1/25/2026

 

Samuel Clifford 

 

Jonah Commentary

 

Author: Not much is known about Jonah other than what is stated in this book and the brief historical statement about him in 2 Kings 14:25. His name means “dove” and his father, Amittai means “truthful.” Jonah came from the tribe of Zebulon, one of the twelve tribes in the northern kingdom of Israel; and he was from the village of Gath-Hepher, located about two miles northeast of the city of Nazareth.

 

Historical Background and Date: The text of 2 Kings 14:23-25 relates the mission of Jonah with the accession of Jeroboam II, as pointed out by Josephus (Jewish Antiquities IX:205-207), which illuminates the reason and the urgency of his mission, because this particular year coincides with the death of Shalmaneser III (824 BCE). The coincidence in time sheds light on the strange role of Jonah. This mighty Assyrian king had triumphed at Qarqar, in 853, of a broad coalition of Aramean kingdoms ,including the powerful kingdom of Syria led by Hazael (who was defeated later in 841). This Assyrian expansionism was therefore a dangerous threat to the kingdom of Israel. The Biblical chronology is follows (main synchronisms have been highlighted):

 

Thanks to the Eponym Chronicle it is possible to reconstruct the career of generals in chief during the period 858-726. Comments and Annals, combined with the inscriptions of steles, allow to reconstruct (partially) the Assyrian history. From the 9th century BCE, the General in chief (turtanu) was the second eponymy, immediately after the king (sarru), a use which, however, was abolished by Shalmaneser V. The "crown prince (aplu), when it existed, was characterized on panels or stelae, as co-regent, with a diadem and two ribbons behind the head, facing the king wearing the tiara (who also bore the two ribbons behind the head). Ashurbanipal had moved the capital of the Assyrian empire to Kalhu (instead of Assur) and Tel Barsip (north-eastern Syria) became the military capital, Nineveh remaining a religious capital where the worship of Ishtar, a warrior goddess, was celebrated.

 

Jonah's mission was a success since Assyrian expansionism to the Mediterranean coast would cease, at least for 80 years. Indeed it appears that large Mediterranean expeditions of earlier reign disappeared and that the Assyrian threat against Israel reappeared only with Tigtlat-pileser III. Jonah's mission is difficult to date, but presumably it ended with the summer solstice (July 1 at that time) because it is stated: When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah's head so that he grew faint  (Jonah 4:8). As Jonah proclaimed his message for 40 days (Jonah 3:4) and he had to need 40 days more to travel (by road) the 1,200 kilometres from Joppa to Nineveh, he had to receive his mission around March. In this case, the death of Shalmaneser III would have coincided with the beginning of his mission, that likely impressed the people of Nineveh.

 

The city of Nineveh is mentioned for the last time in the Battle of Nineveh in 627

CE, which was fought between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanian Empire of Persia near the ancient city.

 

Occasion: The purpose of the prophecy of Jonah is to show the sovereignty of God at work in the life of the prophet (Jonah) and the heathen nation (Nineveh/Assyria).  

Evidence for Jonah

 

Some believe Jonah is allegorical or a parable. They state that there is no evidence and therefore we cannot hold it as historically true. However below we will take a closer look and uncover the evidence that they claim does not exist.

 

Before we get into the evidence we need to discuss that Jonah may have been swallowed by a whale or a big fish. The Hebrew phrase used in the Old Testament, gadowl dag, literally means “great fish.” So a whale is a possibility since the Hebrews didn't have a specific name for whales.

 

Theological Evidence: 

 

1. The language in Jonah is not allegorical. If you compare the book of Jonah to other Ancient Near Eastern fictional stories, it reads more like history than any other type of literature.
2. Jesus himself considered Jonah to be historical. In Matthew 12:39-41, Christ pointed to Jonah’s sojourn into the belly of the fish as a precursor and a sign pointing to His own death, burial, and resurrection. 

“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.” Matthew 12:39-41 KJV

The men of Nineveh will stand up at judgement. If the men of Nineveh will make an appearance at the judgement, then that means they were real men, living in real history, who heard a real message of repentance from a historical prophet Jonah.

3. 2 Kings 14:25 speaks about Jonah, son of Amittai, as being a prophet of Israel from Gath Hepher, a small community near Nazareth. It also states that previously Jonah had the pleasant task of delivering the good report from God that Israel would enjoy a season of peace.  That background actually fits with the psychological profile of the prophet we meet in the book of Jonah, the same individual, “the son of Amittai.”

 

Archaeological Evidence:

 

1. In 1820 when the lost city of Nineveh was rediscovered, it was found buried beneath a pair of tells in the vicinity of Mosul in modern-day Iraq. These mounds are known by their local names, Kuyunjik and Nabi Yunus. Nabi Yunus happens to be Arabic for “the prophet Jonah”.

 

2. A first-century ossuary or bone box was discovered in Jerusalem with a rudimentary inscription of not only the name of Jonah but a sketch of him being vomited out of the whale. This was made according to Tom Meyer because, “the idea of Jonah being resurrected from the watery grave was so believed and prominent in Jewish thought and practice that it became a motif on the ossuaries and tombs of early Jewish Christians.”

