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1 Now,
G VAnd the word of YHWH was to
Gthe Lord was to
Vthe Lord happened to
Sthe Lord was upon Jonah a second time, saying, —
2 Get up Gand go to Nineveh, the great city,
and call to
G Vproclaim in
Sproclaim against it the
Gaccording to the previous proclamation that I am telling
Gspoke to you.
3 And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh according to the word of YHWH.
V Sthe Lord.
And Nineveh was a great city belonging to
Vgreat city of
Scity great to God, Vwith a journey of three days.
3 And Jonah got up and went to Nineveh just as the Lord said.
And Nineveh was a great city to God, a road journey of about three days.
4 And Jonah started to enter the city Gabout one day's journey and he called out
G Sproclaimed and said, —
Forty
GThree days more, and
Sfrom now Nineveh will be overturned.
5 G V SAnd the men of Nineveh believed in God
and they called for
G Vproclaimed
Sdecreed a fast and put on sackcloth, from their great ones to their small ones.
V greater to smaller.
6 And the word reached
Gapproached the king of Nineveh
and he got up from his throne
and he removed his robe from himself
Scrown
and covered [himself] with
G Sput on
Vwas clothed with sackcloth and sat in ashes.
7 And he cried out
Git was proclaimed
She proclaimed and Git was said in Nineveh by the decree of the king and his great ones,
G Vnobles, saying, —
Neither human nor animal, herd nor flock,
G V Shumans nor beasts of burden, oxen nor sheep, shall taste anything,
nor shall they feed, nor shall they drink water.
8 And let sackcloths cover human and animal
Vmen and beasts be covered with sackcloths
and let them call out to God mightily
and let each man turn
Vbe turned from his evil way
and from the violence
Viniquity that is in their hands.
8 And people and animals put on sackcloths
and they cried out to God earnestly
and each man shall turn away from his way of evil
and from the unrighteousness that is in their hands. Saying, —
8 But rather people and beast shall be covered with sackcloths
and they shall call out to God with groaning
and each person shall turn from his evil way
and from the plunder that is in his hands.
9 Who knows?! God may turn and relent
and turn away from his fierce anger, that we might not perish.
9 Who knows if the god will change his mind
VGod will turn back and forgive
SGod will turn back and have mercy on us
and turn away from his fierce anger,
Shis fierce anger away from us, that we might not perish?
10 And God saw their deeds, how they turned
Gturned away
Vwere turned from their evil way,
Gways,
and God relented
Gchanged his mind
Vshowed mercy concerning the evil that he said he would do
Gspoke of doing
Vhad said that he would do to them. And he did not do it.
10 And God saw their deeds, how they turned from their evil ways,
and he turned his fierce anger away from them. And he did not destroy them.
3:2–7 Nineveh A City of Biblical Imagination See Biblical Intertextuality Jon 1:2 Nineveh.
3:2–7 Nineveh Assyria's Last Capital See Historical and Geographical Notes Jon 1:2.
3:2a great Leitwort, Meaning See Literary Devices Jon 1:2.
3:7a great Leitwort, Meaning See Literary Devices Jon 1:2.
3:4 Transposed Verse?
Around 11 to 20 mss. of M move Jon 4:5 to the end of Jon 3:4.
This is apparently because in Jon 4:5 Jonah awaits Nineveh’s demise. But why would he await its demise after its visible conversion? Thus, in the mind of an ancient redactor, the events of Jon 4:5 must have taken place after Jonah’s preaching, but before the Ninevites’ conversion.
According to the principle of lectio difficilior, the internal evidence of M, and the external evidence of G, V, and S, the verse in Jon 4:5 should not be moved.
3:8d violence that is in their hands Metaphorical Containers of Violence While hands (kāp) can enact violence, here they metaphorically serve as its containers (cf. 1Chr 12:17; Jb 16:17; Ps 7:3; Is 59:6).
3:7a the decree of the king Aramaic Influence?
3:7a saying Enunciative Ambiguity Determining the phrasing of the royal decree has long vexed translators. The difficulty arises from the many verbs of speech that appear in the first half of the verse.
Translators from the rabbis onward have often maintained that the first two verbs, the hip‘il of z‘q (“cried out”) and the qal of ’mr (“said”), along with the locative phrase bᵉnînᵉwé (“in Nineveh”) belonged to the introduction of the decree because the Masoretes’ cantillation marks indicate a strong stop (zaqeph qaton) after the locative phrase (→, 125–126; and 1978→, 80; →, 31). Thus, the proclamation would begin with “By the decree.”
Another suggestion is that, because speech acts in Hebrew narrative typically follow immediately upon verbs of speech, the locative phrase “In Nineveh” should begin the proclamation (→, 252–253).
Finally, the present translation maintains that the discourse of the proclamation begins after the final verb of speech (lē’mōr “saying”), which marks direct speech throughout the Hebrew Bible (for discussion, see →, 196; →, 75–76; for examples, see Gn 39:14–15; Ex 15:1; Nm 30:1; Jo 9:22–23; Jgs 16:18; 21:10–11). The Masoretic tradition supports this reading by providing the strongest possible stop (atnaḥ) with the last verb of speech (lē’mōr). This is likewise supported by the translation decisions of G and V, wherein the proclamation unambiguously begins after lē’mōr (i.e., legôn and dicens). Additionally, the medieval cola et commata of V begin a new line after dicens, implying a shift from narration to direct speech.
3:1–3a God Commissions His Prophet Again Just as the book began with God commissioning Jonah for a task (Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:1), the story resets, with a nearly identical commission (Literary Devices Jon 3:1f).
One may dispense with reducing it to a doublet through redaction criticism: the repetition reads well as an intentional parallel, emphasizing this time the brevity of time between divine mandates to prophesy.
Retellings of “Jonah and the Whale” for children often end here, assuming that the point of the story is that Jonah has learned his lesson, namely, to obey God (Literature Jon 3:3a). Even readers who do not stop here might subscribe to that interpretation. Over-familiarity with the story and with typical interpretations can lead to interpretive ruts and limit one’s ability to read imaginatively.
A slow reading of the text with a kind of intentional forgetting can lead us to ask fresh questions about what we find: Has Jonah been changed by his experience? Has he been convinced to do “what is right”? Or is he simply resigned and complying because he knows he cannot get out of it?
Jonah’s internal disposition is hidden from readers who have not yet learned why he fled. Judging by his behavior, we can conclude that he has learned something new: he cannot hope to flee from his task. Moreover, we can tell that he does not immediately return to it since God must again tell him to go to Nineveh.
3:2a Go Morphological Variant
The imperative lēkâ is a form which occurs several times in M (e.g., Gn 31:44; Ex 3:10), though it is usually followed by a cohortative verb.
3:2b the proclamation that : M | QXIIa: the proclamation according to which (Clarifying Variant?)
Both texts seek to clarify that the message referred to in this verse is the same as that of Jon 1:2.
3:1 the word of Yhwh was to Semantics See Grammar Jon 1:1; Literary Genre Jon 1:1.
3:2b call to + proclamation — The Internal Adjunct Returns The verb qr’ and the cognate noun qᵉrî’â form an internal adjunct, which is a stylistic device the author employs several times in the book.
In this context, the use of the device seems to highlight Jonah’s compliant behavior.
Further, it should be noted that it is possible that the author created this noun form for the sake of this construction, thus demonstrating his creativity (cf. →Introduction §1.2; Vocabulary Jon 3:2b).
3:1ff TYPOLOGY Elijah and Elisha as Types of Jonah See Biblical Intertextuality Jon 1:1f.
