The Book of
JONAH
Author: Jonah or Narrator
Date: About 760 B.C. or After 612 B.C.
Theme: God’s Compassion for All Men
Key Words: Arise, Prepared, Relent
Background. The pagan Assyrians, long-standing enemies of Israel, were a dominant force among the ancients from about 885 to 665 B.C. Old Testament accounts describe their forays against Israel and Judah in which they ravaged the countryside and carried away captives. Assyrian power was weaker during Jonah’s time, and Jeroboam II was able to reclaim areas of Palestine from Hamath southward to the Dead Sea, as had been prophesied by Jonah (2 Kin. 14:25).
Author and Date. The matters of author and date of Jonah are closely related. If Jonah wrote the book, then it would obviously date during the reign of Jeroboam II in the early eighth century, approximately 793–753 B.C. If a narrator wrote the book, it could have been written any time after the incident described therein.
Of those who hold to an author other than Jonah (usually referred to as a narrator), some date the book in the late eighth century or early seventh, based on the dates for the preexilic reign of Jeroboam II. Others prefer a postexilic date after the destruction of Nineveh in 612 B.C., some as late as the third century B.C. This contention is based upon 3:3, which says that Nineveh was a great city. Those who support the preexilic dating explain that this could be merely a literary form used in telling the story, or that Nineveh was in existence, but not a great city.
Jonah. As indicated in 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah was the son of Amittai and a native of Gath Hepher, a village 3 miles northeast of Nazareth, within the tribal borders of Zebulun. Prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam II and immediately preceding Amos, he was a strong nationalist who was fully aware of the havoc the Assyrians had wrought in Israel over the years. Jonah found it difficult to accept the fact that God would offer mercy to Nineveh of Assyria when its inhabitants deserved severe judgment.
He was the only prophet sent to preach to the Gentiles. Elijah was sent to Sarepta to live for a season (1 Kin. 17:8–10) and Elisha journeyed to Damascus (2 Kin. 8:7), but only Jonah was given a message of repentance and mercy to preach directly to a Gentile city. His reluctance to preach at Nineveh was based upon a desire to see their decline culminate in a complete loss of power. Also he feared that God would show mercy, thus extending the Assyrians’ opportunity to harass Israel.
Jonah’s name means “Dove” or “Pigeon.” Dispositionally, he is represented as strong-willed, fretful, pouting, hasty, and clannish. Politically, it is obvious that he was a loyal lover of Israel and a committed patriot. Religiously, he professed a fear of the Lord as God of heaven, the Creator of the sea and land. But his initial willful disobedience, his later reluctant obedience, and his anger over the extension of mercy to the Ninevites reveal obvious inconsistencies in the application of his faith. The story ends without indicating how Jonah responded to God’s object lesson and exhortation.
Purpose. The book was written to emphasize that God loves all people and desires to show them mercy based upon repentance. It has been called the outstanding missionary book of the Old Testament. God declared that all nations of the Earth would be blessed through the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:3). The Scriptures reveal that Israel became very nationalistic and exclusivistic and refused to fulfill that mission. Jonah had a strong commitment to this same viewpoint. The love of God for all men was dramatically revealed to Jonah when He answered the prayers of the Gentile sailors and responded to the repentance of the pagan Ninevites. The message was further amplified by the lesson of the plant, the worm, and the east wind.
Content. The Book of Jonah, though placed among the prophets in the canon, is different from other prophetical books in that it has no prophecy that contains a message; the story is the message. That story recalls one of the most profound theological concepts found in the Old Testament. God loves all people and desires to share His forgiveness and mercy with them. Israel had been charged with revealing that message but somehow did not grasp the importance of it. This failure eventually led to extreme religious pride. In Jonah can be found the seedbed of New Testament Pharisaism.
