Jonah Chapter 1

The book of Jonah is not prophecy, as the books we have been studying. This is an
account of Jonah's call to minister at Nineveh, and his reaction to that call. He really
did not want to answer God's call to minister in Nineveh. We find that God has ways
of getting him to answer His call.

Jonah was from Galilee. He ministered during the reign of Jeroboam the second. The
name "Jonah" means dove. The lesson we can learn from this is the danger that lies
ahead for us, when we do not do the will of God for our lives. We can also receive the
message, in God's sight all men are worth saving, not just the ones we choose. Jesus
said it best in the following Scripture.

Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature."

Jonah 1:1 "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai,
saying,"

“Jonah” (Dove), “the son of Amittai” (Truth): Nothing further is known of the
prophet’s identity except the reference made to him (in 2 Kings 14:25).

“Amittai”: Jonah’s father’s name of Amittai means “truthful” or “loyal.”

Many believe the account of Jonah was not an actual happening, but Jesus mentions it
in the New Testament and verifies it. Amittai was of the tribe of Zebulun.

Jonah 1:2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their
wickedness is come up before me."
“Arise, go to Nineveh”: While other prophets prophesied against Gentile nations, this
is the only case of a prophet actually being sent to a foreign nation to deliver God’s
message against them. This was for the salvation of that city and for the shame and
jealousy of Israel, as well as a rebuke to the reluctance of the Jews to bring Gentiles to
the true God.

The name Nineveh is thought to derive from “ninus,” i.e., Nimrod, and means the
residence of Nimrod or “nunu” (Akkadian for “fish”). The people worshiped the fish
goddess Nanshe (the daughter of Ea, the goddess of fresh water), and Dagon the fish
god who was represented as half man and half fish.
This is a call of God to Jonah, to go and minister in Nineveh. Nineveh was the capital
of Assyria. Nineveh was founded by Nimrod. It is believed the city had well over
600,000 people living there, so it was a large city.

Jonah 1:3 "But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the
LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he
paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from
the presence of the LORD."

“But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish”: This is the only recorded instance of a
prophet refusing God’s commission (Jer. 20:7-9).

Jonah wanted nothing to do with these Gentiles, and he fled from God, so he would
not have to go. In fact, he went away from Nineveh, instead of toward it. He has
turned his back on the call of God. He was sent to the Far East, and he fled to the
west.

He was running from the face of God. He should have known, there was no place far
enough to go to get away from God. He booked passage on a ship to get himself away
from this call of God. Many of us have run from the call of God. We should pay
special attention to this book.

Jonah 1:4 “But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a
mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken."

“A great wind”: This is not an ordinary storm, but an extreme one set (“hurled”), from
God. Sailors, accustomed to storms, were afraid of this one (verse 5), a fear which
served God’s purpose (Psalm 104:4).

God is in control of the wind and the sea. He controls all natural elements of the earth.
God causes the wind to come up so strong, that the ship is about to break up and sink.

Jonah 1:5 "Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god,
and cast forth the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of
them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was
fast asleep."

"Then the mariners were afraid": Perceiving that the storm was not ordinary, but a
supernatural one; and that the ship and all in it were in extreme danger, and no
probability of being saved. This shows that the storm must be very violent, to frighten
such men who were used to the sea, and to storms, and were naturally bold and
intrepid.
"And cried every man to his god": To help them, and save them out of their distress.
In the ship it seems were men of different nations, and who worshipped different
gods. It was a notion of the Jews, and which Jarchi mentions as his own, that there
were men of the seventy nations of the earth in it. And as each of them had a different
god, they separately called upon them.

"And cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them": Or,
"the wares", a word the Hebrews use for all sorts of goods, utensils, etc. It includes,
with others, their military weapons they had to defend themselves, and their
provisions, the ship's stores or goods it was loaded with.

"But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship": Into one of its sides, into a
cabin there; the lowest side, as the Targum.

"And he lay, and was fast asleep": It may seem strange he should when the wind was
so strong and boisterous. The sea roaring; the waves beating; the ship rolling about;
the mariners hurrying from place to place, and calling to each other to do their duty;
and the passengers crying.

And, above all, that he should fall into so sound a sleep and continue in it, when he
had such a guilty conscience. This shows that he was asleep in a spiritual as well as in
a corporeal sense.

These mariners were used to storms on the sea. This had to be an unusually bad storm,
to cause them to fear for their lives. They threw out the cargo, and began to pray to
their gods. Here gods are plural, because they were of different cultures, and they
worshipped the gods of their country. They did not know the True God.

Jonah had slipped to the bottom of the ship and was sound asleep. He was exhausted
from running from God, and slept very deeply. He felt as if he had safely gotten away
from the call of God.

