The beautiful symmetry of this phrase is matched by a hidden ambivalence. Jonah urges the sailors to treat him like some excess baggage and hurl him into the sea. This would not simply save the ship; most importantly, it would still the storm. There is a whiff of ironic humour here, since Jonah should not have been on the ship in the first place! He admits that he is the cause of the storm, but hidden in this command is a certain awkwardness. For some reason he puts the responsibility for his death