 

3. Those under the assumption that Jonah was swallowed by a whale sometimes object that because of the lack of whales in the Mediterranean Sea that it's improbable Jonah was swallowed by a whale and makes the book of Jonah fiction. However, “Researchers from the Archaeology Department at the University of York reportedly discovered the bones of whales in the ruins of five Roman fish-processing factories located at the Strait of Gibraltar. During the height of Ancient Rome (400 BCE-500 CE), Gibraltar was home of a large fish-processing industry. Hundreds of these now ruined factories still dot the landscape. It is unusual to find whale bones at an archaeological site as they easily fragment and much of whale processing takes place at sea, leaving scant evidence for historians. Using ancient DNA analysis and collagen fingerprinting, the researchers identified the bones as belonging to the North Atlantic Right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) and the Atlantic Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). Until their findings brought proof these species were common in the region, it was assumed that the Mediterranean Sea was outside of the historical range of the Right and Gray whales.” *1 So this clearly shows that if a whale did swallow Jonah that it was possible since whales had been in the Mediterranean Sea.

 

*1 Aleteia. “Archaeological Evidence May Support Jonah’s ‘Whale.’” Aleteia, 19 July 2018, https://aleteia.org/2018/07/19/archaeological-evidence-may-support-jonahs-whale/.

 

Jonah 1 Commentary

Jonah 1:1-3: These verses describe God commissioning His prophet and Jonah rebelling against His will.

 

Jonah 1:1 KJV:

“Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,”

 

The initial “Now” in Hebrew is the equivalent of and. Other Old Testament books begin with this connective. For example, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers use it to show their continuity with what immediately precedes them. However, with Jonah, the continuity may not be with something the prophet had already written but rather a more general historical connection, as in Ruth 1:1. Jonah most likely knew the national records that had gone before him, and took up the thread of passing history.

 

The prophecy is characterized as being the “word of the Lord” and therefore shows the author and source of this message is from the Lord. The opening of Jonah follows the familiar pattern of other prophetic writings.

 

Jonah 1:2 KJV:

“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.”

 

Verse 2 records Jonah’s original call. God did not give Jonah the exact words he is to utter to Nineveh. Only the reason Jonah was going. God expressly tells the prophet of the wickedness of Nineveh, the implications being that Nineveh’s wickedness had reached such proportions as to demand that the Lord do something about it. 

 

Nineveh: The description of Nineveh as “great” probably refers to its size and its influence, but it's sins were great as well. The traditions preserved in Greek and Roman writers describe the same feature. Modern researches that are among the huge mounds scattered along the left bank of the Tigris more than confirm the impression produced on the ancient world by the city, or rather group of cities, buried beneath them. The city was the ancient capital of the Assyrian empire . Archaeology confirms the wickedness of the Assyrians.  Nineveh appears in 19 Bible verses: Gen 10:11, Gen 10:12, 2 Kgs 19:36, Isa 37:37, Jonah 1:2, Jonah 3:2, Jonah 3:3, Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:6, Jonah 3:7, Jonah 4:11, Nahum 1:1, Nahum 2:8, Nahum 3:7, Zeph 2:13, Matt 12:41, Luke 11:30 and Luke 11:32. 

 

Jonah 1:3 KJV:

“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.”

 

God gave Jonah a specific command but the prophet not only rejected the command, but did the exact opposite. Nineveh was east of Palestine while Tarshish was at the extreme western end of the then-known world. Herodotus, the Greek historian, identifies Tarshish as Tartessus in southern Spain. Joppa is the city of Jaffa, the Mediterranean city used today as a seaport by Israel. Jonah is the only known prophet to disobey God’s commision. There were prophets such as Malachi that did not take joy in delivering God’s message (See Note on Malachi 1:1) however, the prophets still delivered the message. 

 

“and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish”

 

Went on board; or, as Jerome says, sought a hiding place in the ship. Jonah had told the vessel's crew (ver. 10) that he was flying from God's service, but, knowing nothing about Jehovah, they took him on board when he paid his fare, and thought nothing of his private reasons for joining them.

 

“the presence of the Lord.”

 

This does not indicate that Jonah could have fled from God’s omnipresence. Rather there are two explanations. 

 

1. Jonah didn't flee from God’s omnipresence but rather it refers to his desire to get away from his official ministry as a prophet. 

 

2. Jonah didn’t flee from God’s omnipresence but instead fled from the temple where the Lord dwelt.

 

Why did Jonah flee?

 

The answers to this question have been various. 

 

1. Some have suggested that Jonah was disobedient because if the people of Nineveh repented it would mean the downfall of Israel being chosen because of the conversion of the gentiles. However, seeing that even now with the creation of the Church that is filled with Gentiles, Israel is still God's chosen people, so this suggestion seems unlikely.

 

2. The disobedience of the prophet is also contributed as due to Jonah’s pride and bigotry, he could not rejoice that the Lord was going to show grace to the heathen people. Jonah would have rather seen Judgment on this heathen nation than grace. This does seem likely as it lines up with Jonah 4:1. 

 

3. Jonah refused to go to deliver God’s message because he was afraid it would be unsuccessful. Jonah was scared of the great and cruel city. He trembled at the thought of going to this city of cruelty alone and defenseless.