Jonah 1:6 "So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest
thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us,
that we perish not."

“The shipmaster”: Either the captain or the pilot.

“Arise, call upon thy God”: He supposed that Jonah had his god, as well as they had
theirs. And that, as the danger was imminent, every man should use the influence he
had, as they were all equally involved in it.
Everyone was praying but Jonah, and the ship was in so much danger of sinking, that
the shipmaster woke Jonah to help pray. It is interesting that even though these people
did not know the True God, they were aware that this was a judgment of God.

Jonah 1:7 "And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that
we may know for whose cause this evil [is] upon us. So they cast lots, and the lot
fell upon Jonah."

“Cast lots”: The last resort is to ascertain whose guilt has caused such divine anger.
God could reveal His will by controlling the lots, which He did. This method of
discernment by casting lots, the exact procedure of which is not known, was not
forbidden in Israel (Prov. 16:33; Joshua 7:14; 15:1; 1 Sam. 14:36-45; Acts 1:26).

"So they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah": Through the overruling providence
and disposing hand of God, which attended this affair. For, not to inquire whether the
use of the lot was lawful or not or whether performed in that serious and solemn
manner as it should be, if used at all.

They felt this sudden storm of such great magnitude was punishment from God on
someone aboard the ship. They cast lots to find out who it was, and God revealed to
them that it was Jonah.

Jonah 1:8 "Then said they unto him, Tell us, we pray thee, for whose cause this
evil [is] upon us; What [is] thine occupation? And whence comest thou? what [is]
thy country? and of what people [art] thou?"

"Then they said unto him, tell us, we pray thee": They did not fall upon him at once in
an outrageous manner, and throw him overboard. As it might be thought such men
would have done, considering what they had suffered and lost by means of him. But
they use him with great respect, tenderness, and kindness. And implore him to tell
them:

"For whose cause this evil was upon them": For their inquiry was not about the person
for whose cause it was; that was determined by the lot; but on what account it was.
What sin it was he had been guilty of, which was the cause of it. For they supposed
some great sin must be committed, that had brought down the vengeance of God in
such a manner.

"What is thine occupation?" What trade or business? This question they put, to know
whether he had any, or was an idle man; or rather, whether it was an honest and
lawful employment. Whether it was by fraud or violence, by thieving and stealing, he
got his livelihood; or by conjuring, and using the magic art.
Or else the inquiry was about his present business, what he was going about. What he
was to do at Tarshish when he came there. Whether he was not upon some ill design,
and sent on an unlawful errand, and going to do some ill thing, for which vengeance
pursued him, and stopped him.

"And whence comest thou? What is thy country? “And of what people art thou?"
Which questions seem to relate to the same thing, what nation he was of. And put by
different persons, who were eager to learn what countryman he was, that they might
know who was the God he worshipped, and guess at the crime he had been guilty of.

They were extremely frightened for their lives, and when the lot fell on Jonah, they
began to question him. They thought he might speak for himself, and perhaps, repent
of whatever he was guilty of, so as to appease God. They gave him an opportunity to
explain, by answering these questions.

Jonah 1:9 "And he said unto them, I [am] an Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the
God of heaven, which hath made the sea and the dry [land]."

“I am an Hebrew”: Jonah identified himself by the name that Israelites used among
Gentiles (1 Sam. 4:6, 9; 14:11).

“The LORD, the God of heaven”: This title, in use from earliest times (Gen. 24:3, 7),
may have been specifically chosen by Jonah to express the sovereignty of the Lord in
contrast to Baal, who was a sky god (1 Kings 18:24).

Spoken to sailors who were most likely from Phoenicia, the center of Baal worship.
The title bears significant weight, especially when coupled with the phrase “who
made the sea and the dry land.”

This was the appropriate identification when introducing the true and living God to
pagans who didn’t have Scripture, but whose reason led them to recognize the fact
that there had to be a Creator (Rom. 1:18-23).

To begin with creation (as in Acts 14:14-17 and 17:23b-29), was the proper starting
point. To evangelize Jews, one can begin with the Old Testament Scripture.

Jonah was proud of the fact he was a Hebrew. He even says, he fears the LORD. One
thing in his favor, he does acknowledge God. He even explains that God created the
sea and the dry land.

Jonah 1:10 "Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast
thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD,
because he had told them."
“I fear the Lord”: In this Jonah was faithful. He gave an honest testimony concerning
the God he served, which placed him before the eyes of the sailors as infinitely higher
than the objects of their adoration.

For the God of Jonah was the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land, and
governed both. He also honestly told them that he was fleeing from the presence of
this God, whose honorable call he had refused to obey.

