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About this book: Jonah

Jonah is a short story about a prophet who runs the wrong way. God sends him to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, a brutal empire that threatened Israel. Jonah boards a ship heading in the opposite direction, a storm strikes, and the sailors, who pray to their own gods, end up showing more reverence for the Lord than his prophet does. Thrown overboard, Jonah is swallowed by a great fish, prays from inside it, and is delivered. He finally preaches in Nineveh, and the whole city, from the king down, turns from violence. Then the story turns on Jonah himself, who is angry that God showed mercy. The book ends not with an answer but with a question from God, left open for the reader. Jewish tradition reads Jonah on the Day of Atonement. Christians have often read the three days in the fish as a sign pointing to Jesus. Some readers take the book as straight history, others as a carefully shaped parable; all agree on its point, that God's compassion reaches farther than ours.

Author
Not named in the book; tradition connects it with the prophet Jonah son of Amittai, mentioned in 2 Kings.
Date
The prophet lived in the eighth century BC; scholars differ on whether the book was written then or after the exile.
Audience
Israel, who needed to see that God cares about enemies too, and any reader tempted to hoard mercy.

Themes

God's mercy for enemiesRunning from God's callRepentanceGod's rule over sea and stormA question left for the reader

Outline

  1. 1:1–1:16Jonah flees and the storm comes
  2. 1:17–2:10The great fish and Jonah's prayer
  3. 3:1–3:10Nineveh hears and repents
  4. 4:1–4:11Jonah's anger and God's question

Key verses

Jonah 2:9 →Jonah 3:10 →Jonah 4:2 →Jonah 4:11 →
About this chapterGod tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, the great capital of Assyria, and cry out against its wickedness, but Jonah sails in the opposite direction toward Tarshish. The Lord hurls a great wind, and the terrified sailors call on their own gods while Jonah sleeps below. When lots point to Jonah, he confesses that he worships the God who made the sea and dry land, and tells them to throw him overboard. Reluctantly they do, the storm stops, and the sailors fear the Lord and make vows. God provides a great fish that swallows Jonah, and he remains inside three days and three nights.

God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, the great capital of Assyria, and cry out against its wickedness, but Jonah sails in the opposite direction toward Tarshish. The Lord hurls a great wind, and the terrified sailors call on their own gods while Jonah sleeps below. When lots point to Jonah, he confesses that he worships the God who made the sea and dry land, and tells them to throw him overboard. Reluctantly they do, the storm stops, and the sailors fear the Lord and make vows. God provides a great fish that swallows Jonah, and he remains inside three days and three nights.

Themes

  • Running from God
  • A storm and a confession
  • Pagans who fear the Lord
  • The great fish

Key verses

Audio Bible · Jonah 1

Listen while you go about your day.

Jonah 1

Berean Standard Bible17 verses · 2 min read

1Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2“Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.” 3Jonah, however, got up to flee to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship bound for Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went aboard to sail for Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. 4Then the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship was in danger of breaking apart. 5The sailors were afraid, and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the ship’s cargo into the sea to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down to the lowest part of the vessel, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6The captain approached him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call upon your God. Perhaps this God will consider us, so that we may not perish.” 7“Come!” said the sailors to one another. “Let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity that is upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. 8“Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?” 9“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.” 10Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. 11Now the sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Jonah, “What must we do to you to calm this sea for us?” 12“Pick me up,” he answered, “and cast me into the sea, so it may quiet down for you. For I know that I am to blame for this violent storm that has come upon you.” 13Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea was raging against them more and more. 14So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.” 15Then they picked up Jonah and cast him into the sea, and the raging sea grew calm. 16Then the men feared the LORD greatly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to Him. 17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.
Verses in Jonah 1
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