“... Although the context makes obvious what the helmsman is trying to tell Jonah, the verb *ʿšt occurs here only in the HtD stem, hence a precise translation cannot be established. Landes (1982: 155*–56*) reviews the discussion and suggests something like “to have favorable thought towards someone; to be gracious to someone.” In this he agrees with an earlier evaluation by Ginsberg (1967: 81–82) who comes to this rendering via an Aramaic usage (compare Daniel 6:4; but see DISO 223–24, where ʿšt ʾl and ʿšt ʿl are distinct in meaning). The versions translate interpretively: the Septuagint, hopōs diasōsē ho theos hēmas, “that God may save us”; Targum, “perhaps there will be mercy upon us from before the Lord”; Vulgate, “If God could think of us (we will not perish).” Jewish medieval exegetes generally translated with “pay us heed” or the like, basing their understanding on ʿeštōnōtāyw of Psalm 146:4; Zlotowitz 1980: 91. Calvin (1847: 42–43) understands it as “God’s face appear bright [= to favor]” on the basis of Jeremiah 5:28. ...”