 

Jonah 1:4-16: The structure of 1:4-16 is a chiasm, as seen below:

 

1. The sailors’ fright (vv. 4-5a)
2. The sailors’ prayer to their gods (v. 5b)
3. The sailors’ unloading the ship (v. 5c)
4. The captain’s speech to Jonah (v. 6)
5. The sailors’ word to each other (v. 7a)
6. The sailors’ question to Jonah, “who are you?” (vv. 7b-8)
7. Jonah’s confession (v. 9)

      f1.  The sailors’ question to Jonah, “What have you done?” (v. 10a)

     e1.  The sailors’ question to Jonah, “What shall we do?” (vv. 10b-11)

     d1.  Jonah’s words to the sailors (v. 12)

     c1.  The sailors’ rowing the ship (v. 13)

     b1.  The sailor’s prayer to the Lord (v. 14)

     a1.  The sailors’ fear of the Lord (vv. 15-16)

 

The principal person in the narrative was God, not Jonah. To accomplish His purposes, God sovereignly controlled various events recorded in the book, overcame Jonah’s rebellion, and opened the Ninevites’ hearts. Here He miraculously altered the direction of His servant’s itinerary. 

 

Jonah 1:4 KJV:

“But the Lord sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

 

“But the Lord”

 

The narrative continues in contrast to the beginning of verse 3.

 

“a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.”

 

This was not an ordinary storm, but an extreme one set (“hurled”), from God. God literally cast forth, or hurled, a great wind. Sailors, accustomed to storms, were afraid of this storm (verse 5). The wind struck the sea with such force that it caused a great storm so fierce that the ship was endangered of breaking up and being dashed into pieces.

 

Jonah 1:5 KJV:

“Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.”

 

“Then the mariners were afraid”

 

The sailors, who were familiar with the storms of the Mediterranean sea, perceived that this was no ordinary storm and they were seized with fear. 

 

They attempted to meet the crisis in two different ways:

 

1. “and cried every man unto his god”

 

They cried unto their gods to save them from their distress. They were either Phoenicians from different localities, or men of various nations; hence the multiplicity of their gods. 

 

2. “and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea”

 

“Wares” which is a word in Hebrews used for all sorts of goods, utensils, etc. It includes, with others, their military weapons they had to defend themselves, and their provisions, the ship’s stores or goods it was loaded with.

 

This second action further indicates the gravity of the peril; because if the ship arrived without it’s cargo, there would be no profit for the journey. However, in an extreme instance like this, it is far better to save the ship and crew without any profit than to have no future profit for anyone. 

 

“But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.”

 

The prophet was a paying passenger (verse 3) and didn't have to do the work of the ship. Jonah went to “the sides of the ship” or to the quarters of the ship and slept there. He most likely didn't wake up from the storm because he sought refuge from his hopelessness in his sleep. 

 

Jonah 1:6 KJV:

“So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.”

 

“So the shipmaster came to him”

 

“The shipmaster” was either the captain or the pilot. The Captain may have been inspecting the ship for more Cargo to throw overboard and found Jonah asleep, or the shipmaster searched for Jonah so that he could pray with the others. 

 

“What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.”

 

The captain petitioned Jonah to pray to God because the danger was imminent and he wanted every man to be involved with praying to their gods. How canst thou sleep so soundly when our danger is so imminent? If thou canst help us in no other way, at least ask the aid of Heaven.

 

Jonah 1:7 KJV:

“And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.”

 

Their efforts to lighten the ship and the efforts of prayer failed. The sailors had concluded that this storm was caused by something supernatural. 

 

“Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us”

 

The crew, that had come to the conclusion the storm was caused by a supernatural force, proceeded to cast lots to see what person on board committed a crime worthy of a supernatural punishment. God was not only sovereign over the wind and storm but was sovereign over the lot as well (See Proverbs 16:33). Casting lots was not against the will of God, it was used with Achan (Joshua 7:16), in the division of land under Joshua (Joshua 15:1), in the case of Jonathan’s trespass (1 Samuel 14:36-42), and in the choosing of Matthias (Acts 1:26). However, because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, casting lots is not needed because the Spirit provides guidance.

 

“So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah.”

 

Through God’s sovereign control in the casting of lots, Jonah is identified as the guilty person. God seemingly interfered with the lot so that it would purposely fall on Jonah. 

 

Jonah 1:8 KJV:

“Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this evil is upon us; What is thine occupation? and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?”

 

The mariners proceeded to put Jonah through an interrogation process in order to learn the nature of the prophets offense. 

 

“for whose cause this evil is upon us”

 

The sailors already knew Jonah was guilty because that was decided by the lot. Their inquiry was about what sin Jonah had committed to cause the storm. They may have supposed that Jonah did some great sin for this storm to happen.

 

“What is thine occupation?”

 

They wanted to know 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. 

 

“and whence comest thou? what is thy country? and of what people art thou?”

 

These questions seem to relate to the same thing. What nation was he from? They believed by knowing where he came from, that they could put together what God he worshipped and guess the crime he was guilty of.

 

Jonah 1:9 KJV:

“And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”

 

“And he said unto them, I am an Hebrew”

 

Jonah starts his confession to the sailors by identifying himself as Hebrew, which is the name that Israelites used among the Gentiles to distinguish Israelites from non-Israelites (Genesis 39:14, 17; 40:15; 1 Samuel 4:6; 9; 14:11). This was likely not the full confession but has the important aspects of what Jonah said to the sailors.

 

“and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry land.”

