Commentary on Jonah (No. F032)

Introduction

Jonah the son of Amittai is a known historic personage. He is mentioned in 2Kings 14:25. He was from Gath-hepher which is a border town in Zebulun (cf. Josh. 19:13). It is probably identified with Khirbet ez Zurra’ which is an extensive site located three miles NE of Nazareth, which was in Galilee. The statement of the Pharisees in John 7:52 was thus a lie. Christ came out of the area of Nazareth in Galilee, as had Jonah. It was occupied in Iron Ages I and II i.e. 1200-600 BCE and thus in the period of Jonah and before that in the Late Bronze Age from 1550 BCE onwards. Jonah was a contemporary of Jeroboam II king of Israel (793-775 BCE) and the earlier years of Uzziah (775-757 BCE). It lay a short distance to the north of the remains of the village of Meshed which is where the traditional site of the Tomb of Jonah lies.

This prophecy as the Sign of Jonah was the only sign given to the Church of God and is therefore critical to an understanding of the activities and death of the Christ and also of the prophecies given through Daniel because it is tied in to the prophecy of the Seventy weeks of Years in Daniel 9:25ff. and the fall of the Temple in 70 CE at the end of the 70 weeks of years. That relationship is covered in the paper The Sign of Jonah and the History of the Reconstruction of the Temple (No. 013).

It is also connected with the last days and the entry of the church to the Return of the Messiah and the First Resurrection. Christ places him on the same level of literal validity with the Queen of Sheba and declares his sign to be the only one given to that of the church (cf. Mat. 12:40). Most commentators don’t understand the sign and therefore try to diminish his importance. As the words Christ spoke were given to him by God, the critics who deny Christ’s statements strike at the inspiration of God.

Christ was to be literally dead three days and three nights in the tomb as Jonah was in the fish and thus both must have been dead and raised from the dead. The three days and three nights make the interval involving parts of Days an impossibility and this denies the Friday Crucifixion and Sunday Resurrection of the god Attis that entered Christianity under the Easter system or the mother goddess cult of Cybele or Easter and they are an impossibility (see also the paper Origins of Christmas and Easter (No. 235)).

Luke 11:30 shows that Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites as Christ was a sign to his generation.

The Jews of Christ’s day were as angry with the Repentance of the disciples under Christ as Jonah was with the repentance of the Ninevites.

God stated that He would put His words in the mouth of him whom He sent and seven times Christ attested to that fact in John’s Gospel (Jn. 7:16; 8:28, 46- 47; 12:49; 14:10, 24; 17:8).

Jonah had been commissioned to encourage Israel (2Kgs. 14:25,26) and Assyria was in great difficulties over a period of sixteen years and at this time. Jonah must have realised that Assyria was to be brought to repentance in order to be a rod of correction to Israel. His seemingly evident view was that Yahovah was true to His word and that if he made the proclamation to Nineveh and the city repented it would result in the downfall of Israel, which it indeed did. His flight was thus not one of cowardice but to spare his people and accept God’s punishment.

The structure of the book is in two divisions of four:

1:1 The Word of Yahovah
1:2 The mission to Nineveh
1:3 Jonah’s Disobedience
1:4-2:10 The Consequences and the Death and Resurrection of Jonah.
3:1 The Word of Yahovah
3:2 Mission to Nineveh
3:3,4 Obedience of Jonah
3:4-4:11 The consequences and the Correction of Jonah.

We will now go through the four chapters and look at their intent and substructure.

Chapter 1 deals with the summons and direction of Jonah and his subsequent actions. It is beyond doubt that Jonah was directed by God and knew that it was God that directed him.

Jonah Chs. 1-4 (RSV)

Chapter 1

Jonah Tries to Run Away from God

Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amit′tai, saying, ²“Arise, go to Nin′eveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” ³But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.⁴But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried to his god; and they threw the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down, and was fast asleep. ⁶So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call upon your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we do not perish.” ⁷And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah. ⁸Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And whence do you come? What is your country? And of what people are you?” ⁹And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” ¹⁰Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. ¹¹Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. ¹²He said to them, “Take me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you; for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.” ¹³Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. ¹⁴Therefore they cried to the Lord, “We beseech thee, O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood; for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.” ¹⁵So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. ¹⁷And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (RSV)

Intent of Chapter 1

v. 1 Now the word of the Lord.... This term or like terms are found seven times in Jonah at 1:1; 2:10; 3:1,3; 4:4,9, 10.

v. 2 It thus became apparent to Jonah that Yahovah was about to deal with Nineveh. Thus his conflict of ideas for his people arose should they repent. Nineveh (cf. Gen. 10:11,12) was the capital of Assyria on the left bank of the Tigris River named firstly Nina after the patron goddess of the city. It was of Babylonian origin from a colony from Nina in Southern Babylonia. Khamurabi from much earlier period spells it Ni-nu-a.

