Jonah (2 Kings 14:25; Jonah 1:1–3; Jonah 1:7–9; Jonah 1:15–17; Jonah 2:1–2; Jonah 2:10; Jonah 3:1–5; Jonah 3:10; Jonah 4:1–4; Jonah 4:5–11; Matthew 12:39–41; Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29–32)

Son of Amittai, Prophet to Nineveh

Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet of Gath-hepher, to whom the word of the LORD came to go to Nineveh; he fled toward Tarshish, was cast into the sea and swallowed by a great fish, went to Nineveh when the word came the second time, and is left with the LORD's question at the book's end.

Outside the book that bears his name, the Old Testament names him once, in the reign of Jeroboam the son of Joash over Israel: that king “restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Jehovah, the God of Israel, which he spake by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher” (2 Kings 14:25).

In the book of Jonah, “the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me” (Jonah 1:1-2). “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah” (Jonah 1:3). The LORD sent a great wind; the lot fell upon Jonah; at his word the sailors cast him into the sea, and “Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah” (Jonah 1:17). From the fish's belly he prayed, and the LORD spoke to the fish and it vomited him out upon the dry land. When the word came a second time, “Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah” (Jonah 3:3); the people of Nineveh believed God, and God did not do the evil he had said he would do.

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry” (Jonah 4:1). Only here does he give a reason for his flight (Jonah 4:2). The book ends with the LORD's question about Nineveh (Jonah 4:10-11); no answer from Jonah is recorded. In the Gospels, asked for a sign, Jesus speaks of “the sign of Jonah the prophet: for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40), and says of the men of Nineveh, “they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41).

Strengths

• His servant, the prophet
• Fears the LORD, the God of heaven
• Owns that the tempest is for his sake
• Prays from the fish's belly
• Arises and goes to Nineveh at the second word
• Knows the LORD as gracious and merciful

Weaknesses

• Flees from the presence of the LORD
• Displeased exceedingly, and angry
• Asks to die

Themes

• The word of the LORD
• Flight and the second call
• Prayer from the deep
• Nineveh's repentance
• The LORD's mercy
• The sign of Jonah

The word of the LORD by Jonah (2 Kings 14:23–25)

In the reign of Jeroboam the son of Joash, Israel's border is restored according to the word of the LORD spoken by his servant Jonah of Gath-hepher.

The call and the flight toward Tarshish (Jonah 1:1–3)

The word of the LORD comes to Jonah to go to Nineveh; he rises to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, goes down to Joppa, and pays the fare of a ship.

The call and the flight toward Tarshish

“Now the word of Jehovah came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me” (Jonah 1:1-2).

“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of Jehovah; and he went down to Joppa, and 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 Jehovah” (Jonah 1:3).

The text gives no reason for his flight here; the only reason in the book is the one Jonah himself states later (Jonah 4:2).

The tempest, the sleeper, and the lot (Jonah 1:4–10)

The LORD sends a great wind, the mariners cry each to his god, Jonah lies fast asleep in the ship, and when the lot falls upon him he says he is a Hebrew who fears the LORD.

Cast into the sea (Jonah 1:11–16)

Jonah tells the men to cast him forth into the sea; they row hard to reach land and cannot, then cast him forth, the sea ceases from its raging, and the men fear the LORD exceedingly and offer a sacrifice.

The great fish and the prayer from its belly (Jonah 1:17–2:10)

The LORD prepares a great fish; Jonah is in its belly three days and three nights, prays to the LORD his God, and is vomited out upon the dry land.

The great fish and the prayer from its belly

“And Jehovah prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (Jonah 1:17). “Then Jonah prayed unto Jehovah his God out of the fish's belly” (Jonah 2:1).

“I called by reason of mine affliction unto Jehovah, And he answered me; Out of the belly of Sheol cried I, And thou heardest my voice. For thou didst cast me into the depth, in the heart of the seas” (Jonah 2:2-3). “And I said, I am cast out from before thine eyes; Yet I will look again toward thy holy temple” (Jonah 2:4).

“But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is of Jehovah” (Jonah 2:9). “And Jehovah spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land” (Jonah 2:10).

The second call and the cry at Nineveh (Jonah 3:1–4)

The word of the LORD comes to Jonah the second time; he arises, goes to Nineveh according to the word, and cries that Nineveh shall be overthrown in forty days.

Nineveh believes God (Jonah 3:5–10)

The people of Nineveh believe God and fast, the king covers himself with sackcloth and decrees a fast, and God sees their works and does not do the evil he said he would do.

Nineveh believes God

“And the people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). The king “arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes” (Jonah 3:6).

His decree said, “let them cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?” (Jonah 3:8-9).

“And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil which he said he would do unto them; and he did it not” (Jonah 3:10).

Jonah's anger and the reason he gives (Jonah 4:1–4)

It displeases Jonah exceedingly; he prays, tells the LORD why he hasted to flee to Tarshish, asks that his life be taken, and the LORD asks whether he does well to be angry.

Jonah's anger and the reason he gives

“But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said, I pray thee, O Jehovah, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness, and repentest thee of the evil” (Jonah 4:1-2).

“Therefore now, O Jehovah, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3). The LORD's reply is a question: “Doest thou well to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4).

The gourd, the worm, and the closing question (Jonah 4:5–11)

Jonah sits in a booth east of the city to see what will become of it; God prepares a gourd, a worm, and a sultry east wind, Jonah asks to die and says he does well to be angry, and the book ends with the LORD's question about Nineveh.

The gourd, the worm, and the closing question

“Then 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 shade, till he might see what would become of the city” (Jonah 4:5). The LORD God prepared a gourd to shade him, “So Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd” (Jonah 4:6). Then God prepared a worm that smote the gourd, and a sultry east wind, and Jonah “requested for himself that he might die” (Jonah 4:8).

“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” (Jonah 4:9).

“And Jehovah said, Thou hast had regard for the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I have regard for 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?” (Jonah 4:10-11). The book ends with that question; Jonah's answer is not recorded.

The sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:38–41; Matthew 16:1–4; Luke 11:29–32)

Asked for a sign, Jesus says none will be given but the sign of Jonah, likens Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the whale to the Son of man's in the heart of the earth, and says the men of Nineveh will condemn this generation.

The LORD (Jonah 1:1–2; Jonah 1:17; Jonah 3:1–2; Jonah 4:6–11)

His word came to Jonah, sent him to Nineveh, prepared the fish, the gourd and the worm, and asked the closing question.

Amittai (2 Kings 14:25; Jonah 1:1)

Named only as the father of Jonah; nothing else is said of him.

Jeroboam the son of Joash (2 Kings 14:23–25)

King of Israel in whose reign the border was restored according to the word of the LORD spoken by Jonah.

The mariners (Jonah 1:5–16)

They cast lots, heard that he was a Hebrew who feared the LORD, rowed hard to get back to the land, then cast him into the sea at his word and feared the LORD exceedingly.

The king of Nineveh (Jonah 3:6–9)

When the tidings reached him, he arose from his throne, covered himself with sackcloth, and decreed a fast.

Jesus (Matthew 12:39–41; Matthew 16:4; Luke 11:29–32)

Spoke of the sign of Jonah and said, “a greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41).

Major sections

• 2 Kings 14:23–25
• Jonah 1–2
• Jonah 3
• Jonah 4
• Matthew 12:38–42
• Matthew 16:1–4
• Luke 11:29–32

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