 

Jonah “feared” or had reverence for the Lord. This title “the Lord, the God of heaven” has been used before (See Genesis 24:3, 7; Daniel 2:37, 44; 2 Chronicles 36:23). Jonah may have used this title to express the sovereignty of the Lord in contrast to Baal, who was a sky god (1 Kings 18:24). It was important for the sailors to know that Jehovah is the God of heaven, hence the One from whom the wind and the storm have come and who made the sea in which they are presently in peril and the dry land for which they seek.

 

Jonah 1:10 KJV:

“Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him. Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.”

 

“Then were the men exceedingly afraid”

 

The sailors, hearing Jonah’s confession, were afraid of Jehovah. They feared the storm in verse 5 but now their fear had heightened because of Jehovah who was in control of the weather that had caused them such distress. 

 

“and said unto him. Why hast thou done this?”

 

The sailors' fear was shown in their exclamatory question. The disobedience of the prophet to such a God he had described was beyond foolish in their comprehension.

 

“For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them.”

 

Jonah undoubtedly told them the entire story of God’s instruction to go to Nineveh and his disobedience to God’s instruction.

 

Jonah 1:11 KJV:

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.”

 

There was no doubt in the sailors mind that Jonah was the cause of their peril. They knew him to be a Prophet; they asked him the mind of his God. The waves threatened the ship of destruction which caused them to ask for instruction on what to do to calm or silence the storm.

 

Jonah 1:12 KJV:

“And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”

 

Jonah’s response has been suggested by some to indicate his repentance. However, more than likely this indicates the intensity of his disobedience and that he did not want to suffer for his account or that he would rather die than go to Nineveh. Jonah understood what would happen to the storm if he jumped overboard. He was the cause of the storm, so if he was gone, God would calm the storm. Jonah would not take his own life, but would sacrifice himself by asking them to throw him into to the sea.

 

Jonah 1:13 KJV:

“Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.”

 

The sailors either out of kindness for the prophet or fear of Jehovah attempt an alternate solution. They exerted all their strength and labored with all their might to try and save Jonah. The land they sought to bring the ship to is not identified. However, even with all their will and strength, the storm grew more and more in strength and they were not able to return the ship to land.

 

Jonah 1:14 KJV:

“Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.”

 

“Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee”

 

They didn't cry to their gods but they cried to Jehovah, the God of Jonah, and of the Hebrews. Jonah had told them it was Jehovah who caused the storm so it was natural that they would petition Jehovah. They said “we beseech thee” twice, which this repetition shows the earnestness of their minds in prayer. 

 

“let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us innocent blood”

 

The sailors were confused over the decision to make. They must have believed that if they didn't throw him overboard the storm would kill them, but they also believed if they threw him overboard (which normally would kill someone) that they would also perish. 

 

“for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.”

 

The sailors recognized that it was the will of God to cast Jonah into the sea. 

 

Jonah 1:15 KJV:

“So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.”

 

The sailors complied with Jonah’s instructions and cast him into the sea. The sudden cessation of the storm showed that it had been sent on Jonah's account, and that the crew had not sinned by executing the sentence upon him. This was similar to the quieting of the storm by Christ on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27). 

 

Jonah 1:16 KJV:

“Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.”

 

“Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly”

 

This was not a natural fear, as before, but a religious one. This provides evidence of their inward faith. 

 

“and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.”

 

This was likely a spiritual sacrifice as they must have lacked materials needed for an actual sacrifice since they threw all the materials overboard. The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for a safe deliverance from the storm. They likely vowed that they would offer a sacrifice when they arrived in their own country, or return to Judea, and come to Jerusalem.

 

Jonah 1:17 KJV:

“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

 

“Prepared” indicates “to appoint, ordain, prepare, or order.”The idea is one of commission rather than of creation. The fish was in existence already, however, God commissioned it for a specific mission.

 

This was no ordinary fish, this fish was a special fish prepared by God, so that Jonah could live in the fish’s belly.

 

There are three ways that the Bible is accurate in the time span of Jonah in the fish. 

 

1. The calculation made by the Sailors.
2. Jonah’s estimation of the elapsed time.
3. Jonah’s actual computation.

 

The last view is the most likely seeing as the prophecy is historical and occurs in third person. Jonah likely knew the day he was thrown in and the day he was vomited up on dry land. 

 

The fact that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish is often mocked. This exceptional event is not impossible since in 1939 a great white shark was taken whose stomach contained two whole sharks 2 m long --- roughly the size of a man ,likewise a basking shark (Cetorhinus) of 2.5 m long was discovered in the stomach of a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Azores. There are also stories of sailors rescued from the belly of a shark, but they have not yet been authenticated.

 

Fragments cumulatively containing all verses of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q76 (4QXIIa; 150–125 BCE) with extant verses 1–5, 7–10, 15–17 (1:17 = 2:1 in Hebrew Bible); 4Q81 (4QXIIf; 175–50 BCE) with extant verses 6–8, 10–16; 4Q82 (4QXIIg; 25 BCE) with extant verses 1–9; and Wadi Murabba'at Minor Prophets (Mur88; MurXIIProph; 75–100 CE) with extant verses 1–17 (1:1–16, 2:1 in Hebrew Bible). 

 

Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Greek were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, that is, Naḥal Ḥever 8Ḥev1 (8ḤevXIIgr); late 1st century BCE) with extant verses 14–17.