Bullinger quotes the Encyc. Britannica (11^th Cambridge edition) as stating the excavations that revealed the mound of Nabi Yunus (the prophet Jonah) crowned by the tomb could not be explored.

He was ordered to cry against it (Heb. Kara’) and thus make a general proclamation.

Nineveh was noted from its own bas reliefs alone for its wickedness and cruelty (cf. also Nah. 2:8-13). (The Heb is in the plural ra’a’.)

v. 3 Jonah knew that Assyria was to be the sword of God’s punishment against Israel and he thus was in intolerable conflict that if Assyria was not spared through repentance and God’s Mercy Israel might be saved. It seems most probably as the cause of his displeasure and flight (cf. also 4:1-3). He went to Joppa which is now Jaffa (cf. Josh. 19:46; 2Chr. 2:16; Acts 9:36) and took a ship for Tarshish. He thus fled and as far as he was able at that time which was to Tarshish (cf. 1Kgs 10:22) which is in the southern point of Spain and was the source of all Transatlantic trade into the Mediterranean as we now are fully aware. Who knows where he was actually intending to go. They were certainly trading with South America before that time. The ship (Heb. ‘aniyah) was any large merchant ship and not the same word as verse 5.

v. 4 great wind upon the sea The wind was a ruach or great spirit.

v. 5 The word for Mariners in the next verse is the Hebrew word mallach or salts. Thus the sailors were termed salts as was common in English.

Each cried in prayer (Heb. Ze’ah (not as per vv. 2,14)) to his god. And they threw the wares (i.e. tackling Heb. Keli, or implements) into the sea.

v. 6 The word for captain here is chief of the rope which is Phoenician for captain (Heb. Rab hachobel). For the discussion on the occurrence of the term captain see Bullinger fn. 6 Comp. Bible p. 1248).

Here the term is Elohim with eth meaning the true God also in the second occurrence. Thus the captain considered Jonah or Yunus’ god to be the true God.

The structure of the text in 1:7-12 shows the self sacrifice of Jonah.

v. 7 sees the casting of lots and Jonah was taken.

v. 8 shows the interrogation

v. 9 shows his confession

vv. 10-11 show their fear and confusion.

v. 12 shows Jonah’s determination resulting from the action of God.

vv. 7-8 Note they ask his occupation but he says only I fear the lord God. He did not declare that he was a prophet but they were enraged that he had so exposed them to such danger as he had told them that he was fleeing from God.

vv. 9-12 The men then seek his guidance as to how he can get them out of the problem that he himself had created. He then understands the seriousness and says “Take me up” seeing the consequence and solution.

v. 13 Despite his advice the men still tried to save him in that they did not fear his God.

v. 14-17 They then prayed to God in fear because they knew he was an innocent man that had simply run away in fear. They did not understand his disobedience. They were forced to comply and throw him overboard. The sea stopped raging and that made them fear God even more and they then sacrificed to the God of the Hebrews.

God had known what Jonah would do and what would become of this and had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah.

Chapter 2

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish, ²saying, "I called to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and thou didst hear my voice. ³For thou didst cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood was round about me; all thy waves and thy billows passed over me. ⁴Then I said, `I am cast out from thy presence; how shall I again look upon thy holy temple?' ⁵The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; weeds were wrapped about my head ⁶at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me for ever; yet thou didst bring up my life from the Pit, O LORD my God. ⁷When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; and my prayer came to thee, into thy holy temple. ⁸Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their true loyalty. ⁹But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to thee; what I have vowed I will pay. Deliverance belongs to the LORD!" ¹⁰And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land. (RSV)

Intent of Chapter 2

The word whale is nowhere mentioned and this was a great fish and Jonah could not have survived in that fish for three days and three nights. He prayed and he was then dead as Christ prayed and then died. He was resurrected in the belly of the fish as Christ was resurrected in the tomb at the end of three days and three nights and Jonah was vomited out on dry ground where God wished him to be.

