Jonah; an ancient short story with a moral lesson

[MoreCoffee]

My bible has an interesting observation or two to make about the canonical book of the prophet Jonah. Take the time to read the introduction and let me know what you think ....

The story of Jonah has great theological import. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvellous manner, and returned to his starting point. Now he obeys and goes to Nineveh, the capital of Israel’s ancient enemy. The Ninevites listen to his message of doom and repent immediately. All, from king to lowliest subject, humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God does not carry out the punishment planned for them. At this, Jonah complains, angry because the Lord spares them. This fascinating story caricatures a narrow mentality which would see God’s interest extending only to Israel, whereas God is presented as concerned with and merciful to even the inhabitants of Nineveh (4:11), the capital of the Assyrian empire which brought the Northern Kingdom of Israel to an end and devastated Jerusalem in 701. The Lord is free to “repent” and change his mind. Jonah seems to realize this possibility and wants no part in it (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6). But the story also conveys something of the ineluctable character of the prophetic calling.

The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humour lies. The name “Jonah” means “dove” in Hebrew, but Jonah’s character is anything but dove-like. Jonah is commanded to go east to Nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point (1:2–3), only to be swallowed by a great fish and dumped back at this starting point (2:1, 11). The sailors pray to their gods, but Jonah is asleep in the hold (1:5–6). The prophet’s preaching is a minimum message of destruction, while it is the king of Nineveh who calls for repentance and conversion (3:4–10); the instant conversion of the Ninevites is greeted by Jonah with anger and sulking (4:1). He reproaches the Lord in words that echo Israel’s traditional praise of his mercy (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6–7). Jonah is concerned about the loss of the gourd but not about the possible destruction of 120,000 Ninevites (4:10–11).

Unlike other prophetic books, this is not a collection of oracles but the story of a disobedient, narrow-minded prophet who is angry at the outcome of the sole message he delivers (3:4). It is difficult to date but almost certainly is post-exilic and may reflect the somewhat narrow, nationalistic reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. As to genre, it has been classified in various ways, such as parable or satire. The “sign” of Jonah is interpreted in two ways in the New Testament: His experience of three days and nights in the fish is a “type” of the experience of the Son of Man (Mt 12:39–40), and the Ninevites’ reaction to the preaching of Jonah is contrasted with the failure of Jesus’ generation to obey the preaching of one who is “greater than Jonah” (Mt 12:41–42; Lk 11:29–32).

The Book of Jonah may be divided as follows:

• Jonah’s Disobedience and Flight (1:1–16)
• Jonah’s Prayer (2:1–11)
• Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance (3:1–10)
• Jonah’s Anger and God’s Reproof (4:1–11)

-- Authors, Various (2011-06-06). Catholic New American Bible, Revised Edition. ​

I'd hazard the guess that one who knows Hebrew and read the book in Hebrew may notice the ironic name and the comedic actions in the book ... but one who reads it as holy writ is likely to lose the humorous aspects of the book in the serious characteristic spirit of their religion.

 

[ron4shua]

Greetings Brother MoreCoffee , I perceive the story of Jonah as a two fold lesson .

The first and most prominent , a key in the propitiation fulfillment of YAHweh's promise .

The Second , only by having to list the two . Is a Doctorate in picturing the human psyche.

The servant ron .

 

[~Anastasia~]

Thinking back to the first time I read the book of Jonah, it struck me as perhaps more surprising and ironic than necessarily humorous, but even then it was borderline humor.

The very idea of his reaction to run in the opposite direction was the first thing that really struck me, and then at the end when he is impudent enough to complain to God about the loss of a tree, when he wasn't even willing to be part of the reprieve of the life of many thousands of human beings ... and not the least of which that throughout the book, Jonah struck me almost as a sulky child.

If we contrast the reaction of the Ninevites with Israel in Christ's day, and see Jonah as a type of Christ being "buried" for three days, then surely I think we also need to contrast the attitude of Jonah and Christ as they are about as far opposite as possible.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Jonah is like the comic relief of the bible. Full of types that even Jesus pointed out. The 3 days in the whale were probably the only thing that was similar other than the name dove. He was supposed to go out in peace to the gentiles and ended up being swallowed and vomited out. The part with the gourd bush I found very prejudiced on his part. Much like the elder and prodigal sons

Jonah’s Anger
4 But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is not this what I said while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. 3 And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” 5 Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.

6 The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. 7 But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. 8 When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah Is Reproved
9 But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” 10 Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. 11 And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Could it be that because the Jews responded to God wrongly the Gentiles were the first to enjoy God in His salvation
Matt 21:28, Acts 13:45-48,Rom 11:11, 17,25

 

[graceandpeace]

I love how God's mercy completes the story. Not only did He show mercy to a "wicked" people, but He was merciful to His servant who barely obeyed & reluctantly at that - who also would have rather condemned the "wicked" even after they repented. All of us are undeserving, yet God's love is great.

