Set in the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Jonah was the son of amittai, who came from gathhepher in zebulun called gittahhepher in joshua 19. Caught in a storm, he orders the ships crew to cast him overboard. The recording is dramatized, from the king james bible. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh. This is, in my opinion, the best and most beautiful recording of the king james. Jonah started out and made his way into the city the distance of one days walk, and proclaimed. Its more likely some kind of rabbinic parable reflecting on the possible openness of the covenant or more generally gods favor toward gentiles, and how fundamentalist jews like jonah would and should process that.
In the book of jonah, gods message spoken via jonah comprises one half of one verse. It is one of trei asar the twelve prophets in the tanakh. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for tarshish to flee from the lord. Unfortunately, many christians thoughtlessly cast aspersions upon this important book in the canon of scripture without realizing that they are playing into the hands of the critics and innocently becoming the dupes of the skeptics. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to prophesy the destruction of nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission. This is the holy book of jonah, known simply as jonah. In the midst of the obscure prophecies before and after this book, wherein. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. This fifth book of the twelve minor prophets contains no oracles and. Full text in english of the book of jonah my jewish. Jonah or jonas, in the hebrew bible tanakh old testament, is a prophet of the northern kingdom of israel in about the 8th century bce. In its scope a single extended episode, compactness, vividness and character delineation, it.
On yom kippur it has been the universal jewish custom, ever since the days of the mishnah about 200 c. Go to the great city of nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. Jonah went at once to nineveh in accordance with the lords command. Some websites and religiouspublishers use very short abbreviations, consisting of only 1 or 2 letters,which sometimes causes confusion. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the. Priscilla shirer uses the biblical book of jonah to address daily obedience. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Identified in verse 1 as the son of amittai, jonah came from a town called. Unpublished class notes in 103 introduction to hebrew exegesis.
This book of jonah, though it be placed here in the midst of the prophetical books of scripture, is yet rather a history than a prophecy. The book of jonah presents a beautiful type of the resurrection of christ from the dead. The latter prophets follow psalms and the wisdom books in the greek septuagint, as well as our christian old testament of the bible. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible.
Free online bible library book of jonah biblical training. As is often the case in biblical narratives, the author has compressed much into a small space. Study scripture verses with commentary, concordances, and use highlighting, underlining, take notes in the bible. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. The book ends with jonah brooding over nineveh, angry with god for the grace he gave to the people jonah so despises. The most difficult and troubling passages often open their meaning and significance in the most beautiful way when the historical and cultural background of the text is grasped. This little book therefore contains very practical lessons for every reader.
Jonah mosaic in aquileia cathedralmosaic of the biblical story of jonah. Go at once to nineveh, that great city, and proclaim judgment upon it. Nineveh was an enormously large city a three days walk across. It tells of a hebrew prophet named jonah son of amittai who is sent by god to. Book of jonah read, study bible verses online bible study tools. In its scope a single extended episode, compactness, vividness and character delineation, it is much like the book of ruth. The audience of the book of jonah was the people of israel and all future readers of the bible and, typically, prophets issued warnings or gave instructions to the people of israel. Jonah 1 niv jonah flees from the lord the word of bible. God called to jonah one day and told him to go preach to nineveh because the people were very wicked. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, embraced in a single book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. You can read more indepth bible verses from the scripture below and use the articles and videos to understand the meaning behind this teachable event in the bible. The most popular bible verses from jonah found 48 verses jonah 1. Intro to jonah biblica the international bible society.
Add to cart add to cart view in cart choose item view details. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. Jonahs story is told in the short just 48 verses but powerful book of jonah. Finally why did god save nineveh the capital of the assyrian empire ii kings 19. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvelous manner, and returned to his starting point. The book of jonah, containing the wellknown story of jonah in the stomach of a fish for three days, is a narrative about a reluctant prophet. When studying scripture, it is critical to gain understanding of the historical background and cultural setting of the book or passage being studied.
Full text in english of the book of jonah my jewish learning. Perhaps the third quarter of the eighth century is the most likely date for the book, after the public ministries of amos and hosea and before the fall of samaria to assyria in 722721. Written by the prophet jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b. Commentators who have interpreted the book as an historical narrative identify jonah with the 8thcent. This is attributed to its mythical imagery, which illustrates the prophets journey to the land of nineveh. Watch our overview video on the book of jonah, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. He is the central figure of the book of jonah, in which he is called upon by god to travel to nineveh and warn its residents of impending divine wrath. Watch our overview video on the book of jonah, which breaks down the. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish tanakh. Reading prodigal prophet helped me to really understand jonahs story as tim keller delves deep and refers back to the original hebrew text to help the readers understand the often overlooked messages in the book of jonah. He was the earliest of the prophets and close behind elisha in his place in the old testament. The historicity and assyrian background of the book of.
Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. Although the book is written in the third person, the traditional view is that jonah is the author of the book, and there is no persuasive reason to theorize about an unknown author. Why doesnt the biblical book tell us if jonah responded to gods critique of him in chapter 4. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god.
I didnt even know there was a book called jonah in the bible. Jonah flees from the lord the word of the lord came to jonah son of amittai. The story of the prophet jonah is recorded in the book of jonah, which is part of the bible, and is read in the synagogue every year on the day of atonement. Many have questioned whether the book of jonah is historical. Book of jonah, the fifth of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. Passing over the brief prophecy of obadiah, with its veiled reference to the messiah in saviours who will go up on mount zion, under the leadership of the jehovahsaviour, for the kingdom shall be the lords obadiah 1. And jonah said to them, take me up and cast me into the sea. Though some modernists argue that the concept of a bodily resurrection of christ from the dead was unknown in old testament times, jesus demonstrated otherwise. This is a summary on the biblical account of the jonah and the big fish. At this time another prophet, named jonah, was giving the word of the lord to the israelites. Of the twelve minor prophets, the book that has been consistently pondered and examined with much fascination is the book of jonah. The witness of jonah max reich the messianic hope of israel. He went down to joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.
But jonah ran away from the lord and headed for tarshish. Even the truth of god pleases the human heart often only as long as the own importance can be stressed by it. Jonah hated this idea because nineveh was one of israels. The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. The book of jonah stands unique in the prophetical canon, in that it does not contain any predictions, but simply relates the story of its hero, beginning for that reason with waye. Introduction jonah is the book of the bible which perhaps has been criticized more than any other.
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