3:1 second time MOTIF Repeated Commission The term šēnît is common, but only here does it imply that God has given a prophet the same commission a second time.
Haggai receives as second (new) word on the same day (Hg 2:20).
Elsewhere, the term is common for the repetition of actions (e.g., dreaming in Gn 41:5; 1Kgs 9:2).
In 1Kgs 13 a man of God is tricked into disobedience by another who says he has received a word from God. The man of God is killed for his disobedience.
Here in Jonah, however, the disobedient prophet gets a second chance, which is in keeping with the portrayal of God as “a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, and abounding in love” (Jon 4:2).
3:2b call to Common Imperative Directed to the Prophets See Biblical Intertextuality Jon 1:2; 3:2b.
3:1 second Two or Three Calls?
3:2b call to A Gentler Mandate In comparing the prepositions of Jon 1:2 (‘ālêhā) to Jon 3:2 (’ēlêhā), some rabbis identify a gentler mandate in the latter passage.
3:1 Now, the word Jonah, a Type of Christ’s Agony
3:4b Forty days more, and Nineveh will be overturned A Minimal Sentence with Maximal Impact The compact structure of Jonah’s oracle against Nineveh renders each word significant.
3:4b Forty days more, and Nineveh will be overturned (Prophetic) Oracle? Several devices make this phrase sound like an oracle (Literary Devices Jon 3:4b), though it differs from other oracles seen in the Bible (Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:4b). The possibility of giving this prophecy a positive interpretation—namely, that Nineveh will be overturned (i.e., turned around) in forty days—may also indicate that it is not to be read solely as a portent of doom (cf. Jewish Tradition Jon 3:4b; Christian Tradition Jon 3:4b,10b; 4:1) .
3:4 Jesus Proclaims Judgment on a City
Jesus proclaims judgment upon the city of Jerusalem and laments its impending end from beyond the city walls (Mt 23:37–39; Lk 19:41–44). Again, Jesus’ obedient delivery of the message of God’s judgment and mercy stand in opposition to Jonah’s recalcitrant hopes for Nineveh’s destruction as he too watches from beyond its walls (Jon 4:1–3).
Consider likewise the proclamations of judgment upon Babylon in the Book of Revelation (which comes to replace Nineveh in the biblical imagination: Biblical Intertextuality Jon 1:2 Nineveh).
3:4b Forty days more and Nineveh will be overturned Terse Oracular Formula Jonah’s prophecy to the Ninevites is very brief compared to those of other prophets.
There is one very close parallel to Jonah’s terse oracle, namely Zephaniah’s proclamation against the Ethiopians: “You also, O Ethiopians, shall be slain by my sword” (Zep 2:12).
3:4b Nineveh will be overturned Tobit on Jonah and Nineveh Despite Nineveh’s repentance in the latter half of Jon 3, Tobit is confident that the city will be destroyed—indeed he welcomes it, for it is a sign of the diaspora’s end and the coming of the messianic age. As seen below, it is possible that Tobit has Nahum’s prophecy in mind; moreover, perhaps Tobit’s interpretation of Jonah’s prophecy represents one way of maintaining its veracity. If Nineveh did not see immediate destruction because they heeded Jonah, then, at some point in the future, its prophesied destruction would inevitably come. For other strategies of handling this difficulty, cf. Jewish Tradition Jon 3:4b; Christian Tradition Jon 3:4b,10b; 4:1 .
Flee Nineveh: In Tobit’s final speech from his deathbed (Tb 14:4–8), he counsels his son to take his family and leave Nineveh, for the promised destruction of the Assyrians is about to befall it. At Tb 14:4, G explicitly mentions Jonah: hoti pepeismai hosa elalêsen Iônas ho prophêtês peri Nineuê hoti katastraphêsetai “For I trust what Ionas the prophet said about Nineue, that it will be overthrown.” This passage is not in V, which follows an Aramaic original.
God’s mercy belongs to Israel: A second, and perhaps ironic, parallel between the books surfaces when Tobit’s counsel also includes a prediction of the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem and the deportation of Judeans, who will eventually be returned to the land because “God will have mercy on them” (Tb 14:5), the same fate that awaits the Ninevites in Jonah.
Nahum replaces Jonah: In many translations of this passage, Tobit refers not to Jonah’s prophecy but to Nahum’s.
The Book of Tobit concludes with an account of Tobit’s death. Yet, before Tobit dies, he receives the news of Nineveh’s destruction and the leading out of her people at the hands of the Medes. At this news he rejoices and is able to die in peace (Tb 14:14–15).
3:3b great city Nineveh's status Why is Nineveh “God’s” or “to God” or “for God” (lē’lōhîm)?
→: lē’lōhîm is an idiom that denotes utter immensity. E.g., Comm.Ps 36:6 harᵉré ’ēl (“enormously high mountains”); Ps 80:10 ’ārzé ’ēl (“enormously tall trees”); Sg 8:6 ’ēš šalhebetyâ (“an exceedingly intense flame”).
→: likewise Nimrod is described in Comm. Pent.Gn 10:9 as a hunter lipné YHWH, meaning, “an exceedingly mighty hunter.”
→: the phrase means that Nineveh’s greatness is due to God’s power, not Assyria’s. Kad
→: Nineveh was previously God-fearing, but had degenerated by Jonah’s time. Comm.
See also Grammar Jon 3:3b; Literary Devices Jon 3:3b.
3:4a started Wait or begin? Rabbis differ on the translation of wayyāḥel. Without vowel pointing, the wayyiqtol of yḥl ("to wait") and ḥll ("to begin") are identical.
3:3b belonging to God A Great City to God
3:4f Jonah’s Preaching: Deception for the Purpose of Salvation?
3:4a Jonah Tobit: Jonah or Nahum? Tobit predicts the destruction of Nineveh based on the prophecy of Jonah (Tb 14:4–8; Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:4b). Some English translations of Tb 14:4 replace “Jonah” with “the prophets of Israel” or “Nahum”—due to his prophecy of Nineveh’s destruction (Na 1:1–3; 2:7). While the destruction predicted by Jonah did not happen because the Ninevites repented, their repentance did not necessarily cancel Nahum’s aforementioned prophecy.
3:7b–8a; 4:11b animal Specific or General The term bᵉhēmâ can generally refer to all animals, as opposed to human beings; or it can more specifically denote domesticated animals. Since it is paired here with hā’ādām, we have opted for the more general meaning (Comparison of Versions Jon 3:7b,8a; Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:5,7; 4:11).
3:7f Series of Jussive Clauses: A Solemn Command Lacking a genuine 3rd person imperative, Hebrew employs jussive commands in both positive and negative (’al) forms (→ 109). Given similar limitations in the Latin language, V employs an analogous construction—the hortatory subjunctive; Greek, however, has a 3rd person imperative, which G uses.
We have translated the jussive clauses of v. 7 using a modal verb instead of the typical English jussive: “neither human…shall taste anything,” rather than “let neither human…taste anything” (cf. RSV; JPS). Our translation seems to give more force to the king’s command.
3:6a word Ironic Ambiguity The dābār reaches the king, but it is ambiguous whether this is:
3:7b human nor animal Merism?
3:9a,10b; 4:2e relent NARRATION Characterization of God The theme and vocabulary connected with relenting/repenting (nḥm) are repeated several times within a few short verses. While the people turn (šwb), God relents (Jon 3:9–10). On the other hand, Jon 4:2 makes it clear that this quality of Yhwh pertains to His very nature.
3:10b evil Leitwort in the Service of Irony See Literary Devices Jon 1:2.
