לְהָשִׁ֛יב (lə·hā·šîḇ) in Jonah 1:13: Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
לְהָשִׁ֛יב (lə·hā·šîḇ) in Jonah 1:13
Source Word
The BSB+ row for Jonah 1:13 links the English rendering "to get back" with לְהָשִׁ֛יב, Strong's H7725, and the morphology label Prep-l | V-Hifil-Inf.
How The Form Affects Interpretation
The form clarifies that the sailors are not passive observers; they actively try to return to land before the narrative shows they cannot overcome the storm.
How To Communicate It
In explanation, this form can help readers see the sailors' effort and its failure, which heightens the seriousness of the Lord's storm.
What Not To Say
- Grammar should serve context, not override it.
- Do not make Hifil automatically carry every possible causative nuance into the interpretation.
- Do not turn the lamed infinitive into a full theology of return.
- Do not make the sailors' effort the main theological solution of the scene.
- Let the narrative outcome show the limit of their attempt.
What Does The Label Mean?
Hebrew-verb
Verb
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Lamed preposition
Hifil
Inf
Not marked
Not marked
Not marked
The morphology label identifies the form, but Jonah 1:13 supplies the sentence role and theological meaning.
This form carries the BSB rendering "to get back" within Jonah 1:13. Jonah 1 traces the prophet's flight, the Lord's storm, and the sailors' urgent questions before God's pursuing mercy.
What The Form Does In This Verse
The sailors' effort in Jonah 1:13, where they row hard to get back to dry land
The prefixed lamed on a Hifil infinitive construct within the sailors' attempted-return clause
It states the goal of the sailors' rowing: they are trying to bring the ship back to land, but the sea grows worse.
It does not prove a full theology of repentance, return, or deliverance by itself; the narrative supplies the meaning.
How Much The Form Matters Here
High: The form names the goal of the sailors' failed attempt, which is important for following the narrative tension.
Lamed-prefixed Hifil infinitive construct. expresses the goal of rowing hard, namely getting the ship back to dry land. Attached to the sailors' rowing effort. Governed by the prefixed lamed and the attempted-return clause. The form should be read with the failed attempt and the worsening sea.
What were the sailors trying to do? They were rowing hard to get the ship back to dry land.
Direct: The lamed Hifil infinitive directly supports the purpose rendering "to get back."
The Hifil stem helps identify the form, but the narrative explains the attempted action. A lamed infinitive can mark purpose or result; here it states the sailors' goal. The theological point must be drawn from the failed attempt and the rest of the scene.
Hifil always means causative in the same way: Explain the form through the sailors' concrete attempt to get back to land. return language always means repentance: This occurrence is about returning to land, not a complete repentance claim. the sailors' effort resolves the storm: The narrative shows their effort fails as the sea grows worse.
How The Interpretation Is Derived
The BSB+ row for Jonah 1:13 links the English rendering "to get back" with לְהָשִׁ֛יב, Strong's H7725, and the morphology label Prep-l | V-Hifil-Inf.
H7725 is represented here by the lemma שׁוּב. In this occurrence, the public guide is limited to the BSB rendering "to get back" rather than every possible gloss of the entry.
The lamed prefix makes the Hifil infinitive dependent on the sailors' action, and the clause shows their goal was to get back to dry land.
Jonah 1 follows the prophet's flight, the storm at sea, and the sailors' growing fear as disobedience is exposed.
The form fits Scripture's witness to mercy, repentance, prophetic obedience, and God's compassion for the nations.
When teaching Jonah 1:13, use this form to show the sailors' attempted goal before explaining why the storm forces a different response.
Do not derive a doctrine of repentance, return, or rescue from Prep-l | V-Hifil-Inf alone. The form marks the goal of the sailors' rowing in this scene.