 

[SolomonVII]

..

 

[SolomonVII]

As a prophet, Jonah could very conceivably have been aware of 'what happens next'. especially since the Book of Jonah has been dated by most scholars to have been written at the same time as the explicitly nationalist books in the Bible, Nehemiah and Ezra.

Jonah was an Israelite, and not a Judean, so the salvation of Nineveh spelled out the doom of the ten tribes of Israel, and their dispersal to the four corners of the earth.


The gourd was symbolic of the removal of unmerited mercy for Jonah, but it would also be a prophecy of the removal of the unmerited mercy of God from the entire nation of Israel very soon after the events of the book, and the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians of Nineveh, a people that did not 'know their right hand from their left', a people with much cattle and wealth to be sure, but a people that introduced the cruelty of crucifixion to the world as well.

The books centres on the very problematic relationship between justice and mercy. Jonah is quite correct to assess that a world without justice is a bad joke, and left him wanting to die. God demonstrates to him that a world without mercy, even unmerited mercy, would be equally unlivable.
Knowing one's right hand from one's left, as the people of Israel, specifically chosen and trained by God himself, was not sufficient for salvation., not sufficient for unmerited mercy to take effect.
Repentance on the other hand, is a sufficient condition for God to be merciful, as long as there is some potential of great things. The Ninevites had potential. They had the wealth of many cattle. There was the possibility that this potential could lead to great things.

Jesus carried the same prophecy for the Judeans as Jonah had carried for the Israelites centuries before. Their destruction was all but assured, as the mercy of God passes from the Judean to the gentiles, as Rome repents and becomes Christianized, and simultaneously destroys Judah as the Ninevites had already destroyed Samaria.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I love how God's mercy completes the story. Not only did He show mercy to a "wicked" people, but He was merciful to His servant who barely obeyed & reluctantly at that - who also would have rather condemned the "wicked" even after they repented. All of us are undeserving, yet God's love is great.

I have to agree, that's the best part.

 

[~Anastasia~]

As a prophet, Jonah could very conceivably have been aware of 'what happens next'. especially since the Book of Jonah has been dated by most scholars to have been written at the same time as the explicitly nationalist books in the Bible, Nehemiah and Ezra.

Jonah was an Israelite, and not a Judean, so the salvation of Nineveh spelled out the doom of the ten tribes of Israel, and their dispersal to the four corners of the earth.


The gourd was symbolic of the removal of unmerited mercy for Jonah, but it would also be a prophecy of the removal of the unmerited mercy of God from the entire nation of Israel very soon after the events of the book, and the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians of Nineveh, a people that did not 'know their right hand from their left', a people with much cattle and wealth to be sure, but a people that introduced the cruelty of crucifixion to the world as well.

The books centres on the very problematic relationship between justice and mercy. Jonah is quite correct to assess that a world without justice is a bad joke, and left him wanting to die. God demonstrates to him that a world without mercy, even unmerited mercy, would be equally unlivable.
Knowing one's right hand from one's left, as the people of Israel, specifically chosen and trained by God himself, was not sufficient for salvation., not sufficient for unmerited mercy to take effect.
Repentance on the other hand, is a sufficient condition for God to be merciful, as long as there is some potential of great things. The Ninevites had potential. They had the wealth of many cattle. There was the possibility that this potential could lead to great things.

Jesus carried the same prophecy for the Judeans as Jonah had carried for the Israelites centuries before. Their destruction was all but assured, as the mercy of God passes from the Judean to the gentiles, as Rome repents and becomes Christianized, and simultaneously destroys Judah as the Ninevites had already destroyed Samaria.

Hmmmmmm.

That's very interesting. Thanks for the post. I had not considered the repetition on so many levels of what happened with Christ.

I also especially appreciate the part I bolded in your reply.

Thanks - that was good to read.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Wasn't Nehemiah & Ezra's time about 300 years after Israel was deported by Assyria?

 

[MKJ]

I'd hazard the guess that one who knows Hebrew and read the book in Hebrew may notice the ironic name and the comedic actions in the book ... but one who reads it as holy writ is likely to lose the humorous aspects of the book in the serious characteristic spirit of their religion.

Humour I think is not only difficult to translate between languages, it can be difficult to translate between cultures.

I remember once hearing Stephen Fry speak when he was giving an introduction to an episode of Jeeves and Wooster, and he mentioned how differently the english and Americans responded to men dressed up as women. The British in general find it utterly hilarious, whereas the Americans often don't, and sometimes regard it as suspicious.