3:7b,8a humans nor beasts of burden + oxen nor sheep + people and beast — (S) Alternation of Number in S: Heightened Register of the Decree?
For the sake of readability, this unique stylistic feature is not brought out in the present translation. It is possible that this translation descision was made in order to accentuate the orality of the message since it introduces grammatical parallelism that is often found in poetry.
3:8b mightily Septuagint Free Translation
This translation decision reflects the translator’s freedom in rendering individual terms.
3:8d violence : M | G: unrighteousness | V: iniquity (Semantic Range)
G: adikia (“unrighteousness”);
V: iniquitas (“iniquity”).
The semantic overlap obtains throughout G and V where ḥāmās is glossed with either of these terms.
3:6a the word reached the king MOTIF The King's Response Kings can respond to prophets in many ways, including:
Jeremiah 36 recounts events of prophetic proclamation and rejection similar to Jonah: Baruch writes down a message at the command of Jeremiah, while Jehoiakim, who receives a message from Jeremiah via Baruch, burns the scroll bearing its contents, which constitutes an overt rejection. A year later a copy is read in the Temple, where Gemariah’s son hears it and reports to the nobles. Eventually, the nobles pass it to Jehoiakim, who calls for the prophet, listens to the whole message, and again rejects it outright (Jer 36:20–26).
The king of Nineveh’s immediate acceptance of the message is similar to Hezekiah’s actions of mourning: when besieged by the Assyrians—who, in turn, demand that the Hebrews surrender—he rends his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth, and goes into the House of God (2Kgs 19:1).
3:10–4:11 Use in Lectionary
3:5b from their great ones to their small ones Merism The merism here refers to power and status, not size. This foreshadows the city’s repentance, of which the king, the nobles, townsfolk, and even the animals partake.
3:5–8 The Fast: Animals Participating in Religious Activity?
The king’s decree for all humans and animals to fast is analogous to the Judeans’ corporate fast in the face of the Babylonian/Assyrian invasion (Jdt 4:9–11). There, the high priest Joakim declares that all the people—including the aliens in their midst, their hired laborers, their slaves, and their cattle—should don sackcloth and ashes and fast.
The animals’ fasting and repentance might be a playful echo of the psalmist’s descriptions of praise that all of creation offer to God (cf. Ps 19; 29; 96:11–13; 98:7–9; 148; 150; G-Dn 3:57–90). In any case, as the closing rhetorical question of the book makes clear, the well-being of the animals, not just the human inhabitants of Nineveh, is important to God.
3:8c,9a turn Theological Play on Words
This play on words captures an important aspect of the divine-human relationship as described throughout Scripture: God and man mirror one another (cf. Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7; Jas 4:8; Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:8c,9a). In Christian theology, this relationship is later encompassed by the concept of co-operative (or synergistic) grace.
3:8abc let sackcloths cover + call out + turn — The Septuagint Translator’s Construal of Verbs
The three jussives in M (wᵉyitkassû, wᵉyiqrᵉ’û, wᵉyāšūbû) are all rendered with aorists (perieballonto, aneboêsan, apestrepsan) in G. The translator may have interpreted the Hebrew verbs as waw-consecutives.
legontes (“saying”) is a plus in G. This appears to smooth out the translation by introducing the question following in v. 9 and attributing it explicitly to the Ninevites.
In M the edict of the king and his nobles continues through vv. 8–9.
In G the king’s proclamation of the edict ends in v. 7; v. 8 returns to narrate the report of the narrator.
Thus, in M the repentance of the people of Nineveh is only explicitly mentioned once (Jon 3:5). The compliant response of the Ninevites is implied by the text of Jon 3:10, but the reader must fill in this gap in the narrative.
In G, however, the repentance of the Ninevites is emphasized since it is depicted twice, once in Jon 3:5 and again in Jon 3:8. Whereas the people’s initial repentance in v. 5 is somewhat spontaneous, in v. 8 it is a direct response to the edict of the king and his nobles.
3:5,7; 4:11 LANGUAGE Ancient Pairing: Humans and Animals Two terms are used to designate the Ninevites:
This language is reminiscent of that used to describe humans and animals in Gn 1–3. The echo may recall the reader to the themes of creation, restoration, and God’s providential care for his creatures (cf. Jewish Tradition Jon 1:1).
3:3a got up Jonah, a Type of Christ's Resurrection
3:2b according to the previous proclamation that I spoke to you (G) God’s Message Is Exactly the Same as in Jon 1:2
Two features of G emphasize that God’s message is the same as that which Jonah had received earlier (cf. Jon 1:2).
The prepositions kata and emprosthen are pluses compared to the text of M, which is supported by S (dᵉ’āmer ’nā lāk).
There is shift in verbal aspect (the participle is rendered with an aorist).
This is further amplified in mss. 87, 91, and 490, which attest the perfect lelalêka (“I had told”; cf. → ad loc.).
dōbēr: M | G: elalêsa—it is entirely possible that the consonants dbr were construed as a qal perfect, thus explaining the aorist verb in G.
G: kata—it is possible that the Vorlage of M contained something like kzwt (“according to”; cf. Textual Criticism Jon 3:2b), though this is uncertain. It is equally possible that the translator decided to add it for clarification.
G: emprosthen—it seems most likely that the translator added the preposition emprosthen for emphasis or clarification.
3:5b,7a their great ones + his great ones — Do the Two Groups Correspond?
In M and S there is a strong implication that at least some of “the great” (people) of Nineveh who initially spontaneously repented in v. 5 are also those who are involved in the official proclamation of the fast in v. 7. This connection, at least on a textual level, is somewhat weakened in G and is completely removed in V.
1:1; 3:1 the word of Yhwh was to Semantics The phrase wayhî + dᵉbar-YHWH + ’el is usually rendered by the verb of movement "the word of YHWH came to…" For instance,
Nevertheless, all ancient versions keep in their translations some form of the verb “to be,” or “to become.” This grammatical construction led to our interpreting "the word of YHWH" as an active subject (hypostatization). Others argue that this formula simply means that communication has occurred. Therefore, this expression is as minimally descriptive as possible (see Literary Genre Jon 1:1).
2–8 Leitwort "Call Out": Jonah as a Story about "Calling" The verb qr’, “to call, to cry out,” occurs eight times within the story.
"Calling," with all its polysemous qualities (speaking in the name of God—proclamation—and speaking to God—prayer), is a significant theme of the story.
Its occurrences reveal the basic structure of the narrative.
1:2; 3:2b call out + call to — Common Imperative Directed to the Prophets The verb qr’ is one of the most often repeated keywords (see also Jon 1:6,14; 2:2; 3:2,4–5,8; cf. Literary Devices Jon 1:2).
This verb is often used as a technical term that instructs the prophet as to what he is to say or do; e.g., 1Kgs 13:32; Is 40:2,6; 58:1; Jer 3:12; 7:2; 11:6; 19:2; Zec 1:14,17; Jl 3:9 (M-4:9).
3:3a according to the word of YHWH : M | G: as the Lord said (Further Emphasis)
It is possible that the repetition of the aorist verb form further emphasizes the connection to Jon 1:2. The very same message that the Lord communicated to Jonah initially in Jon 1:2, and about which the Lord reminded Jonah in Jon 3:2, is now finally proclaimed by Jonah in Jon 3:3 (Comparison of Versions Jon 3:2b).
3:3a went to Nineveh according to the word of YHWH The End of the Story for Many Children While some adaptations wrestle with the open ending of the book (Jon 4:11), others conclude the story here, choosing to focus on Jonah’s decision to go to Tarshish and his change of heart due to the time spent in the belly of the fish.
