Jonah is a son of amittai and minor prophet who worked during the days of jeroboam the second 782753 bc, just after elisha and just before amos and hosea. Book of jonah a book in the old testament that tells the story of jonah and the whale jonah old testament the collection of books comprising the. Jonah introduction united states conference of catholic bishops. Jonah flees his ministry, bewails gods mercy to the ninivites, and in other ways shows a spirit that ill becomes a prophet and an historical type of christ. Rashi explains that the books were bound together in one scroll because each was so short that some might get lost if not combined into a scroll of greater size. Jonah was commanded by god to preach in nineveh, but instead fled by boat. Pastor tullian focuses on the gospel aspect of the jonah. The purpose of this book is to show that god is a merciful and gracious god. The foundational source for the book was likely jonah s own telling of the story after his return from nineveh. The name jonah means dove in hebrew, but jonahs character is anything but dovelike. The vast majority of commentators and students of the book of jonah still adhere to one of the first three readings or some combination thereof see david kimhi on 1. This book professes to give an account of what actually took place in the experience of the prophet. A few highlights of the book that i found particularly interesting were on this perspective, meaning the story of jonahs life and the decisions made.
Jonah is a book about gods sovereign control over earthly events, our need to repent of selfishness and hypocrisy, and his loving and gracious heart for repentant sinners. This is the perfect type of fleshly israels rejection of christ and of christianity throughout history. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. God never gives up on jonah and the people of nineveh because he is slow to anger, loving and compassionate. Jonahs story is told in the short just 48 verses but powerful book of jonah. 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. Apart from the book traditionally ascribed to him, jonah is mentioned only. Jonah is identified as a prophet and servant of god during the reign of king jeroboam ii of israel 2 kings 14. The book of jonah is a subversive story about a rebellious prophet who despises his god for loving his enemies. Book of jonah synonyms, book of jonah pronunciation, book of jonah translation, english dictionary definition of book of jonah. This week, for example, i was assigned to read several books including the book of jonah that i have read or heard so many times during the course of my life. And, in contrast to all the other prophets portrayed as admirable individuals who bravely speak gods word, jonah stands out as flawed and fleeing from god. Date since jonah prophesied during the reign of jeroboam ii 782753. The book of jonah emphasizes that god in heaven, hath made the sea and the dry land.
The name jonah means dove in hebrew, but jonah s character is anything but dovelike. The author of the book is the prophet jonah who wrote his own autobiography. But he could not understand how god could love even foreign nations who did bad things. The book of jonah, written primarily in the third person, does not explicitly name the prophet as the author of his own account, but we have no reason to doubt either the inspiration or the historical veracity of the book. 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. Jul 18, 2012 for hundreds of years sunday schools all over the country have taught children the biblical story of jonah and the whale. Dictionary entry details book of jonah noun sense 1. For hundreds of years sunday schools all over the country have taught children the biblical story of jonah and the whale. Identified in verse 1 as the son of amittai, jonah came from a town called gathhepher. The book begins with god telling jonah to go to the great city of nineveh. Book of jonah overview insight for living ministries. The book of jonah is a book of the neviim prophets in the hebrew bible. Book of jonah noun the noun book of jonah has 1 sense 1. Instead of drowning, jonah was swallowed by a great fish, which god provided.
The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humor lies. Apr 04, 2020 an overview of the book of jonah leads one to determine two prominent sections, namely, jonahs abortive voyage to tarshish jon 12 and jonahs journey to nineveh. He was a prophet of israel, and predicted the restoration of the ancient boundaries 2 kings 14. As is the case with all the prophets of god jonah came to nineveh to call the people to worship one god. It would be presumptuous to think that one could, in a brief article, speak the final word on the questions in debate. Following the lead of the hebrew masoretic text, the title of the book is derived from the principal character, jonah. Jonah, book of webbible encyclopedia christiananswers. Saints jerome, cyril, and theophilus explain in detail the type meaning of the facts of the book of jonah. T he book of jonah is an old testament story which tells about how the prophet jonah refused to follow the lord. Our interpretation, however, explains the plot, the characters, and the dialogue as embodying the primordial struggle between justice and mercy. Book of jonah old testament britannica encyclopedia britannica. Set in the reign of jeroboam ii, it was probably written in the postexilic period, some time between the late 5th to early 4th century bc. Jonah is commanded to go east to nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point 1.
