Study notes

Jonah 3

Introducing JonahWho wrote it, when, why, and what to look for as you read

1:1–3:10 Section

In 2 Kings 14:25 Jonah was described as a servant of the Lord.

In the book of Jonah, God wanted Jonah to share a message of judgement. This message was against the city of Nineveh. But Jonah didn’t obey God or show respect for God. He didn’t go right away to share God’s message with the Assyrians in Nineveh. Instead, he ran away.

This was different from what the plants, animals and weather in this story did. God sent a strong wind and a huge fish. God caused a leafy plant to grow. He also sent a worm and an east wind. The plant, the animals and the wind all obeyed their Creator.

The way that Jonah treated God was also different from how the sailors treated God. The sailors weren’t Hebrew like Jonah was. They didn’t worship only God. But they did show respect for God. They showed it by crying out to God for help and by offering sacrifices to him.

Jonah’s prayer was like many poems in the book of Psalms that give thanks to God. Jonah thanked God for saving him from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. Yet Jonah didn’t admit that he had done anything wrong. He didn’t say that he was sorry for not obeying God. He didn’t ask God to forgive him.

This was different from what the king, the nobles and the people of Nineveh did. When Jonah announced God’s message of judgement, they admitted that they had done evil things. Right away they went without eating. Fasting and wearing rough clothes were common practices in that time. They were ways that people showed that they turned away from their sin and repented. The Ninevites didn’t allow their animals to have food for a time either. The king sat in the dust. This showed that he made himself humble before God. The people stopped harming others. They repented and prayed to God with all their heart. All of these actions showed how serious the Ninevites were about changing their ways.

God’s anger at their sin stopped. He showed them pity and mercy.

3:1–4:11

God commands Jonah again to preach to Nineveh. This time, Jonah obeys. Ironically, the city repents, just as Jonah feared, and he becomes angry with God.

3:3

  • an exceedingly great city, requiring a three-day journey: God wanted to save this vast city, full of people and resources (Jonah 4:11). Jonah opposed God's desire (see Jonah 4:2, 10–11).

  • The city was about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) in distance around it. It would not have taken three days to walk around the city itself. This description likely refers to the time Jonah needed to travel through the city and share his message. It may also include nearby villages along with the main city.

3:4

Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!: Jonah's message did not seem to include a condition, such as "But if you repent, God will not destroy you" (note the king’s uncertainty in Jonah 3:9). However, Jonah knew God wanted people to repent instead of being destroyed (Jonah 3:10; 4:2).

3:5–6

  • For the second time in this short book, non-believers respond positively to the Lord (compare Jonah 1:16).

  • In ancient Israel, people often fasted during prayer and repentance in difficult times (see 2 Samuel 1:12; Nehemiah 1:4). Wearing burlap and sitting on ashes often showed mourning and deep repentance (see Genesis 37:34; Job 16:15; Lamentations 2:10). The Assyrians had similar customs. These actions allowed people to show their grief in a visible way for everyone, including God, to see.

  • The repentance of the Ninevites criticized the stubbornness of people in the time of Jesus (Matthew 12:41).

3:6

The king of Nineveh may have been a local ruler who governed the city. It is also possible that he was the king of Assyria, who at times used Nineveh as a center of royal rule (compare 2 Kings 19:9–13).

3:7–8

By including animals in fasting and mourning rituals, the king showed the seriousness of the situation. He wanted everyone to stop normal activities to pray and change their bad behavior. Violence was the main problem in their society.

3:10

He relented: If the people of Nineveh had not repented, God would have destroyed them (Jonah 3:4). But God was ready to show mercy when they repented (see Jonah 4:2, 11). In God's view, this change did not reverse his original plan, because he always considered the possibility of mercy. This change does not affect God's ability to know the future.

Historically, the church has believed that God fully knows the future (see Psalm 139:4; Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 2:28–29; Matthew 24:36). Nothing in this account contradicts that belief.

Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources