Jonah

Composition

The book of Jonah is one of the most well-known books in the latter portion of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, Jonah is included among the twelve books named after the Minor Prophets that are presented together in a single collection known as The Twelve. Jonah stands apart from the other books that make up The Twelve, however. The other books are all essentially collections of prophecies and sayings, while the book of Jonah is a narrative following Jonah’s story and the important mission he is given by God. Most notably, this book contains a famous passage in which the reluctant prophet Jonah is swallowed by a “great fish” that is typically interpreted as a whale.

Although the author of the book of Jonah is not specifically identified in the Bible, tradition suggests that it was written by Jonah himself. Scholars generally believe that Jonah, thought to be the son of Amittai, wrote his book sometime around 785–760 BCE. The historic Jonah likely lived most of his life in the eighth century BCE and was said to have hailed from the village of Gath-hepher in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He was one of the only prophets from this region, which was ruled by wicked kings after it broke away from the rest of Israel following the reign of King Solomon. These kings persevered until the kingdom was taken by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. Jonah lived during the reign of Jeroboam II, who presided over one of ancient Israel’s most successful periods. While he was on the throne, Israel expanded to the greatest extent in its history and amassed great prosperity through trade in goods like olive oil and wine. This led the people of Israel to develop a strong sense of nationalism and a fiery abhorrence of non-Jewish gentiles. In essence, the story of Jonah is both a call for repentance and a reminder that God’s message of salvation is not for the Hebrews alone.

Not all scholars agree that the book of Jonah was originally meant to be taken seriously. Some see it as a satire. They believe that the views Jonah expresses function as a parody of the similarly narrow-minded and militant views that were common in Jewish society at the time. Jonah’s initial refusal to follow God’s commands can also be interpreted as a parody of other prophets’ strict obedience before God. The author of Jonah makes some use of literary absurdism as well. This could all suggest that the book of Jonah was supposed to be interpreted differently than the other books of the Old Testament.

Summary

The book of Jonah begins as God commands Jonah to travel to Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, and warn the people there that their day of judgment was at hand. To the Hebrews, the rival Assyrians were evil, heathenish gentiles who did not adhere to the word of God and therefore were undeserving of his mercy. Accordingly, Jonah balked at God’s request and was reluctant to act as a prophet for Nineveh. To avoid this responsibility, Jonah attempts to escape God’s control by fleeing to the port city of Joppa (Jaffa) and boarding a boat operated by some Phoenicians. Soon after setting sail, the sailors find themselves caught in a violent storm that threatens to capsize the boat. The Phoenicians conclude that the storm has arisen because someone on board has upset their god. The men then draw lots to determine the guilty party and Jonah draws the short straw. He admits to angering God and asks the sailors to throw him overboard to appease the Almighty. They do so and the storm quickly subsides.

Once cast into the sea, Jonah is swallowed by a “great fish” that is often characterized as a whale by modern readers. Jonah subsequently spends three nights in the whale’s belly and spends much of his time singing and praying to God. Eventually, Jonah agrees to go to Nineveh as God commanded. With that, God has the whale vomit Jonah onto the land so that he may deliver his prophecy in the city.

Upon arriving in Nineveh, Jonah informs the people there what God has foretold, proclaiming “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Hearing this, the residents of Nineveh waste no time in repenting and seeking to demonstrate their desire for forgiveness through prayer and fasting. Further, the king trades his robes for sackcloth and his throne for a pile of ashes. In acknowledgement of their penitence, God forgives the people of Nineveh and agrees to spare them. Still believing the Ninevites are not worthy of salvation and rankled by God’s act of mercy, Jonah leaves the city to sulk in the desert.

