Jonah and the City of Nineveh
Told to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, Jonah buys a ticket to Tarshish in the opposite direction. A storm nearly breaks the ship; the pagan sailors pray, cast lots, and try to row to land before reluctantly throwing him overboard at his own suggestion. He is swallowed by a great fish and prays from inside it.
On the second commission he goes, and delivers the shortest recorded sermon in scripture — forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown. The whole city repents, from the king to the livestock, and the threatened judgment is called off.
The last chapter is where the book's argument lands. Jonah is furious that God relented, and admits this is exactly why he ran. The book ends not with a lesson but with a question about whether God should not care about a city of a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left.
Where in scripture
[1] Now Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before me.” [3] But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. [4] But Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break up. [5] Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and was fast asleep. …
Jonah 1:1–17 — opening verses
[1] Yahweh’s word came to Jonah the second time, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I give you.” [3] So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to Yahweh’s word. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey across. [4] Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty days, Nineveh will be overthrown!” [5] The people of Nineveh believed God; and they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest even to their least. [6] The news reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. …
Jonah 3:1–10 — opening verses
[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. [2] He prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please, Yahweh, wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country? Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm. [3] Therefore now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” [4] Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” [5] Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat under it in the shade, until he might see what would become of the city. …
Jonah 4:1–11 — opening verses
[38] Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” [39] But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.
Matthew 12:38–41
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