3:3b–5 Minimal Effort Generates an Immediate Response With the recommissioning complete, the story moves at lightning speed: Jonah goes and calls out, the people believe and act. The narrator is not the only one who seems interested in moving the story along. Jonah walks one day, less than needed to reach the city center, and utters one sentence. It is only now that readers learn the content of the word of the Lord. The oracle is terse and Jonah does not repeat himself—but the results are effective: the people of Nineveh believe God. The prophet does not need to plead or make an elaborate display.
It is clear that Nineveh is a “great city” in a tale that focuses on the extraordinary. This great size is matched only by the speed at which the whole city engages in ritual acts of repentance. Nineveh might even be a great city belonging to God or to the gods (Jon 3:3; see History of Translations Jon 3:3b). Likewise it is ambiguous whether the Ninevites repent because they believe God, believe in God, or, simply, believe the gods in general (Jon 3:5). However one translates this passage, it cannot be translated to say that they believed Jonah. Nineveh’s size is foregrounded in the text’s description as an indication not so much of the enormity of Jonah’s task, but of the proportion of God’s concern for the city’s repentance.
Jonah seems to do the absolute minimum to fulfill his duty. He delivers his oracle, but does not elaborate. He seeks no one out and does not go to the king (Literary Devices Jon 3:6a). Instead, readers are told that, although the city is three days across, Jonah does not even make it into the center before he delivers his line. Compare Jonah’s terse message with the extravagant pleading one hears from Jeremiah, who calls upon the people to put on sackcloth and engage in ritual acts of penitence and mourning (Jer 4:8). He begs them to “wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved” (Jer 4:14). Jeremiah’s desire for the people to repent and save themselves causes him distress: “My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the walls of my heart! My heart is beating wildly; I cannot keep silent for I hear the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war” (Jer 4:19, RSV).
Because the message is so brief (Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:4b), some have concluded that this must be an abridged report, maybe the title of his sermon rather than the content of it (Christian Tradition Jon 3:4b). Regardless, God does not accuse Jonah of neglecting his task.
3:3b a great city belonging to God NARRATION Characterization of Nineveh
Nineveh is referred to as a “great city” three times (Jon 1:2; 3:3; 4:11). It’s breadth is a three days’ journey (Jon 3:3). The frequent reminders of Nineveh’s size may serve to :
Most translators interpret lē’lōhîm as signifying the city’s size (an exceedingly great city). We have chosen to render it such that it expresses a relationship of some sort between the city and God.
While Jon 1 seems to exhibit much interest in geography, the second half of Jonah seems less concerned with it. How should we interpret the details given about the city of Nineveh? Though Nineveh did exist in ancient history (and was actually destroyed in the 7th c. B.C.), the narrative’s choice to avoid geographic details, especially with regard to Nineveh, presses readers to go beyond the bare meaning of the text. Indeed, the narrative seems to employ geography as a plot device—to press for historical accuracy might miss the point of the narrative (cf. the mystical interpretations of Jonah’s flight to Tarshish at Christian Tradition Jon 1:3a).
The narrative’s vagueness, therefore, should indicate that this is not intended to be a travelogue.
3:3b,5a,8ff God Theological Ambiguity: Which God (or Gods)? Whereas in Jon 1:14 the sailors clearly called out to Yhwh, the object of the Ninevites’ entreaty is less clear (Jon 3:8–9), for the word ’ĕlōhîm, used of God in Jon 3, is ambiguous. Grammatically, it is simply the plural of the Hebrew word for “god” or “divinity.” Especially since the Ninevites are polytheistic, the word ’ĕlōhîm may refer to :
Likewise, it is possible that the Ninevites here profess a henotheistic belief in Yhwh, acknowledging him as the supreme God among many lesser gods.
Context, however, makes a polytheistic or pagan interpretation of ’ĕlōhîm unlikely: the narrative is focused upon illustrating Yhwh’s mercy towards Nineveh, the book as a whole is committed to monotheism, and Jonah himself is a self-professed monotheist (Jon 1:9). Thus, it is likely that ĕlōhîm, as elsewhere in Biblical Hebrew, denotes the God (Yhwh) of the Hebrews (cf. Grammar Jon 3:3b; Jewish Tradition Jon 3:3b).
3:3b great city belonging to God : M | G: a great city to God (Isomorphic Translation)
While it is possible that the Greek translator did not understand the idiom (Grammar Jon 3:3b), it is more likely that this is an instance of word-for-word “translation Greek” that is characteristic of G’s Jonah.
3:4b Forty days : M | G: Three days
M and G differ on the number of days that Nineveh has to repent. One could reasonably argue that either reading is the original one.
The phrase “forty days” (’arbā‘îm yôm) is found 17 times in M, mostly in the narratives about Noah and Moses (Gn 7:4,12,17; 8:6; Ex 24:18; 34:28; Nm 13:25; 14:34; Dt 9:9,11,18; 10:10), as well as the prophetic accounts about Elijah (1Kgs 19:8) and Ezekiel (Ez 4:6).
It is possible, therefore, that a scribe harmonized Jonah with the above patterns in order to link Jonah more clearly with other great figures of the Bible.
The phrase “three days” (šᵉlōšâ/šᵉlōšet yāmîm) occurs over 35 times in M, and twice in Jonah (Jon 1:17; 3:3).
In an unpointed text, the absolute and construct of “three” would have looked quite similar—the difference would be between a final he or taw.
Thus, it is possible that “forty days” was original and it became “three days” as the result of attraction to the three days found in v. 3b.
This difference inspired much interpretation in the book’s reception history. Many Church Fathers (following G) reflected upon the brevity of time given for repentance: that is, they understood the passage to mean that after three days of repentance, God would relent—hence it is remarkable that God would show mercy even after such a short period of repentance. Since V follows M, the Glossa ordinaria is aware of both traditions and finds both fruitful for exegesis (Christian Tradition Jon 3:4b).
3:4b Forty days MOTIF The Number Forty: A Comprehensive Period of Time
The flood of Noah is brought by rains that last forty days and nights (Gn 7:12,17).
Ezekiel lays on his right side for a period of forty days in a symbolic enactment of Judah’s sins (Ez 4:6).
Ezekiel prophesies against the Egyptians and claims that their land will be desolate for forty years (Ez 29:11–16).
Isaac is forty years old when he marries Rebekah (Gn 25:20).
The judges Othniel (Jgs 3:9–11), Ehud (Jgs 3:15–30), Deborah/Barak (Jgs 4:4–5:31), and Gideon (Jgs 6:11–8:32), and the priest Eli (1Sm1:1–4:18) all lead Israel for forty or eighty years.
Moses dies when 120 years old (Dt 34:7), which can be interpreted as three lives: forty years each in Egypt, Midian, and the wilderness (cf. Ex 7:7).
Moses climbs Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah and is there for forty days and nights (Ex 24:18; 34:1–28).
The Israelite scouts reconnoiter the Promised Land for forty days (Nm 13:25; 14:34).
The Israelites spend forty years wandering in the wilderness (Ex 16:35; Nm 32:13; Dt 29:5).
Elijah recapitulates Moses’ experience with forty days on Mt. Horeb (1Kgs 19:8).
3:5a the men of Nineveh believed Why Did the Ninevites Repent So Quickly?
→: The Ninevites' belief refers only to their accepting that God had the power to destroy the city if he so wished and that he loves righteousness. Comm.