Jonah stations himself just outside Nineveh, waiting to see if God’s forgiveness will last or if God will eventually smite the city as prophesied. While he awaits an outcome, Jonah witnesses some unusual events planned by God. First, a plant miraculously springs up beside Jonah to offer him some much-needed shade from the unbearable desert sun. Next, God sends a worm that takes a bite out of and ultimately kills the plant. Finally, God torments Jonah by blowing a hot wind into his face. Utterly miserable, Jonah asks God to kill him rather than force him to endure any further hardship. At last, God relents and explains his purpose to Jonah. He tells Jonah that Nineveh is much like the plant in the desert. Jonah cared for the plant in much the same way that God cares for Nineveh and its inhabitants, who, of course, are of much greater importance than the plant. Because God cared for the Ninevites, they had to be given a chance to repent. Their acceptance of God’s offer allowed for their salvation.

Themes

While the book of Jonah may once have been interpreted as a record of actual historical events, most modern scholars regard it instead as an allegory. From this perspective, the story of Jonah can be read as a metaphor for the Hebrew people and their reluctance to fulfill their God-given duty to prophesy among the Gentiles. Much as how Jonah was swallowed by the whale when he refused to prophesy to Nineveh, Israel was essentially swallowed by the city of Babylon. Also like Jonah, the Hebrew people eventually won their freedom when they repented and carried out God’s will.

One of the most prominent themes in the book of Jonah is the importance of listening to God. At the outset of the story, Jonah rejects God’s command to prophesy to Nineveh and seeks to avoid this unwanted responsibility by fleeing to the sea. In response, God creates a great storm that ultimately forces Jonah to abandon his escape plans and throw himself into the water. It is not until he prays in the belly of the whale that Jonah finally listens to God and accepts his destiny. This theme continues after Jonah prophesies to the Ninevites and becomes angered when God chooses to spare them. Once again, Jonah fails to take God’s message to heart. To rectify this, God puts Jonah in danger for a second time by removing the plant that offered him protection from the scorching desert heat. In doing so, God demonstrates that as Jonah cared for the plant, so does God care for all his children.

Another important theme in the book of Jonah is the idea that anyone can find salvation through God. Throughout the Old Testament, God repeatedly demonstrates his willingness to offer salvation to the Hebrews. In Jonah, God shows that the salvation he offers is available to all people willing to accept it. Even though Jonah does not think the Ninevites are worthy of being saved, God mercifully reaches out and affords them the opportunity to repent. When they do this, God grants them salvation despite their sins. Similarly, God offers salvation to the Gentile Phoenicians who take Jonah aboard their ship when they choose to repent.

Other important themes are in the Book of Jonah as well. One of these is the sovereignty of God. Throughout the story, God consistently demonstrates that he holds power over the world and all its living inhabitants. This helps the reader to understand that God cares for everyone, not just those like ourselves. Another theme is the importance of genuine repentance. Jonah’s story shows that God cares more about his children’s true feelings than the deeds they might do simply to impress others. God’s willingness to forgive is yet another key thematic element of the book of Jonah. In the story, God forgives both Jonah and the Ninevites, showing that he is always willing to give anyone who repents a second chance.

Bibliography

Angel, Hayyim. “The Meaning of the Book of Jonah.” Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals, 2022, www.jewishideas.org/article/meaning-book-jonah. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Bolinger, Hope. “Jonah.” Christianity.com, 2022, www.christianity.com/bible/niv/jonah. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“Jonah.” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2022, bible.usccb.org/bible/jonah/0. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Krantz, Jeffrey. “Jonah: God’s Compassion For All Nations.” OverviewBible, 14 May 2016, overviewbible.com/jonah. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Manning, Erik. “The Mind-Blowing Meaning Behind the Sign of Jonah.” Cross Examined, 13 Oct. 2021, crossexamined.org/the-mind-blowing-meaning-behind-the-sign-of-jonah. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

“A Summary and Analysis of the Story of Jonah and the Whale.” Interesting Literature, June 2021, interestingliterature.com/2021/06/book-of-jonah-whale-summary-analysis. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Zavada, Jack. “Introduction to the Book of Jonah.” Learn Religions, 16 Mar. 2019, www.learnreligions.com/book-of-jonah-701113. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.

Zavada, Jack. “Prophet Jonah—Reluctant Mouthpiece for God.” Learn Religions, 17 Feb. 2019, www.learnreligions.com/prophet-jonah-reluctant-mouthpiece-for-god-701174. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022.