1:2
“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.”
(WEB)
This verse captures the heart of the chapter, God’s direct call to a specific task and his awareness of wickedness. Memorizing it helps the group keep in mind that God speaks clearly, even when people choose to run.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we thank you that you speak clearly and that you know every wicked heart and every hidden act. We confess that like Jonah we have sometimes run from what you asked of us, and we ask you to forgive our flight. Help us listen when you call, and give us courage to act even when the path is uncomfortable. Thank you for the sailors who prayed to you and for the mercy you showed them after the storm. Keep our group open to your word and to one another, and lead us in the direction you have chosen. Amen.
