Matthew Poole and continuators on Jonah 1:5

5 Then the mariners were afraid , and cryed every man unto his god , and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea to lighten it of them , But Jonah was gon down into the sides of the ship , and he lay, and was fast asleep ?

When this praeternatural Tempest fell with all its violence into the Sea,

Passengers are not here named, who unaccustomed to Sea, might be too apprehensive of danger, but the men that were acquainted with the Sea, and had seen many a Tempest, and weathered many a storm,

heartily afraid, full of apprehensions that they should be wrack't.

With loud voice and earnest petitions, as the manner of such men is, when danger awakens them to the Duty they neglect whilest safe.

Not a man of them but feared, nor a man of them but cryed out, by which it is evident it twas a most dreadful storm.

By this it appears that the ships crue was a mixture of men who worshipt several Gods, and every one doth now cry to the God whom he Worshipt, what ever God it might be, 'twas not he that did raise, nor could allay the Tempest.

When Prayer to their false Gods doth no good, but their danger continued and threatned them with foundring in the Sea; to prevent this, they lighten the ship, as is usual in such cases, and cast the Wares out; not as Sacrifice to the God of the Sea, or as repenting of Piracy by which the Goods were gotten, though some conjecture so, but the Text tells us 'twas to lighten the Ship,

that it may bear up its head, and work with the Sea better than when heavy laden.

The greatest weight, and only danger to Ship and Sea-men

was under the hold in some Cabin or other in the side of the Ship, whither he went before the storm arose

in a very deep sleep, as the word imports.

Marginal references: So Act 27.18, 19.