JONAH

Bill Thrasher

Author. The book does not explicitly state its author; however, the traditional view is that it was Jonah, the son of Amittai. He was a prophet from Gath-Hepher in Zebulun, which is north of Nazareth in Galilee. His only other recorded prophecy in Scripture was the prediction of the extension of Israel’s borders under Jeroboam II (2Kg 14:25). He lived near the end of Elisha’s ministry and was a contemporary of Hosea and Amos. In this book, which is largely narrative, there is only one verse of prophetic warning (Jnh 3:4). However, the life and ministry of Jonah can be seen as predictive and typical prophecy.

There is no conclusive reason to deny Jonah’s authorship of this book that bears his name. The second chapter is in the first person, and the other chapters written in the third person do not rule out his authorship. Moses (Ex 6:27; 7:1, 20; 11:3; Nm 12:1–8); Samuel (1Sm 12:1); Isaiah (Is 38:1; 39:5); and Daniel (Dn 1:1–17) sometimes wrote in the third person.

Date. Jonah was probably written between 800 and 750 BC, most likely in the late 760s before Israel was conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. Objections to an early date usually come from those who view the book as fictional, and these objections have been adequately answered.

Themes. Jonah’s experience can be compared with that of the nation of Israel—both were to be witnesses to the world, and both were disobedient. Both were disciplined by God but also preserved by Him—Jonah in the fish and Israel among the nations in centuries of dispersion and anti-Semitism. They will also be preserved in the future tribulation. As Jonah was saved and brought back to the land when he cried out to God, so will Israel be saved and brought back to their land (Dt 4:29, 31–33; Mt 24:31).

The nation was also guilty of Jonah’s sin. They had been loved greatly by God and were to share this love with the world. The way to preserve one’s security is not to keep God to oneself. Jonah needed to learn that the Lord was the "God of Gentiles also" (Rm 3:29).

The book opens and closes with God speaking (Jnh 1:1; 4:11). He is the main character of this book and of the entire Bible. Too many people focus on the great fish that swallowed Jonah and miss the great God. He is sovereign over His creation and over the nations of the world. He is also gracious and merciful as shown to the sailors, Jonah, and Nineveh. He has a merciful love for all people and desires them to come to repentance (2Pt 3:9).

Background. Jeroboam II (782–753 BC) was the king of Israel when Jonah prophesied. He was the greatest and longest reigning king of the northern kingdom. His domain was almost as extensive as David’s.

In Assyria, Adad-nirari III reigned from 810–783 BC and was succeeded by three of his sons: Shalmaneser IV (782–773 BC), Ashur-dan III (773–756 BC), and Ashur-nirari V (755–745 BC). The latter was succeeded by Tiglath-pileser III (745–727 BC). The "king of Nineveh" was probably Ashur-dan III (cf. Jnh 3:3).

Assyria was a hated and cruel nation. To bless them was to curse Israel in Jonah’s mind. Their power had subsided during the time of Jeroboam II, but their reputation lingered, and the prophecies of Hosea (11:5) and Amos (5:27) were, no doubt, a concern to Jonah. Nineveh was not yet the capital, but it was a great city (1:2; 3:2–3). Assyria did conquer Israel in 722 BC and was itself conquered by Babylon in 612 BC.

There is no indication in the text itself that the book is either an allegory or a parable. The following evidences point to its being taken as historical.

The miracles in the book are no reason to doubt its historicity. The sovereign and omnipotent God can perform great signs and wonders. These miracles include:

1:1–2. The opening verse introduces the two main characters of the book, the Lord, and Jonah, whose name means "dove." It is the only book to begin in this way. The exact manner of how God’s communication came is not given, but that it came from the Lord to Jonah is certain. All that is known of Jonah, outside of this book, appears in 2Kg 14:25, and nothing else is known about his father, Amittai, except that his name means "truth." The two commands, Go to Nineveh … and cry against it (v. 2), give clear direction and will be repeated in 3:2. Nineveh was called great because of its size and importance. It was originally built by Nimrod (Gn 10:11) and was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River over 500 miles from Israel in modern-day Iraq. Some have estimated that this would be a month’s journey by land at the pace of 18 to 20 miles per day.