See →, 123. and 1978
3:3b a great city belonging to God Modern English Translations: A Crux Interpretum The Hebrew expression ‘îr-gᵉdôlâ lē’lōhîm (lit. a city-of great/large to-g/God[s]) describing Nineveh is polysemous; determining its meaning entails adjudicating numerous semantic and grammatical variables: Grammar Jon 3:3b; Jewish Tradition Jon 3:3b. Though some word-for-word translations into English have been attempted, most have adjudicated the previously mentioned issues by offering an idiomatic translation that focuses on the city’s size (“large”) or its status (“great”), while sometimes also providing notes about the “literal” meaning of the phrase.
3:8b to God Or: "Upon God" (Hebrew Variant)
3:6a the word reached the king Violent Connotation and Authority of a Decree The semantic field of the Hebrew root ng‘ encompasses violent interactions (i.e., striking, plaguing, smiting, afflicting). Thus, “reached” should have a negative and forceful connotation, as if the word “struck” or “assailed” the king. Analogous expressions can be found in Est 8:17; 9:1 where “the king’s word and his decree reach” his subjects. If this phraseology is at work in Jonah,
3:7ab by the decree of the king + shall taste — Wordplay
The use of this term in v. 7a sets up a play on words since it is repeated in v. 7b in the content of the announcement that humans and animals are forbidden to taste anything: ’al yiṭ‘ămû (→, 256).
3:10
Jon 3:10 is dense with repetition, and the structure can be viewed differently depending on whether one organizes it according to vocabulary or grammar.
In Jonah, God is quick to forgive (Jon 4:3). Uncharacteristic of the omniscient deity of systematic theology, he seems to watch the actions of human beings with hope and interest. One could even draw the implication that he does not know how the Ninevites will react (Comparison of Versions Jon 3:9).
3:6a the king of Nineveh Kings of Assyria in the Bible As with the pharaoh of the Exodus, it is probably not possible to identify this king with any particular historical figure. In other contexts, the Bible is concerned with specificity and identifies five consecutive Assyrian kings by name:
If, based on the reference in 2Kgs 14:25, the Book of Jonah is intended to take place during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 790–750 B.C.), the story should take place during the reigns of Shalmaneser IV (783–773 B.C.) or Ashur-dan III (773–755 B.C.).
One king who is not mentioned in the Bible is Shalmaneser III (859–824 B.C.). The British Museum, however, holds an important artifact that depicts King Jehu bowing before Shalmaneser III, the
.
Records of victories of Shalmaneser III feature on the top and the bottom of the reliefs, in cuneiform inscriptions. They enumerate the campaigns which the king and his commander-in-chief headed every year, until the 31st year of the reign.
Further down is purportedly the scene of King Jehu making obeisance and bearing tribute. The Assyrian cuneiform inscription above the scene reads:
3:8c,9a turn + God may turn — LANGUAGE Theological Play on Words?
This episode of the king’s command and the Ninevites’ repentance is yet one more instance wherewith the author aims to exhibit the piety of Gentiles, seeing as they pray and act in accord with a Deuteronomic worldview.
In this particular instance, the king’s decree that the people “turn from their evil ways” calls to mind a basic prophetic formula expressed throughout the Bible (Jer 15:7; Ez 3:19; 13:22).
The specific formula employed here bears closest resemblance to the words of Jeremiah (Jer 18:11; 23:22; 25:5; 26:3; 36:3,7).
The repetition of šwb emphasizes the mirroring between God and man throughout Scriptures: inasmuch as man turns towards God, God turns towards him. God, however, is the first mover, calling Abraham and his progeny to faith. In the Hebrew Bible, this synergistic relationship is well expressed in figures that use the same word to describe human and divine actions.
The paradigmatic encounter at the burning bush (Ex 3) presents several locutions that echo one another. For instance, Ex 3:14 “God said unto Moses, who ,” mirrors Ex 3:11 “Moses said unto God, Who am I?” Or, in Ex 3:4 both protagonists, the human and the divine, look at each other: “Yhwh saw that he turned aside to see.”
Sometimes, this relationship is expressed by using different forms of the same root when describing human and divine action.
Isaiah provides a famous example in the warning inserted right before the Emmanuel oracle (Is 7:9): ’im lô ta’ămînû kî lô tē’āmēnû “If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established” (RSV); “If your faith does not remain firm, then you will not remain secure” (NET).
Phonetically, there is something tautological about it, because the same root ’mn is used in both propositions, in two forms that entail only slight vocalic changes: ta’ămînû and tē’āmēnû.
Semantically, it sounds a bit like the French proverb, Aide-toi, le Ciel t’aidera (“God helps those who help themselves”).
Poetically, the derivation of ’mn encapsulates a correct conception of the divine and human action: one single action (signified by a single root) is entirely divine (nip‘al tense), and entirely human (hip‘il tense).
Man’s activity is both an answer to God’s Word and a gift of God. G interprets this tautology in terms of noetic gain (G-Is 7:9 kai ean mê pisteusête oude mê suniête; cf. Anselm’s epigram, likely based on the Vetus Latina: nisi credidero, non intelligam), as if the text were recording its own performativity.
3:10a God saw their deeds The Character of Repentance
3:6ff Sola Scriptura: The King Does Not Prescribe Any Penance beyond That Described in the Bible
3:6a the king The Lofty Are the Last to Believe
3:10a God saw their deeds Justification by Faith
1:1–4:11 Significance of the Names for God? Throughout Jonah readers find several names for God: YHWH (22x); ’Ēl/’Ĕlôhîm (13x); and YHWH ’Ĕlôhîm (4x).
1:1–4:11 Veracity of Jonah as a Miraculous Account
→ 3705 “The majesty of the prophet Jonah is surpassing. He has but four chapters, and yet he moved therewith the whole kingdom, so that in his weakness, he was justly a figure and a sign of the Lord Christ. Indeed, it is surprising that Christ should recur to this but in four words. Moses likewise, in few words describes the creation, the history of Abraham, and other great mysteries; but he spends much time in describing the tent, the external sacrifices, the kidneys and so on; the reason is, he saw that the world greatly esteemed outward things, which they beheld with their carnal eyes, but that which was spiritual, they soon forgot. The history of the prophet Jonah is almost incredible, sounding more strange than any poet's fable; if it were not in the Bible, I should take it for a lie; for consider, how for the space of three days he was in the great belly of the whale, whereas in three hours he might have been digested and changed into the nature, flesh and blood of that monster; may not this be said, to live in the midst of death? In comparison of this miracle, the wonderful passage through the Red Sea was nothing. But what appears more strange is, that after he was delivered, he began to be angry, and to expostulate with the gracious God, touching a small matter not worth a straw. It is a great mystery. I am ashamed of my exposition upon this prophet, in that I so weakly touch the main point of this wonderful miracle.” Tischr.
1:6c,14b; 3:9b; 4:10c perish + perished — Isotopy of Death: Structuring Repetition
Hope for salvation from death is expressed by:
Jonah ultimately comes to believe that he can only escape God’s call through death. In the belly of the fish, however, he realizes that such an escape is not possible (cf. Christian Tradition Jon 2:2–6). The sailors' and Ninevites’ desire for salvation is starkly juxtaposed with Jonah’s repeated wishes for death (māwet), both on the ship amidst the storm and in his booth, beyond the walls of Nineveh, for his desire that the Ninevites would receive their comeuppance brings him great anguish when God spares them destruction (Jon 4:8–9).
The shrub which perishes overnight (Jon 4:10) inspires more pity in Jonah than the potential massacre of Nineveh’s population.
3:2b proclamation Hapax Legonomenon in M
3:1f RHETORIC Repetition and Change
Jon 3:1 is a nearly verbatim repetition of Jon 1:1.
