JONAH 3:1 Jonah’s Recommissioning and Compliance. The fourth episode parallels Jonah 1:1 and focuses on the question, “What will happen to the Ninevites?” (see note on 1:1–3). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:3 Jonah and the Pagan Ninevites. The fifth episode parallels the second (Jonah 1:4) and focuses on how the pagan Ninevites, just like the pagan sailors, respond to God’s word. The structure follows the pattern of repentance found elsewhere in the OT: (1) message of divine judgm... [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:4 YET FORTY DAYS, AND NINEVEH SHALL BE OVERTHROWN! Although the warning sounds like a promise, a condition was implied. If the people repent, God will relent (see v. Jonah 3:9; Jonah 4:2). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length... [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:6 The WORD that REACHED THE KING OF NINEVEH was the “word” of the Lord (see Jonah 1:1; Jonah 3:1, Jonah 3:3). The “king of Nineveh” was probably not the king of Assyria, since Nineveh was not an Assyrian capital in Jonah’s day. ⇐ ⇔... [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:7 ISSUED A PROCLAMATION. It is likely that v. Jonah 3:5 and vv. Jonah 3:6 are in topical rather than chronological order. By putting the people’s response ahead of the king’s order, the author underscores that they are responding to Jonah’s message, not just to the king’s comma... [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:9 WHO KNOWS? expresses hope that GOD MAY TURN AND RELENT. The phrase WE MAY NOT PERISH marks the third time a pagan has been concerned that people not perish (compare Jonah 1:14 and note on 1:6). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len= [ Continue Reading ]
JONAH—NOTE ON JONAH 3:10 TURNED FROM THEIR EVIL WAY, GOD RELENTED OF THE DISASTER. “Evil” and “disaster” translate the same Hebrew word (see note on 1:2). The repetition of the same word shows the close connection between human action and divine response. God did not carry out the threatened disaste... [ Continue Reading ]