 

Jonah 2 Commentary

Jonah 2:1-9: This prayer by Jonah was not a plea for deliverance for there were no petitions in it. The prayer is a psalm of thanksgiving (v. 9) to God for using the fish to save him from drowning. The prayer was made while Jonah was in the fish’s stomach (v. 1) but it was written of course after he was expelled from the fish’s stomach. Sensing that the great fish was God’s means of delivering him, Jonah worshiped God for His unfathomable mercies. The contents of Jonah 2 correspond in several ways to the contents in chapter 1:

 

Jonah 2:1 KJV:

“Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish's belly,”

 

Jonah was moved to pray from the stomach of the fish. Jonah, though disobedient to the command of God, knew who to turn to in his time of trouble. Some may ask, “how could Jonah have prayed from the belly of the fish?”, but they fail to realize that Jonah being swallowed by the fish was a miracle from God itself. Therefore, if God willed for Jonah to pray in the belly of the fish, then the one who sent the fish can make it happen. 

 

Jonah 2:2 KJV:

“And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

 

“And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me”

 

Jonah introduces the prayer saying that he cried to God because of his “affliction” or trouble and was heard. 

 

“out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.”

 

Some believe the “hell” to be that Jonah was in Sheol, however, more than likely this isn’t correct. The “affliction” and the “belly of hell” are synonymous descriptions of Jonah’s location in the great fish. Sheol has been shown to also mean a catastrophic condition near death (Psalm 18:5; 30:3). It’s fitting for Jonah to call his situation “Sheol” because if God did not save him he would have died. The word “cried” shows that Jonah was pleading with God for either forgiveness or deliverance. 

 

Jonah 2:3 KJV:

“For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.”

 

Jonah knew that even though the Mariners were the ones to throw him overboard, it was God who placed him in these circumstances. Even though Jonah is in these circumstances he recognizes that even the billows and waves belong to God; hence, he is safe.

 

Jonah 2:4 KJV:

“Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.”

 

Jonah was away from the temple, therefore,  he was away from where the Lord dwelled. Jonah expresses his faith that he would once again be in the temple with the presence of the Lord. He also, by faith, expects to experience direct divine mercy and restoration.

 

Jonah 2:5 KJV:

“The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.”

 

The great fish descended into the depths of the sea, and everything that found its way into the fish’s stomach also entwined itself around Jonah. The mention of Jonah’s “soul: describes Jonah’s total person, both physically and spiritually.

 

Jonah 2:6 KJV:

“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.”

 

“I went down to the bottoms of the mountains”

 

The “mountains” are in the midst of the sea, the fish likely carried Jonah where the waters were deep. However, it may have been the bottom rocks on the shore of the sea. Such vast rocks hanging over the sea seem to be located on the shore of Joppa near where Jonah had been cast into the sea.

 

“the earth with her bars was about me for ever”

 

This describes the cliffs and rocks on the shore, which are as bars to the sea, that it cannot be overflowed. These were bars to Jonah because even if he had escaped the belly of the great fish, and attempted to swim to shore, he could never get to it because the rocks and cliffs were to steep and high.

 

“yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.”

 

The verse ends with an expression of Jonah’s faith, in which Jonah recognizes that God had delivered him from corruption. The corruption being what his body would have experienced had God not delivered the prophet.

 

Jonah 2:7 KJV:

“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.”

 

“When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord”

 

Jonah before his prayer had given up all hope of life. However, when the prophet was about to sink into the darkness of death, he remembered Jehovah in prayer. 

 

“and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.”

 

He turned in thought to the holy temple, which is the sanctuary where God's presence was most assured, like the psalmist in the wilderness (Psalm 63:2). or like the exiles by the waters of Babylon when they remembered Zion (Psalm 137.). 

 

Jonah 2:8 KJV:

“They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.”

 

They trust in “lying vanities” or worthless idols. Jonah contrasts those who worship these idols with his worship of Jehovah. “forsake their own mercy.” They forsake Jehovah and replace God with an idol, God is the foundation of mercy. Jonah had substituted his will and his desires for Jehovah. Thus he, like the idolaters, had forsaken Jehovah, the God of mercy. 

 

Jonah 2:9 KJV:

“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.”

 

Jonah had nothing to sacrifice but his praise (See Hebrews 13:15). The experience Jonah had been in brought the prophet to his senses. Jonah found himself in the same position as the mariners: offering sacrifices and making vows to the Lord. Jonah’s vow could well have been to carry out God’s ministry will for him by preaching to Nineveh.

 

“Salvation is of the Lord.”

 

Salvation is in Jehovah’s power, and He is the only one who can affect it. This expression fits for a unique and fitting climax for Jonah’s prayer. (See Psalm 3:8; 27:1)

 

Jonah 2:10 KJV:

“And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.”

 

God speaks to His creation in the animal world (Numbers 22:28-30) and performed an act in which the deliverance that Jonah had prayed for had been realized. The fish obeys God’s command and vomits Jonah upon the shore. It is not stated exactly where Jonah had been vomited, however, it is likely near Joppa or the coast of palestine where Jonah had departed from “the presence of the Lord” (1:3).

 

Fragments cumulatively containing all verses of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q76 (4QXIIa; 150–125 BCE) with extant verse 6 (verses 2:1,7 in Masoretic Text); 4Q82 (4QXIIg; 25 BCE) with extant verses 2–10 (verses 3–11 in Masoretic Text); and Wadi Murabba'at Minor Prophets (Mur88; MurXIIProph; 75–100 CE) with extant verses 1–10 (verses 1–11 in Masoretic Text). 