Just as in Jonah’s first call (Jon 1:2), he is directed to get up (qûm), go (lēk), and cry out (ûqerā’).
Although the vocabulary is very similar, there are some differences:
There is no dagesh lene in “word” (debar).
Jonah’s patronym is omitted.
The call comes a “second time” (šēnît).
Greater than the difference in vocabulary is the change of behavior:
In Jon 3:3 one finds the expected response of a prophet to the word of YHWH; instead of fleeing, Jonah got up (wayyāqām) and went (wayyēlek) to Nineveh.
3:3a according to the word of YHWH MOTIF "Expected" Prophetic Response Finally, after a second calling, Jonah responds as one might anticipate a prophet to respond—affirmatively. Among prior examples of prophets making positive response to a divine mandate, two examples stand out:
The sole reference to Jonah outside of the book that bears his name shows he had already manifested willingness to respond to God as had his prophetic forbearer Elijah. Yet, Jonah's unwillingness to respond affirmatively to God's call on this occasion (Jon 1:3) is also not without significant precedent (e.g., Moses in Ex 3–4). Thus, both in his flight from and acceptance of his prophetic mandate, Jonah appears as a paradigmatic biblical prophet.
3:1–10 Use in Lectionary
3:1 second time Remarkable Proof of God's Grace
3:1–10 The Exception of Nineveh Nineveh’s conversion is an exceptional case in the Qur’an. Most of the people to whom God sends his prophets do not convert and are destroyed by God (see for instance the stories of Luth, Nawa, Salih, and Hud).
A hadith clarifies that Muhammad understood the expression “or more” to signify 20,000 people, thus harmonizing the quranic figure with the biblical text (see Jon 4:11).
3:3b a great city belonging to God Multivalent Prepositional Phrase The Hebrew expression ‘îr-gᵉdôlâ lē’lōhîm (lit. “a city-of great/large to-g/God[s]”) is ambiguous. The challenge to understand it lies in coordinating its numerous semantic and grammatical variables.
Only the word “city” (‘îr) is unambiguous. The other words are problematic.
The term “great/large” (gᵉdôlâ) can indicate physical size or it can refer to a non-physical quality, such as the esteem with which the city is held.
The preposition “to” (lᵉ) connotes various spatial, temporal, ideological, and procedural relationships, including means, designation (of a group or one among a group), attribution, possession (belonging to), distribution, and dedication.
For the word “g/God(s),” see Literary Devices Jon 3:3b,5a,8ff. It is also often suggested that ’ĕlōhîm works as a kind of superlative. Such a reading is often based on comparison to other OT passages (Ps 36:6 [M-36:7]; Ps 80:10 [M-80:11]; Sg 8:6): “an exceedingly large city” (cf. →; Comm.→, 268; andJewish Tradition Jon 3:3b). The context may support this if the phrase “a walk of three days” is understood to be an independent clarification of the expression.
When the semantics of the words and preposition combine, the ambiguity multiplies.
In light of the fact that greatness may refer to another, non-physical, attribute, the use of the term ’ĕlōhîm may simply be a means of referring to one or more attribute(s) associated with the divine (e.g., ineffability; cf. “totally unusual among humans,” →, 144). Thus, concepts like the supernatural or incomparability come to the fore. 1986
Alternatively, the “walk of three days” may be part of the entire expression: thus the phrase may signify an immeasurable scope (i.e., “a city so large that it took three days to walk through it”; cf. →, 52–53). and 1978
Since “large” tends to convey scale alone, whereas “great” has ambiguous connotations, the latter is to be preferred.
Assuming that the plural term ’ĕlōhîm refers to the definite God (Yhwh) of the prophet, then the grammar suggests that the God possesses a great city. This relation is expressed in Hebrew by circumlocution using the preposition lᵉ-; hence, “a great city belonging to God” (→, 67–68; cf. 2006Literary Devices Jon 3:3b,5a,8ff; History of Translations Jon 3:3b).
3:3b,5b great Leitwort, Meaning See Literary Devices Jon 1:2.
3:5–8 Cultural Resonances of the Fast: Mourning and Fasting in Ancient Israel
Deuteronomy recounts a thirty-day mourning period following Moses’ death (Dt 34:8).
A seven-day period of mourning is observed following Saul's and his sons’ deaths (1Sm 31:12–13).
Job and his friends observe seven days of ritual silence and contemplation (Jb 2:13).
Fasting can serve functions other than mourning:
political intrigue (1Kgs 21:8–14);
petition (Dn 9:3–5);
penitence (1Sm 7:3–14; Jl 2:12);
preparation for a journey (Ezra 8:21–23);
preparation for battle (Jgs 20:24–28).
3:3b a journey of three days : M | G: a road journey of about three days
From these observations, it is clear that the genitive phrase in G-v. 3b is a clarification that mahălak is an attribute of the city Nineveh, i.e., it is a city "of a journey of the road of about three days."
3:5–10 Christian Rituals
The repentance of the Ninevites is referenced as a positive example in the Ramsho (evening prayer) of Thursday in the Syriac Church:
The invocation of the repentance of the Ninevites every week at the Thursday Ramsho demonstrates the ongoing significance of this story for Syriac Christians, a fact which is also reflected by their continued observance of the Rogation of the Ninevites.
The Rogation of the Ninevites (ba‘ûtâ d-ninwayé), also known as the Fast of the Ninevites, is a festival observed by many Christians who trace their heritage to Syriac Christianity, including the Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Chaldean Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.
The festival is observed from Monday to Wednesday during the third week before Lent.
The observance of the festival comprises three days of fasting followed by the reception of the Eucharist (qûrbānâ).
Though there is some discrepancy about the precise date of its origin, the Rogation seems to be traceable to the early to mid-7th century, when a severe plague broke out in Nineveh and the surrounding area.
In response to the people’s suffering, the local bishop enjoined all the Christians of Nineveh to fast in imitation of the Ninevites, who had been delivered from divine wrath through their repentance and fasting.
The first Maphrian of the Church of the East, Marutha of Tikrit (†649), proclaimed an annual fast in order to commemorate both the events of the Book of Jonah and of the cessation of the plague. This gradually developed into the practice known as the Rogation of the Ninevites. See →, 497–99; 1965→, 309.
Preparatory fasting in the weeks just before Lent is generally common in Christianity, as can be seen in the Western season of Septuagesima and the Byzantine analogue, Meatfare week and Cheesefare week.
Narsai’s mémrâ on Jonah may have been used during the observance of the Rogation; it is found in Alphonse Mingana’s edition with the subheading “and it is spoken on the Rogation (bᵉbā‘ūtâ, lit. 'petition') of the Ninevites,” and is followed by another heading indicating that it is to be recited as a responsive chant (‘unnāyâ) (→ in Hom. 1905, 1:134).
Gewargis Warda Arbillaya (ca. 13th c.) composed several ‘anyūthâ (“antiphons”) for the Rogation, one of which addresses a crisis of leadership in the Church by playing on the double meaning of ba‘ûtâ: “Our Lord heed the rogation (ba‘ûtâ) of the Babylonians and Assyrians (’atūrāy) now that Church leadership is distressed and confused. Our Lord heed the request (ba‘ûtâ) of our destitute country, I glorify your Godliness and ask for your forgiveness” (→, 84).
There are also turgamé, or liturgical prose homilies, composed for use during the Rogation that are preserved in a 16th c. ms. held at the Hill Monastic Manuscript Library in Collegeville MN (CCM 00425; →). 1908
3:4b overturned The Prophecy's Dual Meaning The rabbis emphasize that the conversion of the Ninevites did not nullify Jonah’s prophecy. The root hpk can mean “overturned,” either as in “destroyed” or “transformed.”
