Errors And Burdens

Et timuerunt nautae, et clamaverunt viri ad Deum summ, et miserunt vasa quae erant in navi in mare, ut alleviaretur ab eis,. LXX: Et timerunt qui navigabant, et clamaveunt unusquisque ad Deum suum, et jactum fecerunt vasorum navis in maria, ut alleviaretur navis. Arbitrantur navem solito onere praegravari, et non intelligunt totum pondus esse fugitivi prophetae. Timent nautae, clamat unusquisque ad Deum suum; ignorantem veritatem, non ignorant providentiam, et sub errore religionis sciunt aliquid esse venerandum: projiceunt onera in mare, ut magnitudinem fluctuum classis levior transiliret. At contra Israel nec bonis nec malis intelligit Deum; plangente Christo populum, siccos oculos habet. Sanctus Hieronimus, Commentarius In Jonam Prophetem, Caput I Source: Migne PL 25 1124d- 1125a

'And the sailors feared, and the men called out to their God and they deposited their cargo into the sea, that they be lightened.' The Septuagint has: 'And they who were sailing were struck by fear, and each one called out to his god, and they cast out the cargo of the ship into the sea, that the ship be lightened.' 1 They judged that the ship was weighed down with its usual weight and did not understand that all the burden was on account of the fugitive prophet. The sailors feared, each one cried out to his god, ignorant of the truth, but not ignorant of providence, beneath the error of their religion knowing something to be worshipful. They threw the cargo into the sea that the lightened ship might pass over the great waves. However Israel neither in goods or evils understands God; with Christ weeping for the nations, he has dry eyes. Saint Jerome, from the Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 1 1 Jonah 1.5