 

Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Greek were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, that is, Naḥal Ḥever 8Ḥev1 (8ḤevXIIgr); late 1st century BCE) with extant verses 1–6 (verses 1–7 in Masoretic Text).

 

Jonah 3 Commentary

Jonah 3-4: The second half of this book records Jonah's obedience to the Lord following his initial disobedience (chs. 1—2). However, he was not completely obedient in his attitudes even though he was in his actions.

 

Jonah 3:1 KJV:

“And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying,”

 

After Jonah’s disobedience, God speaks to Jonah a second time with the same Oracle. Now that Jonah had felt and seen the justice and mercy of God, he was prepared to obey. Despite Jonah’s disobedience and unfaithfulness, God gives Jonah another opportunity to carry out his work for Jehovah. 

 

Jonah 3:2 KJV:

“Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”

 

The command to Jonah in 3:2 is essentially the same as God’s command in 1:2, except there is an intensification of the idea of preaching. The content of the message Jonah was to preach is not given, however, we can assume the message Jonah was to preach was identical to what Jonah preached in Jonah 3:4 because scripture nowhere implied that Jonah failed to proclaim the message after he was given the message the second time. 

 

Jonah 3:3 KJV:

“So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.”

 

Verse 3 describes the obedience of the prophet to Jehovah’s command. This is indicated by the word “so” which points to Jonah’s compliance. The text emphasizes not only the size of the city (See Jonah 1:2 and 3:3) and it’s importance (Jonah 4:11). Some suggest the “three days’ journey” describes how long it would take to walk east to west, however, a metropolitan city the size of Nineveh, with a circumference of about 60 miles, would require 3 days just to walk the circumference. These dimensions are confirmed by historians. 

 

Jonah 3:4 KJV:

“And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”

 

Verse 4 records the prophets complete compliance to God’s commands. Jonah’s statements aren’t recorded in detail, however, without a doubt Jonah likely preached about Jehovah’s displeasure with Nineveh’s wickedness. The prophet likely repeated this message while walking through the city and stating that “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The time frame mey harken back to Moses’ supplication for 40 days and nights at Sinai (Deuteronomy 9:18, 25). 

 

Jonah 3:5 KJV:

“So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.”

 

The people of Nineveh were ripe for Jonah’s message even when he threatened them with their city’s destruction. Spontaneously, without any special order from the authorities. Before the final fall of Nineveh, the inscriptions mention, the then king ordered a fast of one hundred days and nights to the gods in order to avert the threatened danger (see a note by Professor Sayce, in G. Smith's 'History of Babylon,' p. 156). The english word sackcloth is derived from the Hebrew word sak, which denotes a coarse cloth, dark in color, usually made of goat's hair. It was customarily worn by mourners (2 Samuel 3:31; 2 Kings 19:1-2) and goes back in antiquity as far as the patriarchal age (Genesis 37:34; Job 16:15). It is to be noted that all classes of Nineveh were involved in the nation's belief, fast, and mourning.

 

Jonah 3:6 KJV:

“For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.”

 

Jonah lived before and during the reign of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.). This leaves three possibilities as to who the king of Nineveh was at the time Jonah preached to Nineveh. The possibilities are Adad-nirari III (810-783 B.C.), Shalmaneser IV (781-772 B.C.) , or Assurdan III (772 – 755 B.C.). The king exchanged his royal robes for sackcloth and ashes (Job 42:6; Isa. 58:5). 

 

Jonah 3:7 KJV:

“And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:”

 

“And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles”

 

Nineveh’s nation leaders, who were the leaders in the nation’s wickedness, now were involved in the nation’s mourning by likely sending a herald or heralds into the different parts of the city. The fact that the nobles shared with the king in issuing the decree indicates there was not an absolute monarchy. 

 

“Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:”

 

The national mourning is also shared by their animals. A very strict and general fast was this. Abstinence from all food was enjoined; not only men of every age and rank, but the cattle likewise, horses and camels, that they used either for their pleasure or business. The brute breasts share in the evil effects of man’s sin, and as such have been subject to vanity and yearn for deliverance (See Genesis 3:17; Romans 8:19-23; 2 Peter 3:13). No food was to be put into the animal’s mangers or folds: or were they allowed to graze in their pastures, or to be allowed the least quantity of food or drink. This was ordered, to make the mourning greater.

 

Jonah 3:8 KJV:

“But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.”

 

“But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth,”

 

As the king was covered in sackcloth, so were the people and the beasts, horses, and camels, whose rich trappings were to be taken off, and sackcloth put on them, for the greater seriousness of the mourning.

 

 "And cry mightily unto God"

 

Which clause stands so closely connected with the former, as if it respected beasts as well as men, who sometimes are said to cry for food in times of drought and distress (Joel 1:20). And who here might purposely be kept from food and drink, that they might cry, and so the more affect the minds of the Ninevites, in their humiliation and abasement. But men are principally meant, at least who were to cry unto God intensely and earnestly, with great passion, fervency, and desire or need. Not only aloud, and with a strong voice, but with their whole heart.

 

“yea, let them turn every one from his evil way”

 

Without turning from their wickedness, that had reached such proportions as to demand that the Lord do something about it, their prayer and fasting would have been to no avail as the reason for their destruction was their wickedness. 

 

“and from the violence that is in their hands.”

 

Their violent seizure and oppression, their thefts and robberies, and preying upon the substance of others, which seem to be the reigning vices of this city, in doing which many murders were committed also (see Nahum 3:1).