Yahweh is the Judge of all the nations. His wrath is His righteous reaction to sin and His determination to punish it. Jonah’s communication involved warning of God’s judgment and giving an opportunity for repentance (cf. Jnh 3:4).

1:3. While some have identified Tarshish with Carthage in North Africa, it is most commonly connected with a city in southern Spain. Instead of going 500 miles northeast to Nineveh, he went to Joppa (modern Jaffa), the nearest Mediterranean seaport, about 35 miles from Samaria, and traveled 2,000 miles west to Tarshish.

Although none can escape God’s presence (Ps 139:7–12), Jonah was fleeing from the land of His manifest presence and offering his resignation from God’s service. The reason for this appears in Jnh 4:2: there Jonah’s deep hatred for the cruel and idolatrous nation of Assyria (cf. Nah 3:1, 4) is contrasted with God’s compassion for them. Jonah was obedient to deliver the message of blessing to Israel of expanding its borders (2Kg 14:25), but not a message that could bless his enemies. There is a danger of loving one’s people more than God. The only way to love God’s people truly is to obey God fully (1Jn 5:1).

1:4–6. The Lord was at work in the midst of the disobedience of His servant. The wind and the sea were obedient to His purposes (v. 4). In light of the ship’s attempt to return to land (v. 13), the storm evidently happened soon after the departure. The sudden storm (v. 5) had the feel of something divine. In that polytheistic culture the fearful sailors called out for assistance from their gods with the hope that one of them might be able to help. There is a difference between calling out for help and calling out in repentance. So severe was the storm that the experienced sailors sought to lighten the ship (cf. Ac 27:18–19). Jonah, out of exhaustion and maybe even depression, was fast asleep. This was a far different sleep from our sinless Lord’s on the Sea of Galilee (Mk 4:37–39). The heathen sea captain had to instruct the Hebrew prophet to pray (v. 6), just as in the NT exhortation to awaken from the sleep of disobedience while the world perishes (cf. Rm 13:11). If the rebellious prophet did indeed pray for deliverance from the storm, the prayer was not answered at this time.

1:7–10. Finding no help from their prayer meeting, the sailors tried to find the cause of the divine wrath that they sensed behind the storm. Casting lots was a widely used practice in the ancient Near East, and here the purpose was to determine which mate needed to confess his offense to his god. (For the use of this method, see Jos 7:14–18; 18:10; 1Sm 10:20–21; Pr 16:33; Ac 1:24–26.) Some suggest that the practice was like drawing straws out of a container, and others suggest it was more like rolling dice using stones or pebbles. Whatever the case, Jonah won the lottery. He was the first one chosen to confess his offenses. With their lives in grave danger (v. 8), the sailors commanded Jonah to immediately confess and then quickly asked him five questions about his background and reason for this calamity. They desired to know his personal information to learn more about his God. Jonah provided the answers (v. 9)—first his ethnic identity as a Hebrew and then his confession of faith. While he was not living consistently with his profession, he feared (unlike their fear in vv. 5, 10) or worshiped the Lord. Jonah then described the God of Israel as no mere local deity but the Lord God of heaven who is the Creator and Lord of all creation (v. 9). The frightened sailors reminded the prophet of how unthinkable it is to try to run from the One who created and controls everything (v. 10).

1:11–17. The sailor’s question concerned how to appease the anger of Jonah’s God. It reflected no knowledge of the need for repentance—or of the righteous and loving God of Israel. They showed no knowledge of a God who disciplines His people out of love. Jonah’s conscience was guilty (v. 12), and he desired to accept his punishment. While some have noted his nobility in being willing to die to save others, it may be simply that he preferred death over obeying God’s desire to bless Nineveh. Jonah certainly cannot be compared to an innocent Christ who took our guilt to save His enemies. The hero in this book is the Lord—not Jonah.

The sailors’ frantic activity (v. 13) shows that self-made solutions do not work (cf. Pr 21:30). Their reluctance to follow Jonah’s advice may reflect a fear of his God and some concern for human life—even more than Jonah had for Nineveh. In v. 14, the sailors, who had previously prayed to their god (v. 5), now prayed to Jonah’s God. They realized that Jonah had not been tried by a human court and proven guilty. They feared God’s wrath and did not desire to perish if they executed Jonah. Their respect for God’s prophet was even greater than what Israel had for the prophets at times (cf. Mt 23:34–36).

