Jonah 1:2
in Jonah 1“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
KJV
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
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This verse in Jonah 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verse"Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me." Apart from that which the Septuagint translates as, "the noise of their wickedness has risen up even to me", it has translated the rest similarly. Jonah is sent to the gentiles to condemn Israel, because Nineveh had to repent, but the Israelites still persisted in their sin.
This site's exposition
the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai
on Jonah 1:1-3
The word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai identifies him with the prophet named at 2 Kings 14:25, in the reign of Jeroboam the second, which the commentators take as fixing Jonah in Israel's own history rather than in a parable with no author behind it. Nineveh is called that great city, its wickedness come up before the Lord, the same Assyrian capital that within a century would carry Israel itself away. Gill and Calvin both read the flight to Tarshish as a plain and culpable refusal of the commission rather than simple fear, the text itself naming the destination twice, from the presence of the Lord, in the space of one verse.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 20 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
For the same who had been their accuser, and who had said, that "the cry of their wickedness hath ascended up even to heaven," himself again bears testimony of an opposite kind, by saying, "God saw that every one departed from their own evil ways." He does not say, from fornication, or adultery, or theft, but from their "own evil ways." And how did they depart? As God knew, not as man judged of the matter.… These men had, moreover, gone to the extreme of wickedness before; for when you hear it said, "The cry of their wickedness is come up before me," you can understand nothing else than the excess of their wickedness. Nevertheless, within three days they were capable of being transformed to a state of complete virtue.
The Reformation1 voice
They made a profession of true religion, they boasted that they were a holy people; circumcision was also to them a symbol and a pledge of God's covenant; yet they despised all the Prophets, so that their teaching among them was wholly useless.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city,.... That is, arise from the place where he was, and leave the business he was about, and prepare for a long journey to the place mentioned, and be as expeditious in it as possible.
This great city was a wicked city: Their wickedness has come up before me (their malice, so some read it); their wickedness was presumptuous, and they sinned with a high hand. It is sad to think what a great deal of sin is committed in great cities, where there are many sinners, who are not only all sinners, but making one another sin.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Go to Nineveh - This was the capital of the Assyrian empire, and one of the most ancient cities of the world, Gen 10:10; and one of the largest, as it was three days’ journey in circumference. Ancient writers represent it as oblong; being in length one hundred and fifty stadia, and ninety in breadth, the compass being four hundred and eighty stadia. Now as the stadium is allowed to have been equal to our furlong, eight of which make a mile, this amounts to fifty-four English miles: see on Jon 3:3 (note).
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jonah, however, is sent to Nineveh, not solely for Nineveh's good, but also to shame Israel, by the fact of a heathen city repenting at the first preaching of a single stranger, Jonah, whereas God's people will not repent, though preached to by their many national prophets, late and early. Nineveh means "the residence of Ninus," that is, Nimrod.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city - The Assyrian history, as far as it has yet been discovered, is very bare of events in regard to this period. We have as yet the names of three kings only for 150 years. But Assyria, as far as we know its history, was in its meridian. Just before the time of Jonah, perhaps ending in it, were the victorious reigns of Shalmanubar and Shamasiva; after him was that of Ivalush or Pul, the first aggressor upon Israel. It is clear that this was a time Of Assyrian greatness: since God calls it “that great city,” not in relation to its extent only, but its power. A large weak city would not have been called a “great city unto God” Jon 3:3. And cry against it - The substance of that cry is recorded afterward, but God told to Jonah now, what message he was to cry aloud to it. For Jonah relates afterward, how he expostulated now with God, and that his expostulation was founded on this, that God was so merciful that He would not fulfill the judgment which He threatened. Faith was strong in Jonah, while, like Apostles “the sons of thunder,” before the Day of Pentecost, he knew not” what spirit he was of.” Zeal for the people and, as he doubtless thought, for the glory of God, narrowed love in him. He did not, like Moses, pray Exo 32:32, “or else blot me also out of Thy book,” or like Paul, desire even to be “an anathema from Christ” Rom 9:3 for his people’s sake, so that there might be more to love his Lord. His zeal was directed, like that of the rebuked Apostles, against others, and so it too was rebuked. But his faith was strong. He shrank back from the office, as believing, not as doubting, the might of God. He thought nothing of preaching, amid that multitude of wild warriors, the stern message of God. He was willing, alone, to confront the violence of a city of 600,000, whose characteristic was violence. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
..One may ask why this prophecy was included in Scripture. All of it concerns Nineveh, a gentile city. It does not mention Israel. There is no book like it among the Prophets. We might explain that it was written as an object lesson for Israel: Here is a gentile people, not Israelites, who readily repent. After the prophet reproves them once, they turn back from their wickedness in perfect repentance.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ק֠וּם | kum | arise | H6965 → | 628 times |
| לֵ֧ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| נִֽינְוֵ֛ה | ninveh | Nineveh | H5210 → | 17 times |
| הָעִ֥יר | hair | the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה | hagedolah | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וּקְרָ֣א | ukera' | and call out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| עָלֶ֑יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עָלְתָ֥ה | ʾaltah | it has come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| רָעָתָ֖ם | raatam | wickedness their | H7451 → | 662 times |
| לְפָנָֽי׃ | lefanai | <to> before me | H6440 → | 2123 times |
ק֠וּםarise
kumH6965 →628 times
לֵ֧ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
נִֽינְוֵ֛הNineveh
ninvehH5210 →17 times
הָעִ֥ירthe city
hairH5892 →1090 times
הַגְּדוֹלָ֖ה<the> great
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
וּקְרָ֣אand call out
ukera'H7121 →733 times
עָלֶ֑יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עָלְתָ֥הit has come up
ʾaltahH5927 →890 times
רָעָתָ֖םwickedness their
raatamH7451 →662 times
לְפָנָֽי׃<to> before me
lefanaiH6440 →2123 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.
it leads to
- Titus 2:15
Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.
- Hosea 8:1
Put the ram’s horn to your lips! An eagle looms over the house of the LORD, because the people have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
- Acts 20:26–27
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
- Ezekiel 3:17–21
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
- Acts 7:51–52
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.
- Titus 2:15
Through
Nahum 1:1This is the burden against Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite:
it leads to
- Zephaniah 2:13
And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
- Zephaniah 2:13
Through
Jonah 3:2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 1:17
Get yourself ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them, or I will terrify you before them.
- Ezekiel 2:7
But speak My words to them, whether they listen or refuse to listen, for they are rebellious.
- Jeremiah 1:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
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About Jonah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 1; John Calvin, Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 20; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.