 

Jonah 3:9 KJV:

“Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?”

 

This verse expresses the faith of the king and the Ninevites. They had no evidence on which to base their faith or to hope for relief, except for the fact that God had sent one to warn them instead of destroying them. He speaks here not as absolutely doubting, but as between hope and fear. For, by the light of nature, it is not certain that God will pardon men upon repentance; it is only probable or possible he may. 

 

Jonah 3:10 KJV:

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

 

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way”

 

God clearly indicates what turning from evil ways are, “works”. God did not change in His ultimate intention toward the Ninevites; rather, they changed in their attitude toward Him. On the basis of that change, God could deal with them in grace, rather than in judgment as their failure to turn from their wicked ways would have necessitated. This shows that turning from evil is not a part of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 states we are saved by faith not by works. Since this verse shows turning from evil is a work, it cannot be added to salvation or else it completely contradicts Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

“and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.”

 

“Repent” in Greek comes from the word metanoeō (μετανοέω), which means change of mind (See Strong’s Concordance 3340. Metanoeo and HELPS Word-studies 3340). If repent means “turn from sin” as many claim to be the meaning, then Jonah 3:10, Genesis 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:11, Exodus 32:14, and more verses accuse God of sinning. 

 

God intended to destroy Nineveh, but because of their belief and them turning from their wicked ways, God showed grace to Nineveh and spared destruction.

 

Fragments cumulatively containing all verses of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q76 (4QXIIa; 150–125 BCE) with extant verse 2; 4Q82 (4QXIIg; 25 BCE) with extant verses 1–3; and Wadi Murabba'at Minor Prophets (Mur88; MurXIIProph; 75-100 CE) with extant verses 1–10.

 

Jonah 4 Commentary

Jonah 4:1 KJV:

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.”

 

The Hebrew (it was evil to) is stronger. The prophet was vexed and irritated. Instead of the prophet being pleased and praising God for His grace to Nineveh and for the success of his ministry, Jonah was displeased exceedingly and very angry. His anger may have come about from the fact that his message did not materialize. It is possible that he feared for his reputation as a prophet. His basic problem, however, came about from his personal hatred of Nineveh. He still is afflicted with a false Jewish nationalism and hatred of all non-jews, especially Assyrians. 

 

Jonah 4:2 KJV:

“And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”

 

Jonah carried his complaint to God, and was prepared to submit it to Him, even while he questioned the wisdom of Jehovah’s clemency. Jonah, when expressing his complaint to God, acknowledged that his view has not has not changed from what it originally was and that his view of the Assyrians is drastically different from God’s. “For I knew.” Joel knew the character of God, and how that He threatened in order to arouse change, and that He might be able to spare (see Exodus 32:14; Exodus 34:6, 7). The description of God's mercy agrees with that in Joel 2:13 and Nehemiah 9:17. 

 

Jonah 4:2 and the question “Is God immoral?”:

 

Yahweh has an enemy-loving character and worldwide saving purpose which is illustrated in the book of Jonah. God didn't punish the Ninevites-to the great disappointment of Jonah, who knew that this is the sort of thing Yahweh does: he loves his (and Israel’s) enemies: “I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness” (Jonah 4:2; cf. Exodus 34:6). 

 

Jonah 4:3 KJV:

“Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”

 

The expression of despair reaches its height in verse 3 where the prophet requests God to take his life. Perhaps Jonah was expressing the reality of breaking his vow (2:9), to God a second time (Numbers 30:2; Ecclesiastes 5:1-6). This shows the extent and intensity of Jonah’s hatred toward the Assyrians, for his life seemed to lose its meaning when he was robbed of the possibility of vengeance upon them. 

 

Another consideration is the nervous reaction from which Jonah may well have been suffering. The episode of the sea monster followed by the strain of entering boldly into Nineveh with his awful proclamation, most have taken a great physical and mental toll. Consider a parallel from the life of Elijah (1 Kings 19:1-7). After Elijah’s victory over the priests of Baal on Carmel, the great prophet ran away from Jezebel, and, under the juniper tree, “requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” Then the Lord graciously cared for His overwrought servant through the ministry of an angel who pointed him to the food and drink he desperately needed. So it may have been with Jonah. For the time being he was dejected and distressed, even to the extent of desiring death. But as the next passages will show, God is not through with him.

 

Jonah 4:4 KJV:

“Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?”

 

God puts the whole situation into focus by asking a rhetorical question. God essentially asks, “Is there a reason for your anger?” of course the answer is, No. God bids him consider with himself whether his anger is reasonable. Jonah had no real reason to be angry; and the rhetorical question, then, is a form of reproof. 

 

Jonah 4:5 KJV:

“So Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made him a booth, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city.”

 

After his encounter with God, Jonah went out from the city, made a shelter for himself, sat under it to shelter him from the heat of the sun, and watched to see if God would repent of his decision to have mercy upon Nineveh. He may have even expected Nineveh’s change to be short lived and because of that he expected God to destroy Nineveh. Likely on the “east side of the city” he probably had a good view of the city; and which lay opposite of the road to his own country. That, if the inhabitants should pursue him, they would miss him; which some suppose he might be in fear of, should their city be destroyed. 