I can only imagine that humour in a different language, from a very different culture that lived thousands of years ago, would be less than obvious to us today.

 

[GratiaCorpusChristi]

My bible has an interesting observation or two to make about the canonical book of the prophet Jonah. Take the time to read the introduction and let me know what you think ....

The story of Jonah has great theological import. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvellous manner, and returned to his starting point. Now he obeys and goes to Nineveh, the capital of Israel’s ancient enemy. The Ninevites listen to his message of doom and repent immediately. All, from king to lowliest subject, humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God does not carry out the punishment planned for them. At this, Jonah complains, angry because the Lord spares them. This fascinating story caricatures a narrow mentality which would see God’s interest extending only to Israel, whereas God is presented as concerned with and merciful to even the inhabitants of Nineveh (4:11), the capital of the Assyrian empire which brought the Northern Kingdom of Israel to an end and devastated Jerusalem in 701. The Lord is free to “repent” and change his mind. Jonah seems to realize this possibility and wants no part in it (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6). But the story also conveys something of the ineluctable character of the prophetic calling.

The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humour lies. The name “Jonah” means “dove” in Hebrew, but Jonah’s character is anything but dove-like. Jonah is commanded to go east to Nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point (1:2–3), only to be swallowed by a great fish and dumped back at this starting point (2:1, 11). The sailors pray to their gods, but Jonah is asleep in the hold (1:5–6). The prophet’s preaching is a minimum message of destruction, while it is the king of Nineveh who calls for repentance and conversion (3:4–10); the instant conversion of the Ninevites is greeted by Jonah with anger and sulking (4:1). He reproaches the Lord in words that echo Israel’s traditional praise of his mercy (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6–7). Jonah is concerned about the loss of the gourd but not about the possible destruction of 120,000 Ninevites (4:10–11).

Unlike other prophetic books, this is not a collection of oracles but the story of a disobedient, narrow-minded prophet who is angry at the outcome of the sole message he delivers (3:4). It is difficult to date but almost certainly is post-exilic and may reflect the somewhat narrow, nationalistic reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. As to genre, it has been classified in various ways, such as parable or satire. The “sign” of Jonah is interpreted in two ways in the New Testament: His experience of three days and nights in the fish is a “type” of the experience of the Son of Man (Mt 12:39–40), and the Ninevites’ reaction to the preaching of Jonah is contrasted with the failure of Jesus’ generation to obey the preaching of one who is “greater than Jonah” (Mt 12:41–42; Lk 11:29–32).

The Book of Jonah may be divided as follows:

• Jonah’s Disobedience and Flight (1:1–16)
• Jonah’s Prayer (2:1–11)
• Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance (3:1–10)
• Jonah’s Anger and God’s Reproof (4:1–11)

-- Authors, Various (2011-06-06). Catholic New American Bible, Revised Edition. ​

I'd hazard the guess that one who knows Hebrew and read the book in Hebrew may notice the ironic name and the comedic actions in the book ... but one who reads it as holy writ is likely to lose the humorous aspects of the book in the serious characteristic spirit of their religion.

We studied the Hebrew of Jonah 1 in seminary, and there is a good deal of humor in the first chapter.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

My bible has an interesting observation or two to make about the canonical book of the prophet Jonah. Take the time to read the introduction and let me know what you think ....

The story of Jonah has great theological import. It concerns a disobedient prophet who rejected his divine commission, was cast overboard in a storm and swallowed by a great fish, rescued in a marvellous manner, and returned to his starting point. Now he obeys and goes to Nineveh, the capital of Israel’s ancient enemy. The Ninevites listen to his message of doom and repent immediately. All, from king to lowliest subject, humble themselves in sackcloth and ashes. Seeing their repentance, God does not carry out the punishment planned for them. At this, Jonah complains, angry because the Lord spares them. This fascinating story caricatures a narrow mentality which would see God’s interest extending only to Israel, whereas God is presented as concerned with and merciful to even the inhabitants of Nineveh (4:11), the capital of the Assyrian empire which brought the Northern Kingdom of Israel to an end and devastated Jerusalem in 701. The Lord is free to “repent” and change his mind. Jonah seems to realize this possibility and wants no part in it (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6). But the story also conveys something of the ineluctable character of the prophetic calling.

The book is replete with irony, wherein much of its humour lies. The name “Jonah” means “dove” in Hebrew, but Jonah’s character is anything but dove-like. Jonah is commanded to go east to Nineveh but flees toward the westernmost possible point (1:2–3), only to be swallowed by a great fish and dumped back at this starting point (2:1, 11). The sailors pray to their gods, but Jonah is asleep in the hold (1:5–6). The prophet’s preaching is a minimum message of destruction, while it is the king of Nineveh who calls for repentance and conversion (3:4–10); the instant conversion of the Ninevites is greeted by Jonah with anger and sulking (4:1). He reproaches the Lord in words that echo Israel’s traditional praise of his mercy (4:2; cf. Ex 34:6–7). Jonah is concerned about the loss of the gourd but not about the possible destruction of 120,000 Ninevites (4:10–11).