Jonah the prophet is asked by God to arise and go eight hundred miles east to Nineveh, a city of the dreaded and hated Assyrians. His message is to be a call to repentance and a promise of mercy if they respond affirmatively. Jonah knows that if God spares Nineveh, then that city will be free to plunder and pillage Israel again. This nationalistic patriotism and his disdain that mercy will be offered to noncovenant people, prompt Jonah to decide to leave Israel and the “presence of the LORD.” No doubt he hopes that the Spirit of prophecy will not follow. Jonah is displeased and somehow convinces himself that a trip to Tarshish will relieve him of the responsibility God has placed upon him.
The trip to Tarshish soon provides evidence that Yahweh’s presence and influence are not confined to Palestine. God sends a storm to buffet the ship and causes circumstances that bring Jonah face-to-face with his missionary call. After determining that Jonah and his God are responsible for the storm, and after exhausting all alternatives, the sailors throw Jonah overboard. No doubt the sailors and Jonah assume this will end Jonah’s earthly existence; but God has prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and, after three days and nights, the fish deposits him upon land.
Again God instructs Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh to deliver the message of deliverance. This time the prophet reluctantly agrees to make the journey and declare God’s message. To his dismay the Ninevites, from the common people to the king, respond and indicate their repentance by ceremonial fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Even the animals are forced to participate in this humbling behavior.
Jonah’s heart is still unchanged and he reacts with anger and confusion. Why would God have mercy on people who had abused the nation of Israel? Perhaps hoping that the repentance is not genuine, or that God will choose another strategy, Jonah builds a shelter on a hill overlooking the city from the east. There he waits for the appointed day of judgment.
God uses this waiting time to teach a valuable lesson to Jonah. He prepares a plant to grow overnight in a location that shaded Jonah’s head. The prophet rejoices in his good fortune. Then God prepares a worm to cut the stem of the plant and cause it to wither. He further intensifies Jonah’s uncomfortable situation by preparing a hot east wind to dry Jonah’s parched body. Jonah laments the death of the vine and expresses his displeasure to God. God responds by showing the inconsistency of being concerned for a gourd, but being totally unconcerned about the fate of the inhabitants of Nineveh whom God loved.
Personal Application. Jonah’s story has much to say about the heart of God and the mission of God’s people. God desires to show His mercy and offer forgiveness to all peoples of the Earth. He has committed this ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18, 19) to the church. Just as Israel was commissioned to reveal God to the world (Gen. 12:3), so the church has been commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matt. 28:18–20). When the church has the attitude of exclusiveness exhibited by Jonah and Israel, it fails to accomplish its task. But, when the church takes seriously the command of God to arise and go to the nations of the world, those people who hear the Word and respond in faith experience the mercy and forgiveness of God in life-changing, culture-impacting measure.
Christ Revealed. God’s words to Jonah in 4:10, 11 are paralleled by Jesus’ words in John 3:16. God is concerned for all the inhabitants of the Earth. It is true that Christ has a special relationship with members of His body, the church, but Christ’s love for the world was dramatically demonstrated when He died on the Cross for the sins of all mankind. John the Baptist acknowledged the universality of this love when he cried, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). God’s love for all men as taught to Jonah was demonstrated ultimately in Jesus Christ who declared a coming Day when the elect will be gathered from the north, east, south, and west (Matt. 24:31).
The Holy Spirit at Work. God’s Spirit inspired Jonah to prophesy that land and position would be recovered by Israel. This happened under the leadership of Jeroboam II (2 Kin. 14:25). When the Spirit directed Jonah to go to Nineveh and prophesy against the people there, the prophet refused to follow the Lord’s guidance. The Spirit of God did not cease His work, but continued to intervene in Jonah’s life and induce him to do God’s will. When Jonah relented, the Spirit worked godly sorrow in the hearts of the people and they responded to the message of judgment. When Jonah refused to accept this divine work, the Holy Spirit showed him the contrast between his concern for a gourd and God’s concern for the inhabitants of Nineveh.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
JONAH
Author: Jonah or Narrator
Date: About 760 B.C. or After 612 B.C.