The sailors affirmed their action was only carrying out God’s pleasure as reflected by the storm and the casting of lots. As a result of their tossing Jonah into the sea, the storm abated (v. 15), thereby fulfilling the prophet’s words (v. 12). Note that the wind and the sea obeyed God (cf. Lk 8:24) even if the prophet did not. The "fear" of v. 16 included some reverence for Jonah’s God. It probably fell short of Jonah’s confession (v. 9) but advanced beyond their previous fear (vv. 5, 10). While the exact nature of their sacrifices to the Lord is not explained, the text reveals that the sailors made vows promising more sacrifices in the future.

The Lord manifested His complete control of His creation by appointing a fish to rescue the disobedient prophet (v. 17). Other divine appointments followed (4:6, 7, 8) that revealed the gracious Lord as the hero of the story. While the Hebrew word for fish allows for a whale and there has been much research of the physical characteristics of sea creatures capable of swallowing a man, there is no need to speculate or seek a natural explanation. It was probably a miracle—no problem since it was an appointment by a sovereign and all-powerful God. The three days and three nights represent a literal span of time (cf. 3:3), but according to the Hebrew reckoning of time part of a day or night can be rendered as a whole day. Therefore, the time span is not required to be 72 hours (see Est 4:16; 5:1; and comments on Mt 12:38–45). Our Lord referred to Jonah’s situation as an illustration of His death and resurrection (see Mt 12:40). Just as Jonah’s three-day burial in the fish followed by restoration of the Ninevites functioned as a sign, so the Messiah’s three days in the tomb would function as a sign to Israel and the world.

2:1–2. The scene shifts from the sailors and the ship to only Jonah, the fish, and God (v. 1). Before, Jonah had been asked by pagans to pray (1:6), but his prayer came from his own volition. He, like the sailors, prayed to the Lord (1:14), but unlike them he prayed to the Lord his God. He, like the prodigal son, was returning to his Father (cf. Lk 15:18). His prayer is a psalm of thanksgiving for the deliverance from the fish. Jonah’s mind was full of Scripture (v. 2; cf. Ps 18:6; 111:5; 120:1), and he used it to cry out to God. Sheol here refers to the abode of the dead, and the depth of Sheol refers to his near-death experience. It is parallel with my distress (cf. Ps 30:3). The Lord answered his call and heard his cry. To "hear" means "to respond to one’s cry for help," in this case by delivering Jonah from drowning. The mercy he experienced was the mercy he had to preach to Nineveh.

2:3–7. Even though the sailors had thrown him into the sea (1:15), Jonah saw God’s sovereign hand behind their action. In the same way, he saw God in charge of the sea (Your breakers and billows). Jonah’s discipline for insisting on his own way was to experience despair from being out of God’s sight (v. 4), which here means out of His favor. However, his faith had not failed (cf. Lk 22:32) as he voiced his hope of praying to the God who had manifested His special presence in the temple in Jerusalem. Jonah’s very life was threatened as he was swept under the waters of the waves and engulfed in seaweed (v. 5). The roots or foundations of the mountains (v. 6) were understood to be in the depths of the earth under the sea. Jonah saw himself descending into his grave. He further described his despair as being in the tomb of the sea with no chance of escape back to dry land because he was locked behind the bars of the earth.

This is yet another of the "But God" passages (cf. Gn 8:1; 50:20; Ps 49:15; Ac 2:24; 10:40; 13:30; Rm 5:8; 2Co 7:6; Eph 2:4; Php 2:27) that are so prominent and encouraging in Scripture. The Lord miraculously delivered him from death through the appointed fish. At the brink of death, this OT prodigal son remembered the Lord by acting on his knowledge and calling to God. The reference to the temple in Jnh 2:7 may be a reference to the temple in Jerusalem, but more likely is His heavenly abode (cf. Ps 11:4).