 

 

Jonah 4:6-8: God, being slow to anger (v. 2), again attempted to reason with Jonah (cf. v. 4). This time God gave him a visual lesson. God erected an object of Jonah’s affection (creaturely comfort) and contrasted it with the object of His own concern (the souls of people). God rebuked Jonah, not through a storm in this instance, but by exposing the selfishness of his likes and dislikes. 

 

Jonah 4:6 KJV:

“And the Lord God prepared a gourd, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.”

 

Though Jonah has shown his anger to God for God’s grace on Nineveh, God demonstrates his care of Jonah by preparing a gourd (This seems to be a fast growing plant which in hot climates grows rapidly to give shade with its large leaves, however, this type of plant may have not been a fast growing plant at all and instead God caused it to spring up with miraculous rapidity. Some have identified that gourd as Ricinus communis, better known as the castor-oil plant. Because of the shape of the leaves, it is sometimes called the “Palma christi” or in the English form of the word, the “palmcrist.” It grows rapidly and is found in the Near East) to grow up and provide shade for the prophet’s head. Jonah was exceedingly happy for the provision of the plant, though he apparently does not recognize it as coming from the hand of God. 

 

Jonah 4:7 KJV:

“But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.”

 

Verse 7 reveals that the plant was designed to serve God’s purpose, not Jonah’s comfort. By being eaten through the root, the plant, losing its nourishment, would soon wither; and this was the case in the present instance. Worms can strip a plant of all its foliage in a single night, according to the word of some authorities. Now Jonah was deprived of shade from the blazing sun, because God put the worm on a mission to attack the fast-growing plant and cause it to wither.

 

Jonah 4:8 KJV:

“And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.”

 

Now that the gourd was destroyed, God took another step in bringing Jonah to his senses. God once again uses his arsenal of nature, this time God uses a hot, scorching wind, normally called “sirocco” (sirocco wind has an oppressive heat and exhausting dust). The shelter Jonah made for himself (verse 5), would not exclude this agent of God’s sovereignty. The sudden removal of the gourd would have been bad enough, but to add to his misery, the rising of the blazing sun accompanied by a sultry wind was sent by God. Jonah’s misery was now complete. There he sat under his miserable little hut, dogged in his obstinacy of spirit and parched in body, as the burning wind blew on him and the sun beat down on his head, it's no wonder he wished for death. The wind came not for the purpose of drying up the plant or of tearing down the shelter that Jonah had built, but only to intensify the physical distress of the prophet. 

 

 

Jonah 4:9 KJV:

“And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.”

 

“And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd?”

 

This question is identified with that in verse 4 but with an important exception; here Jonah’s anger is specifically related to the gourd. Before the prophet had left the city, built the booth, and had the experience of the gourd, the worm, and the wind, his anger was divided between the city and God for sparing it. But God had been working with Jonah. And the effect of the divine use of gourd, worm, and wind was to change the direction of the prophet’s anger. Now the prophet’s anger was on one thing-the loss of the gourd. God asks whether or not the prophet’s anger over the plant’s destruction was ethically justifiable. 

 

“And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.”

 

Jonah, in complete self-pity and total disregard of the Ninevites, declares that he is justly angry. The phrase “even unto death” indicates that Jonah’s anger had reached even to the very bottom of his soul so that he despaired even of his life. Under God’s discipline, he has been brought to the place were the loss of even a plant can affect him so deeply as to make him long to die. 

 

Jonah 4:10-11 KJV:

“Then said the Lord, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?”

 

In verses 10-11 Jehovah sharpens His rebuke of the prophet by drawing a contrast between the fast-growing plant and the city of Nineveh, which would drive home a lesson with unanswerable force, the prophet himself being the judge. God had the first word in the book of Jonah (Jonah 1:1-2) and the book of Jonah ended with God’s word (Jonah 4:10-11).

 

The prophet was a man, the Lord was showing him, who was crushed by the death of a temporary and soul-less plant he had not in any way cultivated (this shows why the gourd grew rapidly because if it had grown slowly, Jonah would had to have watered it and take care of it) ; because of the withering of an inanimate growth whose life was measured by a single day, he wanted to die. God was essentially saying to Jonah: “If you became so attached to the gourd, because it served you and gratified your desires-a gourd upon which you expended no thought, no labor, no toil, no sacrifice, no care, no planting, no watering, no tending, no pruning, a gourd of short duration which grows up quickly and as hastily passes away-shall I not permit My love and pity to flow forth generously to multitudes of My creatures?” Where God is getting at is revealed in verse 11 with the phrase “should not I spare Nineveh, that great city”. The contrast between the feeling and conduct of God and those of the prophet is very forcible. Jonah cares for a soulless plant that he had no effort in cultivating. Why, then, should God not spare a great city like Nineveh, containing over 120,000 innocent children below the age of discernment and also a great number of harmless cattle (some have interpreted sixscore as 600,000 and that being the number of the entire inhabitants of the city). The cattle and inhabitants have a form of life which even the gourd did not possess.  The message to Jonah rings loud and clear: God cares for the heathen!  

 

The seeming abruptness of the close of the book is intentional and much more forceful than if the thought had been carried out in further detail. The true climax of the thought of the prophecy had been reached and the message of the book is left with the reader.

 

Fragments cumulatively containing all verses of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, including 4Q82 (4QXIIg; 25 BCE) with extant verse 5–11; and Wadi Murabba'at Minor Prophets (Mur88; MurXIIProph; 75–100 CE) with extant verses 1–11.