Theme: God’s Compassion for All Men
Key Words: Arise, Prepared, Relent
Background. The pagan Assyrians, long-standing enemies of Israel, were a dominant force among the ancients from about 885 to 665 B.C. Old Testament accounts describe their forays against Israel and Judah in which they ravaged the countryside and carried away captives. Assyrian power was weaker during Jonah’s time, and Jeroboam II was able to reclaim areas of Palestine from Hamath southward to the Dead Sea, as had been prophesied by Jonah (2 Kin. 14:25).
Author and Date. The matters of author and date of Jonah are closely related. If Jonah wrote the book, then it would obviously date during the reign of Jeroboam II in the early eighth century, approximately 793–753 B.C. If a narrator wrote the book, it could have been written any time after the incident described therein.
Of those who hold to an author other than Jonah (usually referred to as a narrator), some date the book in the late eighth century or early seventh, based on the dates for the preexilic reign of Jeroboam II. Others prefer a postexilic date after the destruction of Nineveh in 612 B.C., some as late as the third century B.C. This contention is based upon 3:3, which says that Nineveh was a great city. Those who support the preexilic dating explain that this could be merely a literary form used in telling the story, or that Nineveh was in existence, but not a great city.
Jonah. As indicated in 2 Kings 14:25, Jonah was the son of Amittai and a native of Gath Hepher, a village 3 miles northeast of Nazareth, within the tribal borders of Zebulun. Prophesying during the reign of Jeroboam II and immediately preceding Amos, he was a strong nationalist who was fully aware of the havoc the Assyrians had wrought in Israel over the years. Jonah found it difficult to accept the fact that God would offer mercy to Nineveh of Assyria when its inhabitants deserved severe judgment.
He was the only prophet sent to preach to the Gentiles. Elijah was sent to Sarepta to live for a season (1 Kin. 17:8–10) and Elisha journeyed to Damascus (2 Kin. 8:7), but only Jonah was given a message of repentance and mercy to preach directly to a Gentile city. His reluctance to preach at Nineveh was based upon a desire to see their decline culminate in a complete loss of power. Also he feared that God would show mercy, thus extending the Assyrians’ opportunity to harass Israel.
Jonah’s name means “Dove” or “Pigeon.” Dispositionally, he is represented as strong-willed, fretful, pouting, hasty, and clannish. Politically, it is obvious that he was a loyal lover of Israel and a committed patriot. Religiously, he professed a fear of the Lord as God of heaven, the Creator of the sea and land. But his initial willful disobedience, his later reluctant obedience, and his anger over the extension of mercy to the Ninevites reveal obvious inconsistencies in the application of his faith. The story ends without indicating how Jonah responded to God’s object lesson and exhortation.
Purpose. The book was written to emphasize that God loves all people and desires to show them mercy based upon repentance. It has been called the outstanding missionary book of the Old Testament. God declared that all nations of the Earth would be blessed through the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12:3). The Scriptures reveal that Israel became very nationalistic and exclusivistic and refused to fulfill that mission. Jonah had a strong commitment to this same viewpoint. The love of God for all men was dramatically revealed to Jonah when He answered the prayers of the Gentile sailors and responded to the repentance of the pagan Ninevites. The message was further amplified by the lesson of the plant, the worm, and the east wind.
Content. The Book of Jonah, though placed among the prophets in the canon, is different from other prophetical books in that it has no prophecy that contains a message; the story is the message. That story recalls one of the most profound theological concepts found in the Old Testament. God loves all people and desires to share His forgiveness and mercy with them. Israel had been charged with revealing that message but somehow did not grasp the importance of it. This failure eventually led to extreme religious pride. In Jonah can be found the seedbed of New Testament Pharisaism.