Chapter 3

Conversion of Nineveh

Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, ²“Arise, go to Nin′eveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” ³So Jonah arose and went to Nin′eveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nin′eveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. ⁴Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he cried, “Yet forty days, and Nin′eveh shall be overthrown!” ⁵And the people of Nin′eveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. ⁶Then tidings reached the king of Nin′eveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷And he made proclamation and published through Nin′eveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, or drink water, ⁸but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them cry mightily to God; yea, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence which is in his hands. ⁹Who knows, God may yet repent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we perish not?” ¹⁰When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God repented of the evil which He had said he would do to them; and he did not do it.

Intent of Chapter 3

vv. 1-2 Here we see the second command to Jonah and this time he obeys. The sequence of the timing is important in this mission as it relates to the mission of Christ.

vv. 3-4 It is this sequence that Nineveh is three days journey across. Jonah goes into the city one day and then preaches for two days: declaring that it had forty days in which to repent or it would be thrown down.

vv. 5- 9 Thus the entire city repented. This was what Jonah feared most. This sequence mirrored the mission of Christ. The sequence was:

Day 1=Year 1. The mission of John the Baptist

commenced in 27 CE and Christ came to be baptised and to select his disciples.

Day 2 and 3 = year 2 and 3. Christ taught from after Passover 28 CE when John was imprisoned until Christ was killed at Passover 30 CE and resurrected and spoke to the church on his resurrection.

Those that repented, which was all of Nineveh, were spared by God. They were given forty days and repented immediately. Judah was given forty years and did not repent and they were destroyed and dispersed from 70 CE.

That angered Jonah and he was very annoyed that God had spared the very people that were to be the instrument in capturing Israel in the North and dispersing them far beyond the Araxes.

v. 10 God does not repent as He is Omniscient and He relents of the disaster or punishment He states He was about to inflict or perform.

Chapter 4

Jonah’s Anger

But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. ²And he prayed to the Lord and said, “I pray thee, Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repentest of evil. ³Therefore now, O Lord, take my life from me, I beseech thee, for it is better for me to die than to live.” ⁴And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?” ⁵Then Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.

Jonah Is Reproved

⁶And the Lord God appointed a plant, and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. ⁷But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm which attacked the plant,so that it withered. ⁸When the sun rose, God appointed a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah so that he was faint; and he asked that he might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” ⁹But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?”And he said, “I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.” ¹⁰And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night, and perished in a night. ¹¹And should not I pity Nin′eveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?”

Intent of Chapter 4

vv. 1-2 Here we see Jonah in dialogue with Yahovah of Israel on behalf of the One True God. He reminded God of what he had said to him while in Israel and which was the reason he fled to Tarshish.

Jonah knew from the Pentateuch (Ex. 34:6; Num. 14:18-19); David knew (Ps. 86:5); Hosea knew (Hos. 11:8-9); Joel knew (Joel 2:13) and Micah knew (Mic. 7:18). They all understood the plan of God to the extent they had been informed.

v. 3 He would rather die than live. He was unhappy that he had been a successful prophet. Because in saving Nineveh he condemned Israel but his faith in God should have been greater.

v. 4 God then rebuked him seemingly as a child. However, he was vexed as a prophet for his people.

v. 5 He had not given up hope that Nineveh would return to sin and be destroyed. He then sat in a huff to see what would become of Nineveh. Then God protected him during his wait and used that as an example to Jonah.

vv. 6-11 The wind was a ruach as a spirit. Thus the example of the plant and Nineveh was used to show the mercy of God. He should thus have known that had Israel repented it would not have been cast abroad.

As we saw from The Fall of Egypt (No. 036), in 732 BCE the Assyrian Tiglath Pileser III annexed Damascus making Israel and Judah tributary states. In 729 BCE Tiglath Pileser III annexed Babylon and Shalmaneser V (from 724-721 BCE) annexed Israel in 722 BCE. His successor Sargon II deported the ten tribes.

In 710 BCE the Cimmerians invaded trans-Caucasia from the Russian steppes. They devastated Urartu and the kingdom of Phrygia in Anatolia. In 705 BCE Sargon II was killed fighting the Cimmerians. In 701 BCE Sennacherib's army unexpectedly withdrew from a punitive campaign in Judah. In 720 BCE Sargon II had established the Assyrian capital at Dur Sharrukin or Fort Sargon. In 701 BCE Sennacherib abandoned Fort Sargon and made Nineveh the capital again. There is thus a seeming reconcentration on the prophecies concerning Nineveh.

