Jonah 1:8

“Then they said unto him, tell us, we pray thee, etc.] They did not fall upon him at once in an outrageous manner, and throw him overboard; as it might be thought such men would have done, considering what they had suffered and lost by means of him; but they use him with great respect, tenderness, and lenity: and entreat him to tell them for whose cause this evil [was] upon them: or rather, as the Targum, “for what this evil is upon us;” and so Noldiusf30 renders the words; for their inquiry was not about the person for whose cause it was; that was determined by the lot; but on what account it was; what sin it was he had been guilty of, which was the cause of it; for they supposed some great…”

“The guilty individual being discovered is interrogated so as to make full confession with his own mouth. So in Achan's case ().”

“Tell us, for whose cause - Literally “for what to whom.” It may be that they thought that Jonah had been guilty toward some other. The lot had pointed him out. The mariners, still fearing to do wrong, ask him thronged questions, to know why the anger of God followed him; “what” hast thou done “to whom?” “what thine occupation?” i. e., either his ordinary occupation, whether it was displeasing to God? or this particular business in which he was engaged, and for which he had come on board. Questions so thronged have been admired in human poetry, Jerome says. For it is true to nature. They think that some one of them will draw forth the answer which they wish. It may be that they thought that…”

“Tell us - What hast thou done, for which God is so angry with thee, and with us for thy sake? Jonah 1:9”

“Tell: Jos 7:19; Sa1 14:43; Jam 5:16 What is thine: Gen 47:3; Sa1 30:13 Jonah 1:9”