Jonah the prophet is asked by God to arise and go eight hundred miles east to Nineveh, a city of the dreaded and hated Assyrians. His message is to be a call to repentance and a promise of mercy if they respond affirmatively. Jonah knows that if God spares Nineveh, then that city will be free to plunder and pillage Israel again. This nationalistic patriotism and his disdain that mercy will be offered to noncovenant people, prompt Jonah to decide to leave Israel and the “presence of the LORD.” No doubt he hopes that the Spirit of prophecy will not follow. Jonah is displeased and somehow convinces himself that a trip to Tarshish will relieve him of the responsibility God has placed upon him.
The trip to Tarshish soon provides evidence that Yahweh’s presence and influence are not confined to Palestine. God sends a storm to buffet the ship and causes circumstances that bring Jonah face-to-face with his missionary call. After determining that Jonah and his God are responsible for the storm, and after exhausting all alternatives, the sailors throw Jonah overboard. No doubt the sailors and Jonah assume this will end Jonah’s earthly existence; but God has prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah and, after three days and nights, the fish deposits him upon land.
Again God instructs Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh to deliver the message of deliverance. This time the prophet reluctantly agrees to make the journey and declare God’s message. To his dismay the Ninevites, from the common people to the king, respond and indicate their repentance by ceremonial fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. Even the animals are forced to participate in this humbling behavior.
Jonah’s heart is still unchanged and he reacts with anger and confusion. Why would God have mercy on people who had abused the nation of Israel? Perhaps hoping that the repentance is not genuine, or that God will choose another strategy, Jonah builds a shelter on a hill overlooking the city from the east. There he waits for the appointed day of judgment.
God uses this waiting time to teach a valuable lesson to Jonah. He prepares a plant to grow overnight in a location that shaded Jonah’s head. The prophet rejoices in his good fortune. Then God prepares a worm to cut the stem of the plant and cause it to wither. He further intensifies Jonah’s uncomfortable situation by preparing a hot east wind to dry Jonah’s parched body. Jonah laments the death of the vine and expresses his displeasure to God. God responds by showing the inconsistency of being concerned for a gourd, but being totally unconcerned about the fate of the inhabitants of Nineveh whom God loved.
Personal Application. Jonah’s story has much to say about the heart of God and the mission of God’s people. God desires to show His mercy and offer forgiveness to all peoples of the Earth. He has committed this ministry of reconciliation and the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18, 19) to the church. Just as Israel was commissioned to reveal God to the world (Gen. 12:3), so the church has been commissioned to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Matt. 28:18–20). When the church has the attitude of exclusiveness exhibited by Jonah and Israel, it fails to accomplish its task. But, when the church takes seriously the command of God to arise and go to the nations of the world, those people who hear the Word and respond in faith experience the mercy and forgiveness of God in life-changing, culture-impacting measure.
Christ Revealed. God’s words to Jonah in 4:10, 11 are paralleled by Jesus’ words in John 3:16. God is concerned for all the inhabitants of the Earth. It is true that Christ has a special relationship with members of His body, the church, but Christ’s love for the world was dramatically demonstrated when He died on the Cross for the sins of all mankind. John the Baptist acknowledged the universality of this love when he cried, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). God’s love for all men as taught to Jonah was demonstrated ultimately in Jesus Christ who declared a coming Day when the elect will be gathered from the north, east, south, and west (Matt. 24:31).
The Holy Spirit at Work. God’s Spirit inspired Jonah to prophesy that land and position would be recovered by Israel. This happened under the leadership of Jeroboam II (2 Kin. 14:25). When the Spirit directed Jonah to go to Nineveh and prophesy against the people there, the prophet refused to follow the Lord’s guidance. The Spirit of God did not cease His work, but continued to intervene in Jonah’s life and induce him to do God’s will. When Jonah relented, the Spirit worked godly sorrow in the hearts of the people and they responded to the message of judgment. When Jonah refused to accept this divine work, the Holy Spirit showed him the contrast between his concern for a gourd and God’s concern for the inhabitants of Nineveh.
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