2:8–9. Jonah declared his covenant loyalty to Yahweh (cf. Ps 31:6) by noting the emptiness and worthlessness of any substitute vain idols (cf. Ps 127:1–2). Those who regard idols abandon their loyalty to Yahweh. The emphasis here appears to be on abandoning their source of confidence—the true Lord—and not experiencing His faithfulness or covenant loyalty. For this reason, idolatry leads to multiplied sorrows (Ps 16:4). Just as God’s deliverance of the sailors led them to sacrifice and vow to the Lord (Jnh 1:16), so it led Jonah to promise to give a sacrifice (v. 9). His vow is evidently a promise to continually thank God. The vow may have included his pledge to live up to his role as a prophet.

Since repentance is not a single act but rather involves both a continual change in attitudes and actions, the rest of the book indicates that Jonah had not reached complete repentance. The mercy that he had been shown was to be available to Nineveh. Salvation—both physical and spiritual deliverance—is from the sovereign and gracious Lord (cf. Ps 3:8, Ac 4:12). He had physically delivered the sailors in chap. 1, Jonah in chap. 2, and will deliver Nineveh in chap. 3.

2:10. This verse resumes the narrative from 1:17. The deliverance from drowning through the fish reached its climax in Jonah’s being delivered back to the land—probably the land of Israel. What the sailors were unable to do (1:13), God did. The omnipotent God, who sent the storm (1:4), caused the lot to fall on Jonah (1:7), calmed the sea (1:15), and appointed the fish to swallow Jonah (1:17), also completed His deliverance of the prophet.

3:1–2. The commission is restated (cf. 1:1) and without a rebuke—showing that God is gracious in offering a second chance. While such grace is to be received with gratitude—as with Peter after his denial (Jn 21:15–17) and John Mark after his desertion (2Tm 4:11)—it is not to be presumed upon. Some disobedience does not result in a second chance (cf. 1Kg 13:26; Nm 20:12; Heb 9:27). God graciously repeated the command to make the over 500-mile trip to Nineveh (v. 2). This great city (cf. 1:2) had over 1,500 towers and an inner and outer wall. The inner wall was over 100 feet tall and wide enough for three chariots to ride abreast. Care was to be given to proclaim God’s word precisely. If Satan could not block the message, he would seek to pervert it.

3:3–4. Unlike in his previous response (1:3), Jonah obeyed God’s word. Nineveh is described as "an exceedingly great city" which literally reads, "a great city to God." It was great in God’s estimation, which probably underscored His love for the people of this great city (cf. 4:11). The phrase "three days’ walk" has been much discussed as to whether it is referring to the city’s circumference or diameter. The circumference of the greater metropolitan area, which included the surrounding lands, has been estimated at 55 to 60 miles, while the diameter of Nineveh proper was considerably smaller. However, the three days’ walk may be referring to the time necessary for Jonah to accomplish his preaching mission, which would include visits with dignitaries and ministry stops. On the first day of his mission, Jonah proclaimed his prediction of coming judgment: Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown (v. 4). This was not all that Jonah proclaimed but rather was a summary of his prophetic message. He probably spoke in Aramaic, the language of the populace. The word overthrown was used of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gn 19:25). While some see this as only a prediction of doom, the sending of a prophet and the delay of 40 days seems to indicate that "unless you repent" is understood as part of this prediction of judgment (cf. Jr 18:7–8). While some have noted that Jonah’s credentials of being delivered from the fish gave him an unusual hearing, what brings repentance is God’s Word. It is as a prophet that Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites.

3:5–9. The response to Jonah’s preaching is the greatest miracle in the book. They believed God, "Elohim," and as outward evidence proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth—a coarse, dark cloth made from goat or camel’s hair—as a symbol of sorrow and repentance. Was this the greatest revival in history or only a desire to be spared from judgment? It was clearly a response to God’s word and a contrast to the ways Israel had treated the prophets on many occasions and to Jonah’s initial response to God’s message. God did respond to Nineveh by relenting, and He does not respond to hypocrisy. Jesus did term it "repentance" (Lk 11:32; Mt 12:41), and used it as an example for Israel’s leaders.