The witness of Jonah was over forty years from the reign of Jeroboam II (793-775) to Uzziah (775-753) and the combined reigns was a period of forty years with the probation period from the third year of the reign of Uzziah ca 772-732 to Tributary status to the Assyrians. Israel was sent into captivity to the Assyrians over the period from 722 BCE which was approximately 40 years and then 50 years or a jubilee from the prophesies of Jonah to Israel. Jonah should have learned from the mission to Nineveh and warned Israel of what God did to them and what was then to happen to Israel but they did not listen as Judah did not listen during its forty years given for repentance (see also the paper the Outline Table of the Age (No. 272)).

Had Judah repented it would not have been destroyed with the Temple in 70 CE and Judah dispersed.

Judah was given exactly 40 years on a year for day basis with Nineveh. Nineveh repented and Judah did not. They killed Christ on 14 Abib 30 CE and Jerusalem was surrounded on 1 Abib 70 CE and the Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem. The Temple at Heliopolis in Egypt was closed in the sacred year 70-71 CE, before Abib 71 CE.

In each case God gave Israel and Judah 40 years to repent which is the standard period and they did not repent. Since Christ and the church was formed, God has given the world 40 jubilees from 27 CE to 2027 to repent and they have not and they will not and the world is to come into captivity under Messiah and to Judgment for the Millennium as the Sabbath Rest of God under Christ.

Bullinger’s Notes on Jonah Chs. 1-4 (for KJV)

Chapter 1

Verse 1

the word of the LORD came. This statement is unanswerable, and covers the truth of the whole contents of this book. This, or a like expression occurs seven times in Jonah (Jonah 1:1; Jonah 2:10; Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:3; Jonah 3:4. Jonah 4:9, Jonah 4:10).

the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4. Jonah is the prophet named and described in 2 Kings 14:25. He was a native of Gath-hepher, now el Meshhed, three miles north-east of Nazareth. Nazareth was in Galilee (see App-169). The statement of the Pharisee, in John 7:52 was not true.

the son of Amittai. See 2 Kings 14:25.

Amittai = the truth of Jehovah.

Verse 2

Arise, go. Contrast "rose up to flee" (Jonah 1:3).

Nineveh. Op. Genesis 10:11, Genesis 10:12. Mentioned again in Jonah 8:2, Jonah 8:3; Jonah 4:11. The capital of Assyria, on the left bank of the Tigris. Called first Nina, from the patron goddess of the city; of Babylonian origin; founded by a colony from Nina in South Babylonia (see Records of the Past, vol. iv, part ii, p. 61). Khammurabi, 1915 B.C. (on Companion Bible dating), code iv, pp. 60-62, spells it Ni-nu-a. Excavations reveal "the mound of Nebi- Yunus crowned by the tomb of Jonah, which could not then be explored" (see Art. "Nineveh" in the Encycl. Brit., 11th (Cambridge) edition, 1911).

cry against it. Not whisper or speak softly, but cry, as making a general proclamation. Hebrew kara". Compare Judges 7:3, Judges 7:20. Isaiah 58:1. Joel 3:9. Amos 4:5, &c. Compare also verses: Jonah 1:2, Jonah 1:6, Jonah 1:2.

their wickedness. Nineveh was noted for violence and cruelty of all kinds, recorded in its own bas-reliefs, &c. (seven Nahum 2:8-13). (Ref, to Pentateuch (Genesis 18:20, Genesis 18:21).

wickedness. Hebrew, plural of ra"a". App-44.

Verse 3

rose up to flee. Jonah knew that Assyria was to be God"s sword of judgment against Israel. If Nineveh perished, Israel might be saved. God"s mercy might arrest this overthrow of Nineveh. Was this why Jonah would sacrifice himself to save his nation? This would explain his flight here, and his displeasure, as clearly stated in Jonah 4:1-3. When he said (Jonah 1:12), "Take me up", &c., he had counted the cost. He confesses to the men (verses: Jonah 1:9, Jonah 1:10), but not to God. He gave his life to save his People. The type of Christ may have begun here. See Galatians 1:3, Galatians 1:13; and compare Romans 9:1-3.