→ 3.4.7 “It is further possible for a prophet to comprehend the truth of his prophecy yet not to perceive all of the truths which may be included in it. For example, Jonah’s prophecy. He was told Nineveh shall be ‘overturned.’ This statement actually contained two true meanings; one, the punishment due them as a result of their sins; and second, what was revealed before God that would actually occur, that they would be transformed from evil to good. However, if only the punishment had been implied by the prophecy, then God would have revealed to His prophets, and especially to Jonah, that He was later relenting, and that a new decree had supplanted the first.” Derek
Likewise, →b. Sanh. 89b cites the double-meaning of “overturn” to explain why God did not inform Jonah that the Ninevites were forgiven, in apparent contradiction to Am 3:7.
→ suggests that the word “overturned” is a reference to the destruction of Sodom ( Comm.Gn 19:25; Dt 29:23), since the sins of the two cities were similar.
3:3b great city Jonah's Account of Nineveh's Size Is True
3:4a called out Model for Preaching?
Zwingli records an episode in which Anabaptists exhorted the people of Zurich to repent, comparing them to the Ninevites.
3:4b Forty days more, and Nineveh will be overturned More to the Message Than Meets the Eye Early commentators, including Cyril of Alexandria, Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Theodoret of Cyrus, assert that Jonah’s message must have been longer and speculate about its content. The Antiochene commentators deemed it historically implausible that such a short message would have such a great effect. Cyril sees in the shortness of Jonah’s reported speech a concern for accuracy. Jerome, by contrast, does not feel the need to provide any explanation.
3:4b Forty days How Long Did the Ninevites Repent and Fast? The different readings of the Hebrew and Greek, i.e., forty days vs. three days, are reflected in the interpretations of various patristic authors, sometimes giving them a different nuance or emphasis.
The Glossa is aware of both readings and gives interpretations of both.
3:4b,10b; 4:1 overturned + relented + displeased + enraged — Was Jonah a Liar? As with the rabbinical commentators mentioned above, patristic exegetes were concerned to absolve Jonah from any charge of falsehood (cf. Jewish Tradition Jon 3:4b).
A number of commentators hold that Jonah becomes angry in Jon 4, not because he expected the city’s destruction, but because he feared that he would acquire the reputation of a false prophet (Jewish Tradition Jon 4:1).
3:5–10 The Repentance of the Ninevites in Patristic Exhortation In the writings of many Church Fathers, the repentance of the Ninevites serves as both an historical illustration of God’s mercy and an example of repentance for the faithful.
In a few places, the Fathers use the example of the Ninevites as pedagogical example of how God’s mercy is manifested and experienced:
Many patristic authors point to the fact that the Ninevites trusted in God’s mercy even though (1) they only had three days to repent; and (2) they were not fully acquainted with God.
→ 26.92-93 “The power of prayers and the healing efficacy of tears in the presence of God our Father is the lesson we must learn from Nineveh saved by its grief.” Carm.
→ 4:9 “There was no response to their repentance; rather, God met their questioning with silence. Thus [the outcome of] their repentance is left uncertain, that being doubtful of their salvation, they may repent more vehemently and know the mercy, patience and compassion of God even more. Comm. Jon.
→ 1.7 “Animals as well as human beings were included in the fast, so that all living things would abstain from evil practices. This total response won the favor of the Lord of all.” Hom. Gen.
→ 5.4 “Why does he establish the appointed time to be only a period of three days? So that you may learn even the virtue of the barbarians…and for you to marvel at the philanthropy of God, who was satisfied with three days of repentance for so many transgressions; and furthermore, so you will not sink into despair, although you have innumerable sins.” Paenit.
→ 5.6 “They do not know the issue, and yet they do not neglect repentance. They are unacquainted with the method of the lovingkindness of God, and they are changed amid uncertainty...They had not read the prophets or heard the patriarchs, or benefited by counsel, or partaken of instruction, nor had they persuaded themselves that they should altogether propitiate God by repentance. For the threat did not contain this. But they doubted and hesitated about this, and yet they repented with all carefulness. What account then shall we give, when these, who had no good hopes held out to them as to the issue, gave evidence of such a change?” Stat.
→ 7.9 “See, my beloved, how great advantage there is when someone confesses and leaves his wrongdoing. And our God does not reject the penitent; the men of Nineveh were weighed down with their sins, but they received Jonah’s preaching when he preached ruin against them, and they repented and God had mercy on them.” Dem.
→ 24.18 “When we are on the verge of something that can cause us pain, then we are likely to humble ourselves and give evidence of change for the better. That is in fact what happened in the case of the Ninevites; when they heard that ‘after three days Nineveh will be demolished,’ not only did they not lose heart but they responded to the warning and practiced such abstinence from evil and gave evidence of scrupulous confession…without being sure that they would escape punishment.” Hom. Gen.
→ 16.14 “Let us sow in tears, so that we may reap in joy. Let us show ourselves people of Nineveh, not of Sodom. Let us amend our wickedness, lest we be consumed with it. Let us listen to the preaching of Jonah, lest we be overwhelmed by fire and brimstone.” Or.
→ 39.17 “Yet I know a fifth [baptism], that of tears; but it is more laborious, received by one who each night washes his bed and his couch with tears, whose bruises also stink with wickedness, who goes in mourning with a sad face, who imitates the turnaround of Manassas and the humiliation of the Ninevites that brought them mercy, who utters the words of the tax collector in the temple and is justified instead of the arrogant Pharisee, who bends down like the Canaanite woman and seeks compassion and crumbs, the food of a dog that is very hungry.” Or.
The Israelites compare unfavorably to the Ninevites, who repented within a short amount of time. Some Fathers likewise see in Jonah a prefiguration of the Jewish people (Christian Tradition Jon 4:1ff; see also Jewish Tradition Jon 1:3a; Jewish Tradition Jon 4:11b).
→ 3:5 “While this was the situation of the Ninevites, however, Israel in its stupidity did not obey the Law, mocking the provisions of Moses and setting no store by the statements of the prophets. Why do I make this claim? They also turned killers of the Lord, not even believing Christ himself, Savior of us all. The position of the Ninevites was therefore better…In other words, the people of foreign tongue, unintelligible and of obscure accents—namely, the Ninevites—respected the oracles and without delay moved to repent, whereas contentious Israel did not respect them.” Comm. Jon.
→ 3:5 "Nineveh believed, and Israel perseveres in unbelief. The uncircumcision has believed, and the circumcision remains unfaithful." Comm. Jon.
→ 3.7 “…the sons of Nineveh observed a pure fast…they ordered a continuous fast and an urgent supplication as they sat on sackcloth and ashes. They put on sackcloth instead of their luxurious clothes; children were withheld from the breasts of their mothers; sheep and cattle from pasture…The fast was pure; the fast which the Ninevites observed was accepted, when they returned from their evil ways and from plundering which is in their hands. The pure fast which the Ninevites observed was well pleasing.” Dem.
→ 47.1–10 likens the Ninevites’ repentance, especially their fasting, to the cultivation of fruit for which God hungers. When this exchange takes place, it results in God’s and the Ninevites’ mutual joy. Hymn. virg.
→ 44 “One who does not fast is uncovered and naked and exposed to wounds. Finally, if Adam had uncovered himself with fasting, he would not have become naked. Nineveh freed itself from death by fasting.” Ep.
→ 5.4 “Like a heavenly power overseeing Nineveh’s charge, fasting snatched the city from these gates of death and returned Nineveh to life.” Paenit.