Jonah was a narrowminded patriot, who feared that assyria would one day swallow up his own little nation. He was gods instrument to carry out gods will on earth. Jonah definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Pastor tullian enlivens a short book in the bible with strength and context which delivers meaning for us today. Due to jonah shirking his divine mission, god sends. In spite of the many references to casting lots in the old testament, nothing is known about the actual lots themselves.
The book of jonah was likely written between 793 and 758 b. The book is prose narrative throughout, except the prayer of thanksgiving in the second chapter jon 2. The name is usually taken to mean dove, but in view of the complaining words of the prophet, it is not unlikely that the name is derived from the root yanah to mourn, with the signification dolens or complaining. 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. Many critics however want to lower the book of jonah to an allegory, a parable or a legend because of the miracles described in it especially the appearing of the great fish devouring jonah. Lewis describes the book of jonah as a moral romance. Verses 12 this book is a story about god and jonah. This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the old testament book of jonah.
When jonah ran from the call of god, one of the oddest events in the bible occurredthe story of jonah and the whale. He praised god, ending with the eerily prophetic statement, salvation comes from the lord. God sends jonah to nineveh but he flees to tarshish or perhaps tarsus. Jonah definition is an israelite prophet who according to the account in the book of jonah resisted a divine call to preach repentance to the people of nineveh, was swallowed and vomited by a great fish, and eventually carried out his mission. This is the perfect type of fleshly israels rejection of christ and of christianity. Jonah or jonas, in the hebrew bible tanakhold testament, is a prophet of the northern kingdom of israel in about the 8th century bce. Jonah with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The prophetic significance of this book not only lies in the short message in nineveh but also in the entire history of jonah described in his book. It is an important book to both religious traditions christianity and jewish. The book of jonah is narrative history and a prophetic oracle. Jonah was the son of amittai, who came from gathhepher in zebulun called gittahhepher in joshua 19. Listen to chuck swindolls overview of jonah in his audio message from the classic series gods masterwork. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast. The book is anonymous, and there are no indicators elsewhere in scripture to identify the author.
After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. The practice of casting lots is mentioned 70 times in the old testament and seven times in the new testament. In the bible, a prophet who was swallowed by a great fish and disgorged unharmed three days later. The book of jonah relates how god told jonah to go to the major assyrian city of nineveh and there prophecy that after 40 days it would be overturned. The themes of this book, like every old testament book, point to the main focus of the whole bible. A book in the old testament that tells the story of jonah and the whale. To conclude that someone else wrote the book is difficult since the information about jobs experience in the fishs stomach and in chapter 4 requires firsthand knowledge. Mar 16, 2019 written by the prophet jonah, son of amittai, around 785760 b.
As he points out, the story of jonah is the only one in which the story is about the prophet. Although yonah is generally defined as dove, its actual meaning. The prophet lived and labored either in the early part of the reign of jeroboam 790750 bc, or during the preceding generation. Here are 10 valuable lessons gleaned from jonahs encounter with the great fish and the.
The name jonah is derived from the hebrew word yonah meaning dove. The book of jonah closes with sullen and unwilling jonah still preferring death to gods outpouring of mercy upon anyone except jonah and his jewish relatives. Jonah 4 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on the. The book of jonah vividly demonstrates the meaning of repentance. A free bible commentary on the book of jonah in simple english. 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. Verses 1 and 2 show that jonah had failed to learn the lesson of the fish. Seeing jesus christ in the old testament book of jonah. Cyril even forestalls the objections of the rationalists of today. Jonah s mission to nineveh implied that a heathen city afforded as legitimate a field for the prophets labors as israel, and with a more successful result compare am 9. Caught in a storm, he orders the ships crew to cast him overboard. Through jonah s decisions, actions, and thoughts, we gain the lessons of grace and purpose. But the deeper meaning beyond the literal story takes us beyond a man who was swallowed by a big fish. He exercised his ministry very early in the reign of jeroboam ii.