Tarshish. See note on 1 Kings 10:22.

from the presence of the Lord. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 4:16). App-92.

Joppa. Now Jaffa. Compare Joshua 19:46, 2 Chronicles 2:16. Acts 9:36.

ship. Pleb. "aniyah = any large merchant ship. Not the same word as in Jonah 1:5.

he paid the fare : and counted the cost of his flight. See notes on the Structure, p. 1247.

Verse 4

wind. Hebrew ruach. App-9.

was like = thought. Figure of speech Prosopopoeia. App-6.

Verse 5

mariners = salts. Hebrew. mallach = salt.

cried = cried in prayer. Hebrew. keli, Not the same word as in verses: Jonah 1:2, Jonah 1:14.

every man. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

wares = tackling. Hebrew. keli = implements.

into the sides = below deck, or cabins. Compare Ezekiel 32:23. Amos 6:10.

ship = the deck, or covered part. Hebrew sephinah. A genuine Hebrew word, borrowed by inland people, (Syrians. Chaldeans and Arabians), from a maritime people; not vice versa. Hebrew root saphan = to cover (Deuteronomy 33:21 (margin coiled). 1 Kings 6:9; 1 Kings 7:3, 1 Kings 7:7. Jeremiah 22:14. Haggai 1:4). English "deck" is from Dutch dekken.

Verse 6

shipmaster = chief of the rope. Phoenician for captain. Hebrew. rab hachobel. Not a "later word", because a "captain" is not mentioned earlier. Rah = captain, or head. See 2 Kings 25:8. Esther 1:8. Daniel 1:8. Chobel occurs in Ezekiel 27:8, Ezekiel 27:27, Ezekiel 27:28, Ezekiel 27:29, where it is rendered "pilot".

God. Hebrew. Elohim.(with "eth) = the true God. With "eth, in the second occurrence. App-4.

Verse 7

evil = calamity: as in Amos 3:6. Hebrew. raa `. App-44.

Verse 8

for whose cause, &c. = for what cause. The lot had told them the person, but not the "cause". So they appeal to Jonah.

Verse 9

he said, &c. He does not tell them all. We find the real reason in Jonah 4:1-3.

Hebrew. Referring to the language spoken. A title used in relation to foreigners (Genesis 40:16. Exodus 3:18, &c.)

the God of heaven. The title in relation to the Creator"s creatures. See note on 2 Chronicles 36:23.

Which hath made, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:10).

Verse 10

men. Hebrew, plural of "enosh. App-14.

exceedingly = afraid. Figure of speech Potyptoton (App-6) = feared a great fear.

Why . . . ? They knew the fact of his flight, but not the reason, which is not revealed till Jonah 4:1-3. This is not therefore "a later addition", as alleged.

Verse 11

wrought, &c. = grew more and more tempestuous. Hebrew "was going on and raging".

Verse 12

Take me up . . . I know. He had counted the cost.

Verse 13

rowed hard. The tackling had gone. See note on "wares", Jonah 1:5.

bring it = bring it back.

Verse 14

man"s. Hebrew. "ish. App-14.

life = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

as = according as. Compare Psalms 115:3.

Verse 15

took up = took up with reverence or care: as in Genesis 47:30. Exodus 28:12, Exodus 28:29, &c. Hebrew. nasa".

cast him, &c. Why are we to assume that the result was different in this case from that in every other, unless so stated? It must have been death. See note on p. 1247.

ceased, &c. Compare Psalms 89:9. Luke 8:24.

Verse 16

offered, &c. = sacrificed: i.e. they vowed that they would offer [when they landed]. Hebrew. zebach. App-43.

Verse 17

prepared = appointed, or assigned. From Hebrew. mdndh, to number. Hence, to appoint, as in Job 7:3. Daniel 1:5; Daniel 1:10-11; and Chaldee. mynah (Daniel 5:25, Daniel 5:26). Compare Jonah 4:6-8. Never means to create.

great fish. Large enough to swallow him. in Matthew 12:40, Greek. kilos - any large marine monster; whence Cetacece -the mammalian order of fish. No need for any name. Compare Matthew 12:20; Matthew 16:4. Luke 11:30.

swallow up . . . belly. Not therefore kept alive in the fish " s mouth, as some imagine. When thus swallowed up, Jonah must have died, and thus became a type of Christ. The "as" and "so" in Matthew 12:40 require Jonah"s death. He would have been no type if he had been miraculously kept alive. See further notes below.

was = came to be.

belly = bowels.

three days and three nights. The Hebrew idiom "three days" can be used for parts of three days (and even of years): but not when the word "nights" is added. See Matthew 12:40, and note the force of "as". See App-144and App-156.