→ 3:8–9 “Now the Ninevites were very wise, devoting themselves to an abandonment of depravity by means of fasting, this being the single authentic and blameless form of repentance.” Comm. Jon.
3:4b Nineveh will be overturned Prophetic Revelation and Knowledge
3:6–10 Creation Repents and God Relents The Ninevites’ repentance moves spatially and socially upward where it is made official and universal by the king’s decree. At the king’s word, petition through fasting and mourning expands to the animals of Nineveh, who are introduced for the first time in the pericope. What is the point of including the animals? Is it an attempt at comic relief in the midst of a very serious situation? Although this scene is often highlighted in purposefully “comic” readings that present Jonah as a farce or satire of prophets (→Introduction §1.5), the humor of Jonah lies elsewhere.
Returning to the premise of our proposed thought-experiment, the element of the narrative that should surprise readers most is the rapid repentance of the Ninevites, who know what to do in response to Jonah’s declaration even though they do not receive any explicit directions from him. In this most-extreme scenario, even the king and his nobles respond positively to a word from God. Thus, this section epitomizes one of the most daring teachings of the Hebrew prophets: human repentance can move God to relent and change his mind (Literary Devices Jon 1:2 evil; Literary Devices Jon 3:8c,9a; Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:8c,9a).
The king’s decree reminds readers of the captain’s command to Jonah to “Call out!” (Jon 1:6; Literary Devices Jon 1:2–3:8; Literary Devices Jon 3:7a; Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:6a). Likewise, the king’s comments on the nature of this repentance and his call for Nineveh’s inhabitants to turn “from the violence that is in their hands” (Jon 3:8) echoe the sailors’ concern that their hands would bear innocent blood should they hurl Jonah into the sea (Jon 1:13–14; Literary Devices Jon 3:8d; Comparison of Versions Jon 3:8d).
In line with similar parts of the Bible, the animals of Nineveh assume a prominent role in the narrative. We have already seen that both the weather and the “great fish” play an important role in Jonah’s narrative. In Jon 3:6–10, readers of the Hebrew will quickly hear echoes of Gn 1–3 in its use of such vocabulary as bᵉhēmôt and ’ādām (Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:5,7; 4:11). That these non-human actors are active participants in creation further develops the Bible’s theology of creation (cf. Gn 1:20–25; Dt 5:12–15; Ex 20:8–11; Is 11:6–9). Throughout the Bible, creatures praise God, join in Shabbat, and partake of the eschaton. In fact, it is likely that early readers of this text did not find the mention of animals humorous. Why should we deride or belittle their participation in this repentance? Perhaps it is only from our highly—and, compared to the whole of human history, abnormally—urbanized lifestyles and perspectives, that such a role for animals appears odd and droll (Biblical Intertextuality Jon 3:5–8).
The city’s response to Jonah’s message is nothing short of miraculous. They are moved to repentance not by certainty, but by the hope that God might relent. The Ninevites’ speedy response is often a welcome turn of events for readers who see themselves among their ranks (Christian Tradition Jon 3:5–10). At the same time, however, this typology has a Janus-like counterpart whereby Jonah typifies Israel’s recalcitrant response to Jesus and his expansion of the covenant to the Gentiles (Christian Tradition Jon 4:1ff); such an interpretation has all too frequently and wrongly been extrapolated from this portion of the tale.
Up to this point, readers have seen God’s responsiveness to human action. This is the first instance in the narrative in which God relents. God is not above changing his mind (Comparison of Versions Jon 3:9; Literary Devices Jon 3:10). This is not the God of the systematic theologian. Here, God seems to be in suspense and is genuinely gladdened when the Ninevites actually do repent.
3:9 God may turn and relent and turn away : M | G, V, S: Divergent Translations
M: yāšûb wᵉniḥam hā’ĕlōhîm wᵉšāb.
G: metanoêsei ho theos kai apostrepsei (“the god will change his mind and turn away”)—the translator renders the verbal hendiadys in M (yāšûb wᵉniḥam) with a single verb.
In contrast to G, the Naḥal Ḥever Greek fragments, when reconstructed, read epistrepsei kai paraklêthêsetai ho theos kai epistrepsei, a word-for-word translation of M (cf. → ad loc.). 1992
It seems this minus in G is best explained as a conscious decision intended both to achieve a smooth Greek translation and to avoid redundancy, since šwb occurs again in the second half of the verse. In G metanoeô always translates nḥm, with one exception: in Is 46:8 it renders the hip‘il of šwb.
S: metpᵉnē ’ᵉlāhā wᵉmarḥem ‘ᵉlayn wᵉmahpak (“God will turn back and have mercy on us and turn away”).
S has two significant differences from M: first, S moves the subject, God, between the first two verbs; and second, S contains a plus, ‘ᵉlayn, which is a prepositional phrase that explicitly identifies the object of God’s hoped-for mercy, i.e., the Ninevites who are speaking. These two differences effectively transform the verbal hendiadys in M into two separate verbal clauses.
V: convertatur et ignoscat Deus et revertatur (“God will turn back and forgive and turn away”).
As compared to G and S, the translator of L has provided the closest word-for-word translation. L uses two verbs that correspond to those in the verbal hendiadys in M (yāšûb wᵉniḥam).
3:9a Who knows?! MOTIF Changing God's Mind
Like the sailors (Jon 1:6), the king reacts by doing something to appease the deity. There is no certainty here, though. Rather, “Who knows?!” is an expression of hope or even desperation.
The responses of the sailors, the king, and David are very natural. Instead of accepting their fate as determined, they try to persuade God to relent.
There are instances in which God’s mind is unchangeable: “For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black; for I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented nor will I turn back” (Jer 4:28, RSV). This would seem to illustrate that God’s just punishment is unavoidable. See also Ez 24:14; Zec 8:14.
God does, however, relent from punishing Nineveh (Jon 3:10). The verb wayyinnāḥem (nip‘al, “to relent”) occurs more than thirty times, nearly all referring to God. See also Jl 2:13; Am 7:3,6.
God sometimes relents from punishing, and even regrets previous decisions. For example, Micah prophesies that “because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height” (Mi 3:12, RSV). When Hezekiah changes his ways, God relents from punishing Jerusalem. This incident is explicitly referenced as an example in Jer 26:18–19.
Figures such as Abraham (Gn 18), Moses (Ex 32; 34; Nm 11; 14; 16; 21), Samuel (1Sm 7), and Ezra (Ezra 10) recognize, as Jonah did, that God is quick to forgive.
Because Nineveh is not overturned, some interpreters hold that Jonah is afraid of having given a false prophecy: this is the source of Jonah’s anger in the opening verses of Jon 4. Nonetheless, this interpretation is forgetful of the many instances in which God relents from punishing. It also fails to recognize that prophecy is not limited to true predictions of the future; the prophet’s role is to deliver God’s message regardless of the outcome (e.g., 1Kgs 22:12–15,22; 2Kgs 22:14–20; cf. Literary Devices Jon 3:10; Comparison of Versions Jon 3:9).
3:6a the king of Nineveh The King's Identity
3:8a mightily Mightily or Hard-heartedly? The Talmud and certain rabbis understand bᵉḥāzᵉqâ in a more negative sense, whereby the Ninevites try to force God's compassion.
3:9a Who knows?! Tg. Influenced by Yom Kippur Jonah’s connection to Yom Kippur led the Targum’s translators to convey a more definite statement about God’s forgiveness:
3:7a he cried out Leading by Example
3:10b God relented Nineveh Not Destroyed but Exalted
3:6d sackcloth Coarse Clothes Are Appropriate for Penitents