Mercy to the nations
The book's sharp point is not Nineveh's repentance; it is Jonah's anger at Nineveh's repentance. The prophet knows his God too well — ‘slow to anger, and of great kindness’ (4:2).
Old Testament · Book 32 of 66
Jonah
A reluctant prophet fleeing from Nineveh, a storm, a great fish, a repentant city, and a bush. The only prophet whose book is entirely narrative — and whose complaint against God's mercy is the book's real subject.
4
Chapters
Narrative
Unique among prophets
Sign of Jonah
Cited by Christ
“And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”
- Author
- The book is anonymous; Jonah son of Amittai is the subject (1:1; cf. 2 Kings 14:25)
- Date
- Jonah's historical ministry c. 8th c. BC under Jeroboam II; book's composition disputed
- Audience
- The covenant community tempted to narrow the reach of mercy
- Position
- Old Testament · Book 32 of 66
Structure
- The flight1
Jonah flees to Tarshish; the storm; the lot; ‘cast me forth into the sea.’
- The fish and the prayer2
Three days in the belly; the prayer from the depths; the fish vomits Jonah onto dry land.
- The preaching3
Nineveh repents — king and cattle fasting in sackcloth.
- The complaint4
‘I knew that thou art a gracious God’ (4:2). The gourd, the worm, the east wind; the LORD's question that closes the book unanswered.
Section pages
Each section is one focused part of Jonah — purpose, key movements, key verses, Christ-in-this-section. Roughly five minutes each.
Themes
The sign of Jonah
Jesus gives ‘the sign of the prophet Jonas’ (Matt 12:39–40) — three days and nights in the fish, three days and nights in the heart of the earth.