This was strange, because usually the preacher is pleased when the congregation repents, but jonah wasnt. 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. The secret history of the american left, from mussolini to the politics of meaning kindle edition by goldberg, jonah. Renowned islamic scholar, ibn kathir calls it nineveh. Information and translations of book of jonah in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Jonah is commanded to go east to nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point, only to be swallowed by a great fish and dumped back at this starting point 2. This is confirmed if we just watch god finish his work on jonah in chapter 4. The book makes no direct claim regarding authorship. Book of jonah has to me the air of being a moral romance, a quite different kind of thing from, say, the account of king david or the new testament narratives, not pegged, like them, into any historical situation. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a bitter man. In his rebellion against god, jonah fled to tarshish.
The title of the book is the name of the main character, jonah. Jonah free bible commentary in easy english easyenglish bible. Through all of jonah s narrative, his reluctance and sheer defiance to gods instruction gets him into some trouble with the. The book of jonah is the fifth book in the christian canons and the jewish tanakh. Some critics have sought to interpret the book as a parable or allegory, and not as a history. A few highlights of the book that i found particularly interesting were on this perspective, meaning the story of jonah s life and the decisions made. The book of jonah stands unique among the biblical books of the prophets because it is almost entirely narrative. But it displeased jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. It is of hebrew origin, and the meaning of jonah is dove. The book of jonah stands as an important link in the prophetic chain, giving readers a glimpse of christs death and resurrection hundreds of years before they. While jonah eventually did what he was asked to do, the book closes with showing jonah as a. Key personalities include jonah, the captain and the ships crew and the people of nineveh.
The ultimate lesson about prayer in the book of jonah is that god answers us in mercy to make us merciful. This meant according to the understanding of jonah that nineveh would be destroyed. The story has a long interpretive history and has become well known through popular childrens stories. The book of jonah highlights gods patience and loving kindness, and his willingness to give those who disobey him a second chance. Unfortunate or not, the book of jonah, which may best be understood as a parable, is included in the section known as neviim in the hebrew bible tanach and the prophetic books, the twelve, in english versions of the bible. Book of jonah definition of book of jonah by the free. Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents. Meaning, origin and history of the name jonah behind the. Jonah did not want to go on this mission and attempted to flee to tarshish in spain.
The book of jonah is a book of the neviim in the hebrew bible. Through some supernatural events, god convinced him to obey and carry out the lords plan. The book of jonah is more than just a delightful story for children. The book of jonah is about god and how great his heart is toward prodigal sons and daughters who run away from him. Jonah, book of jonah noun a book in the old testament that tells the story of jonah and the whale. He spoke of a god free from any partners, sons, daughters or co equals and implored the people to stop worshipping idols and engaging. Jonah 4 commentary james burton coffman commentaries on.
The simple, expansive story of jonah thin difference. Unlike other old testament prophetic books, jonah is not a collection of the prophets oracles but primarily a narrative about the man. The talmud ascribes the composition of the twelve prophets to the men of the great assembly bava batra 15a. Jan 02, 2020 jonah was the son of amittai, who came from gathhepher in zebulun called gittahhepher in joshua 19. Pastor tullian focuses on the gospel aspect of the jonah story. Throughout the book, jonah is repeatedly referred to in the third person, causing some to search for. It is one of trei asar the twelve prophets in the tanakh, and in christian tradition as oi dodeka prophetai or ton dodekapropheton, greek for the twelve prophets.
He was the earliest of the prophets and close behind elisha in his place in the old testament. Jonah, the book of definition and meaning bible dictionary. The mysterious symbolism of jonah and the fish biblical. During the journey, a storm compels jonah s shipmates to throw him overboard and he is swallowed up by a great fish which was not a whale. What is the meaning of the biblical story of jonah in. The book of jonah demonstrates the sovereignty of the almighty as he employs his creation to accomplish the divine plan. Rashi explains that the books were bound together in one scroll because each was so short that some might get. Through jonahs decisions, actions, and thoughts, we gain the lessons of grace and purpose. In the belly of the whale, jonah repented and cried out to god in prayer.