The king of Nineveh refers to the ruling monarch (v. 6). His identity was either Adad-nirari III (810–783 BC) or more probably Ashurdan III (773–756 BC). The latter did reign in a turbulent time that included a solar eclipse and political threats, which may have readied his heart for this prophetic word. The text identifies his fourfold response: he arose from the throne, removed his royal attire, put on sackcloth to identify with the common people, and sat in ashes—a sign of helplessness and despair (cf. Jb 2:8; Mc 1:10). The king’s personal response is followed by his official decree—all Ninevites were to observe a complete fast of food and water (v. 7). Domesticated animals were included in the fast, which appears unusual but was not unknown in the ancient Near East and can be found in Persian records. All creation is affected by man’s sin (cf. Rm 8:20, 22; Jl 1:18–20) and is not outside the sphere of God’s compassion (Jnh 4:11). Their inclusion underscores the utter desperation of the decree. It was mandated that both man and animal were to wear sackcloth (3:5) and call on God earnestly (lit., "with strength"), meaning "with sincerity" (v. 8). The last part of the decree was to turn from his wicked way and from violence. The Hebrew word for wickedness refers to moral depravity while the word for violence does not refer to natural catastrophes or justifiable force but rather to morally depraved and oppressive force. Nineveh was known for cruel practices, especially to prisoners of war. As the sailors had hoped to be spared from judgment (1:6), the king of Nineveh expressed his similar hope (v. 9) (cf. Jl 2:12–14). Even a cruel nation that had oppressed God’s people can be spared from deserved judgment if its people repent.

3:10. God’s character is unchanging (Jms 1:17), but He does make changes to His plan of action as He deals with men (cf. Jr 18:7–8). Later, Nineveh did return to its wickedness and destroyed Israel in 722 BC, and was itself destroyed in 612 BC. However, this judgment was delayed 150 years. Later generations are responsible for their own repentance. God’s promise to bless repentance is not to be interpreted as if the accomplishment of God’s sovereign plan is ever in question (Jb 42:2; Eph 1:11).

Some theologians, known as "open theists" have argued that God’s relenting concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them, supports the idea that God changes His mind based on the actions of humanity. But the Bible is plain that God knows and declares "the end from the beginning" (Is 46:10). God affirms that He is sovereign over the future, asserting "My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.… Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it" (Is 46:10–11). As stated above, God’s warning through Jonah came with an implicit condition: that the judgment would happen unless they repented. When Nineveh repented, God did not bring the judgment to pass. Certainly, it appeared obvious, even to Jonah (Jnh 4:2) that "it was God’s intent all along to show mercy to the Ninevites, knowing that the stated prediction of judgment would elicit their repentance so that God could then display his originally intended mercy" (Bruce Ware, Their God is Too Small [Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003], 40).

4:1–4. What pleased God (3:10) greatly displeased Jonah in that he considered God’s action wrong and evil. That God’s wrath had been averted by His merciful response to Nineveh’s repentance made Jonah angry. He sank into self-pity because God had not served Jonah’s self-interest. Unlike his prayer in chap. 2, this prayer is a self-centered complaint to God full of "I" and "me" (v. 2). He cited his reason for fleeing as a dread of the success of his ministry. He did not want Nineveh to experience the very same mercy of God shown to him (chap. 2).

While he had obeyed God (3:1–3), it obviously was not in a spirit of submission. His begrudging attitude toward the Ninevites brings to memory the forgiven debtor who did not extend the same grace (see Mt 18:21–35) and the elder brother’s attitude toward the prodigal son (see Lk 15:25–30). Jonah’s mention of God’s gracious character refers to His favor that He extends to the undeserving. The adjectival form occurs 13 times in the OT and 11 of these are a conjunction with raham (compassion). It always refers to God. His compassionate character refers to His tender and merciful affection, like that of a mother’s love toward her nursing baby. Slow to anger underscores God’s patience, while the word lovingkindness refers to God’s unfailing and loyal love that has a special connection to Israel but extends to the whole world (Ru 1:8; 2Sm 15:19–20; Pss 33:5; 117:1; 119:64). (For other verses with these attributes, see Ex 34:6–7; Nm 14:18; 2Ch 30:9; Neh 9:17; Pss 86:5; 103:8; 145:8; Jl 2:13; Nah 1:3.)