Chapter 2

Verse 1

Then = And See note on Jonah 2:10.

the Lord. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

belly = bowels. Compare Jonah 1:17.

Note the Figure of speech Exergasia (App-6), as shown by the Alternation in Jonah 2:2.

Verse 2

cried = cried out. Not the same word as in the next clause, or in Jonah 1:5; but the same as in Jonah 1:2, Jonah 1:5, Jonah 1:14.

heard = answered. Hebrew. anah. Not the same word as in the next clause.

hell. Hebrew. Sheol. App-35. Compare Psalms 18:5; Psalms 116:3.

cried = cried for help in distress. Not the same word as in preceding clause, or in Jonah 1:2, Jonah 1:5, Jonah 1:14.

heardest = gavest heed to. Hebrew. shama. Not the same word as in preceding clause.

hadst cast = castedst, or didst cast.

midst = heart.

floods: or, tides. Hebrew. nahar, (Singular.)

all Thy billows, &c. Compare Psalms 42:7.

Verse 4

Then said, &c. Compare Psalms 81:22

toward, &c. Compare 1 Kings 8:38.

holy. See note on Exodus 3:5.

Verse 5

waters. Compare Psalms 69:1.

soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

depth = an abyss.

weeds = floating sea-weeds.

Verse 6

bottoms = roots.

the earth, &c = as for the earth, her bars, &c. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Syriac, read "and as to the earth".

was. Substitute "were".

for ever. The thought of a drowning man.

brought = didst bring.

corruption = the pit or grave, the place of corruption. Hebrew shachath,

Verse 7

fainted = swooned, or became unconscious to all else. Compare Psalms 77:3. Lamentations 2:12, From "ataph, to cover or involve in darkness.

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah.(with "eth) = Jehovah Him-self. App-4.

Verse 8

observe = regard, or heed.

lying = empty.

forsake their own mercy = do not heed their chastisement.

forsake = not to heed. Hebrew. "azab. Compare Genesis 2:24.

mercy. Hebrew. hesed. A homonym, with two meanings: (1) lovingkindness, as in Genesis 24:12. 2 Samuel 7:15. 1 Chronicles 19:2. 2 Chronicles 6:14. Psalms 103:4, Psalms 103:8, Psalms 103:11, Psalms 103:17, &c.; (2) correction, or chastisement (Leviticus 20:17, a wicked thing bringing down punishment). Job 37:13 (mercy = chastisement, synonymous with "correction" in preceding clause (margin rod)). Proverbs 25:10 (put to shame: i.e. by correction)

Verse 9

Salvation is of = Salvation (belongeth] to: as in Psalms 3:8. The prayer (verses: Jonah 2:2-9).

of = to.

Verse 10

And, &c. Jonah"s rapid thought and words before he died were subsequently written down by him; for all the verbs are in the past tense, not the present. Compare Jonah 2:6, "didst bring", &c. See notes on p. 1247.

Chapter 3

Verse 1

the word of the Lord. See note on Jonah 1:1.

The LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah, App-4.

Verse 2

the great city. Compare Jonah 1:1, Jonah 1:2; Jonah 4:11. Diodorus Siculus (cent. 1 B.C.), and Herodotus (cent. 4 B.C.), Jonah 3:58, both say it was about sixty miles in circuit and about twenty miles across. We must remember that such cities included large areas for cultivation and pasturage. Compare "much cattle", Jonah 4:11.

preach = proclaim. Hebrew. kara = to cry aloud: as in verses: Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:5, Jonah 3:8; Jonah 1:2, Jonah 1:6, Jonah 1:14.

Verse 3

three days, &c. i.e. in circuit.

Verse 4

a = one cried. See note on "preach", Jonah 3:2.

forty. The number of probation. See App-10.

Verse 5

people = men. Hebrew pl of "enosh. App-14.

believed. Heb Aman. App-69.