Unlike other prophetic books, this is not a collection of oracles but the story of a disobedient, narrow-minded prophet who is angry at the outcome of the sole message he delivers (3:4). It is difficult to date but almost certainly is post-exilic and may reflect the somewhat narrow, nationalistic reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. As to genre, it has been classified in various ways, such as parable or satire. The “sign” of Jonah is interpreted in two ways in the New Testament: His experience of three days and nights in the fish is a “type” of the experience of the Son of Man (Mt 12:39–40), and the Ninevites’ reaction to the preaching of Jonah is contrasted with the failure of Jesus’ generation to obey the preaching of one who is “greater than Jonah” (Mt 12:41–42; Lk 11:29–32).

The Book of Jonah may be divided as follows:

• Jonah’s Disobedience and Flight (1:1–16)
• Jonah’s Prayer (2:1–11)
• Jonah’s Obedience and the Ninevites’ Repentance (3:1–10)
• Jonah’s Anger and God’s Reproof (4:1–11)

-- Authors, Various (2011-06-06). Catholic New American Bible, Revised Edition. ​

I'd hazard the guess that one who knows Hebrew and read the book in Hebrew may notice the ironic name and the comedic actions in the book ... but one who reads it as holy writ is likely to lose the humorous aspects of the book in the serious characteristic spirit of their religion.

If I may say,

I think the story of Jonah - beyond the things noted here in the OP - is really a story of racial reconcilliation. For it was the sin of racism and wishing genocide on an entire nation that bothered God enough to test Jonah in Jonah 3-4 and get Jonah to realize where he had no right to wish for God to bring destruction on the people.......

Some of this makes sense when reading the words of Christ and seeing the reaction against him for praising Gentile groups. Reading Luke 4:14-28 with Jesus referencing Gentiles like Naaman the Syrian(from II Kings 5 - as he as from Damascus/Syria - at war with Israel at the time)) and the Widow from Sidon (as examples of others God favored) before the Jews in temple went from celebrating Him to wanting to kill him in an instance - perhaps Jesus was trying to give them the opportunity to see that they were prejudiced so that he could truly help them - for Jesus quoted Isaiah 60 to them and they cheered him on. But it'd make no difference speaking on Isaiah 60 with "The SPirit of the Soverign Lord is on me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor".....having the crowd say "That's an awesome message!! Thank God for bringing us salvation"..and yet never being practical on it because they didn't see how Jesus's mission applied to the same people they said they didn't belong to. Didn't matter if they felt Gentiles oppressed them or harmed them (just like a lot of blacks feel in churches that despise all whites rather than wanting them to be a part of their services because they still blame all for what occurred with others - and think God's more concerned with them in their struggle rather than everyone...as one part of the body hurting means all hurt). Jesus wanted the people to see what God's mission was always meant to apply to - all believers - and to see how they were connected with Gentiles ...but they were upset because of their prejudices.

Just like the prophet Jonah ( 2 Kings 14:25 ) was when wanting all of Ninevah/Assyria(enemies of Israel, Nahum 3:1-4) - similar to having a Jewish man in New York during World War II hearing God say, ‘I’m going to bring terrible judgment on Germany and I want you to go to Berlin and tell Nazi Germany to repent..and that I love them" - but being embittered and, instead of doing it, heading for San Francisco and then hoping on a boat for Hong Kong...never realizing that he was just as corrupt in his actions as the people he may've felt did the same. Jonah had a big issue with prejudice in exalting his people's problems as being "worthy of mercy" - but thinking of Assyria as the same, with having others there who had families...struggles...and didn't know in many ways what was right just like the Hebrews had times of doing the same when they asked for God's Mercy - and I find myself being like Jonah when the Lord had to come to him/remind him that people are people and God loves them all ( Jonah 4:1-4 ).

And I was shocked when studying up on Eastern Christianity and discovering that the Assyrian Church of the East - one of the prominent Churches to spread Christiantiy in antiquity ( with remarkable missionary enterprise in Christian history, reaching to China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan and the Philippines ) and with people suffering IMMENSE persecution for Christ-- well they remembered what the Lord did with Assyria and helped to pave the way for them to preach the Gospel...and they were thankful how the Lord used Jonah to impact their ancestors. I really had to pause/think how much Jonah's prejudice may've cost.

So for Jonah - technically the first true missionary to Gentiles for Israel - his racism was something the Lord had to place in check in order for him to save others the way that God meant.