In Jnh 1:12, Jonah resigned himself to being thrown overboard, but then he praised God in chap. 2 for sparing his life. He now expressed his preference for dying rather than being restored to serving a merciful God (v. 3). While Moses (Nm 11:15) and Elijah (1Kg 19:4) reached this point of despair under the burden of their ministries, Jonah’s despair was unique. Death can be gain for the believer (Php 1:21), but it is not to be sought in rebellion to God. Mercifully for Jonah, God did not answer his prayer. Rather, God responded in great kindness and tenderness rather than with a blasting rebuke (v. 4). He asked Jonah to ponder and reflect on whether he had good reason to be angry. In so doing, God invited him to judge himself (cf. Gn 4:6). There is no merit in being angry at the advancement of God’s cause, the glorification of His name, and that in which the angels rejoice (Lk 15:10).

4:5–8. Jonah would have entered the city from the west and would have been sitting east of it in his temporary shelter. This shelter was probably made of stone with tree branches for its roof or possibly even a shelter of stone that lacked a roof. While some see these verses as a flashback to vv. 1–4, they can be seen as his response to God’s question in v. 4. Jonah went out to see what would happen after the 40 days. As he fixated upon "his" way of protecting Israel—his enemy’s downfall—he sat in hope for Nineveh’s return to wickedness that would result in their judgment. He was looking for circumstances to change, but God was seeking to elicit a change in him.

While the identity of the plant (v. 6)—possibly a caster-oil plant with large leaves—has sparked much discussion and even a bitter controversy in church history between Jerome and Augustine who disagreed on the kind of plant, what is emphasized here is its appointment by God who enabled its rapid growth. The word for discomfort (ra’ah) is a general word in Hebrew, used in a variety of ways. In 3:8, it is translated wicked and refers to moral evil. In 3:10 it is translated calamity and refers to the disaster of judgment that God would bring. Here (v. 6) it means distress or misery. The author is using a deliberate word play. The plant was designed not only to deliver him from his discomfort but also to deliver Jonah from his wicked attitude. As Nineveh’s repentance shielded it from eternal calamity, so now the plant shielded Jonah from the bitter heat of possibly as much as 110 degrees. Jonah’s extreme happiness (lit., rejoiced with great rejoicing) was over his personal comfort, and his displeasure and anger (v. 1) was over what brought great joy to God. The God who appointed the fish (1:17) and the plant (v. 6) also showed His sovereignty over His creation by appointing a worm (v. 7) and a scorching east wind (v. 8). All of God’s creation followed God’s sovereign appointment but his prophet, who refused the initial appointment to preach and even resented the success of his second appointment.

The worm, possibly a black caterpillar, destroyed the plant. The east wind (cf. Ezk 17:10) created a discomfort that caused Jonah to repeat his request for death (Ezk 4:3). This kind of wind causes a dramatic rise in temperature, and the LXX calls it a "scorcher." God’s hand is evident in both the rapid growth and quick destruction of the plant.

4:9–11. God’s unanswered question of v. 4 is repeated in v. 9, and Jonah emphatically answered that he did have good reason to be angry, even to death. His passion overruled his reason and his conscience. Jonah’s attitude gave rise to another question that provided the reason behind God’s appointments of the plant, worm, and east wind. While emphasizing Jonah’s self-centered compassion (meaning "pity") on a temporal plant (cf. v. 2), which was wholly a gift of His grace (v. 10), God asked, "Should I not have compassion (pity) on Nineveh?" which was filled with eternal beings whom God loved (v. 11) Self-preoccupation such as Jonah’s can be blinding as it leads to valuing personal and temporal comfort over God’s will and the souls of men. The 120,000 who [did] not know the difference between their right and left hand (v. 11) may refer to the children of the city. In light of the word for persons (v. 11), a reference to people in general, it more likely refers to the whole city that was as morally and ethically undiscerning as children. In either case, was it right to be angry that the plant was destroyed and that the precious people of Nineveh were not? Even the animals (cf. 3:7–8; 4:11) were more valuable than the plant.

God’s question ends the book in order to help readers learn from Jonah’s lesson about God’s character. He is sovereign, righteous, gracious, and merciful; He desires that His people obey Him and not put limits on His love. God is kind to evil and ungrateful humanity (Lk 6:35) and patiently desires repentance (2Pt 3:9). Selfish agendas and wrong priorities are to be repented of, for only the pure in heart can spiritually discern the character of God.