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4.

proclaimed a fast. Professor Rawlings has shown just at this time Nineveh was in a time of trouble, and Assyrian history was "shrouded in darkness for forty years". Hope was given to all the neighbouring countries which were asserting their independence. This explains the readiness of Nineveh to hearken and obey, as was done on another occasion when the prophet of Nineveh declared it needful. (see Professor Sayce, The Higher Criticism and the Monuments, (pp 489, 490) by the Persians in a national trouble; in Greece, a fast which included cattle (Herodotus, ix. 24) and by Alexander the Great (Plutarch, Pelop && 33, 34). This decline of Nineveh gave hope to Israel: which hope had been encouraged by the prophet Jonah himself (2 Kings 14:25-27). This may have been the reason for Jonah"s not wishing to avert the overthrow (Jonah 3:4) of Nineveh, by giving it the opportunity to repent and thus secure Jehovah"s favour (Joel 2:14). We thus have veritable history, and not allegory.

Verse 7

nobles = great. ones.

man. Hebrew "adam. App-14.

herd nor flock. See note on "that great city", Jonah 3:2, and "much cattle", Jonah 4:11,

Verse 8

evil wicked. Hebrew. raa App-44.

Verse 9

Who can tell . . ? Compare "Who knoweth . . . ? 2 Samuel 12:22. Joel 2:14. Jonah, for one, thought Jehovah might to so. Hence his reluctance to give Nineveh the opportunity to repent.

if = [but that).

Verse 10

repented. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6.

of = concerning

Chapter 4

Verse 1

displeased = vexed. Not the waywardness of a child, but the displeasure of a man of God, for great and sufficient reason to him. Now that Nineveh was spared, it might after all be used as God"s rod for Israel, and thus destroy the hope held out by him to Israel in 2 Kings 14:25-21. See note on Jonah 3:5 and p. 1247.

Verse 2

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4.

Therefore I fled = hasted to flee. The reason follows, as explained in note on Jonah 4:1.

I knew. This was well known, from Jehovah"s revelation of Himself. Jonah knew, and referred to the Pentateuch (Exodus 34:6. Numbers 14:18, Numbers 14:19). David knew (Psalms 86:5). Hosea knew (Hosea 11:8, Hosea 11:9). Joel knew (Joel 2:13). Micah knew (Micah 7:18). Jonah"s knowledge explains his flight (Jonah 1:3). No one could tall us this but himself. GOD. Hebrew El. App-4.

evil. Hebrew. ra"a. App-44.

Verse 3

life = soul Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.

Verse 5

made him = made for himself.

booth = hut.

become of = happen to. Hoping for its overthrow.

Verse 6

God. Hebrew. Elohim (i.e. Creator). App-4.

prepared = appointed: as in verses: Jonah 4:7, Jonah 4:8, Jonah 4:17.

gourd. Hebrew. kikayon. Art Egyptian word.

shadow. to deliver him. Note the Figure of speech Paronomasia (App-6). Hebrew. tzel. le hatztzel.

grief = evil, or evil ease. Heb ra"a". App-44.

was exceeding glad. Note the Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6) for emphasis. Hebrew = rejoiced with great

rejoicing.

Verse 7

worm. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of the Part), App-6, for a blight of such; as in Deuteronomy 28:39. They were appointed during the night, and came at sunrise.

Verse 8

vehement = silent, still. Hence, sultry. Occurs only here. Not a "late" word, but not required to be used before this.

east wind = hot wind. Not the same kind as in western climes. Ref to Pent (Ex Jonah 10:13, Jonah 10:19) App-92

wind. Hebrew. ruach. App-9.

in himself = in his soul. Hebrew. Nephesh. App-13.

Verse 9

I do well. Supply "I do well [it is right]".

Verse 10

hast had pity on: or, wouldst have spared: same word as in Jonah 4:11.

came up in a night = was the son of a night.

perished in a night = perished as the son of a night.

Verse 11
should not I. ? Figure of speech Erotesis (App-6), no answer being required.

are = exits. Hebrew. yesh. See note on Proverbs 8:21.

that cannot discern, &c. Put by Hebrew Idiom (App-6), for little children; a similar idiom in Deuteronomy 1:39 App-92.

much cattle. See notes on "great city", Jonah 3:2; and "herd and flock", Jonah 3:7. Nineveh"s walls included large areas for pasturage and cultivation. In speaking of the innocent ones in the city these are naturally included. Thus the book suddenly ends; and we are left with the solemn reflection that, Nineveh being spared, the way was thus open for the execution of Jehovah"s judgment on Israel by the sword of Assyria, which took place in due time.

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