It appears, when he booked passage, he had admitted to some of the sailors that he
was running from God. Now, they want to know why he had brought this terrible
storm upon them.

Verses 11-12: Unwilling to go to Nineveh and feeling guilty, Jonah was willing to
sacrifice himself in an effort to save the lives of others. Apparently, he would rather
have died than go to Nineveh.

Jonah 1:11 “Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea
may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous."

“What shall we do unto thee”? They knew him to be a prophet; they ask him the mind
of his God. The lots had marked out Jonah as the cause of the storm; Jonah had
himself admitted it, and that the storm was for "his" cause, and came from "his" God.

"That the sea may be calm unto us?" Or "silent, for the waves made a hideous roaring,
and lifted up themselves so high, as was terrible to behold. And dashed with such
vehemence against the ship, as threatened it every moment with destruction.

"For the sea wrought, and was tempestuous": It was agitated to and fro, and was in a
great ferment, and grew more and more stormy and tempestuous. Jonah's confession
of his sin, and true repentance for it, were not sufficient; more must be done to
appease an angry God; and what that was the sailors desired to know.

It is interesting to me, that they had enough respect for Jonah's God, that they asked
Jonah to speak his own punishment. They knew something must be done to save their
lives.

Jonah 1:12 "And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea;
so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest
[is] upon you."
“Cast me forth into the sea” has been taken by some to indicate his repentance and
heroic faith. However, his statement could well indicate the intensity of his
disobedience: he would rather die that repent and go to Nineveh.

Jonah was aware that God had brought this storm, because of his disobedience. He
also realizes if he stays on board, they will all perish. He offers to give his life to save
the sailors. He will not take his own life, but will take the rightful punishment for
disobeying God. He asks them to throw him into the sea.

Verses 13-14: Heathen sailors had more concern for one man that Jonah had for tens
of thousands in Nineveh. The storm, Jonah’s words, and the lots all indicated to the
sailors that the Lord was involved. Thus they offered sacrifices to Him and made
vows, indicating Jonah had told them more about God than is recorded here.

Jonah 1:13 "Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring [it] to the land; but they
could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them."

"Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to bring it to the land, but they could not": Or,
"they digged"; that is, in the waters of the sea with their oars; not by casting anchor, as
Abendana. They used all their skill and exerted all their strength; they labored with all
their might and main, as a man digs in a pit.

They rowed against wind and tide. God, his purposes and providence, were against
them; and it was not possible for them to make land, and get the ship ashore. Which
they were desirous of, to save the life of Jonah, as well as their own.

For, seeing him penitent, they had compassion on him. His character and profession as
a prophet, the gravity of the man, the sedateness of his countenance, his openness of
mind, and his willingness to die, wrought greatly upon the men.

That they would gladly have saved him if they could. And perhaps being Heathens,
and not knowing thoroughly the nature of his offence, might think he did not deserve
to die. But all their endeavors to save him were to no purpose.

"For the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them": It grew more and more so.
The storm beat right against them, and drove them back faster than they came; so that
it was impossible to stand against it.

Simply, they tried to save Jonah, but they could not. They rowed as hard as they
could, but the wind God had sent was stronger, and they could do nothing.
Jonah 1:14 "Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O
LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not upon us
innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee."
"Wherefore they cried unto the Lord": Not unto their gods, but unto the true Jehovah,
the God of Jonah, and of the Hebrews. Whom they now, by this providence, and
Jonah's discourse, had some convictions and knowledge of as the true God. And
therefore direct their prayer to him, before they cast the prophet into the sea.

"And said, we beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee": Which repetition shows the
ardent, vehemence, and earnestness of their minds in prayer.

"Let us not perish for this man's life": They were in the utmost perplexity of mind, not
knowing well what to do. They saw they must perish by the storm, if they saved his
life; and they were afraid they should perish if they took it away.

And which yet they were obliged to do; and therefore, had no other way left but to
pray to the Lord they might not perish for it. Or it be reckoned as their crime, and
imputed to them, as follows.

"And lay not upon us innocent blood": For so it was to them; he had done no hurt to
them since he had been with them, except in being the cause of the storm, whereby
they had suffered the loss of their goods. However, had not been guilty of anything
worthy of death, as they could observe.

And as for his offence against God, they were not sufficient judges of, and must leave
it with him. The light of nature teaches men to be tender of the lives of fellow
creatures, and to avoid shedding of innocent blood.

"For thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee": It appeared to them to be the will of
God that he should be cast into the sea; from the storm that was raised on his account.
From the determination of the lot; from the confession of Jonah, and his declaration of
the will of God in this matter.

As a prophet of his, they did not pretend to account for it. It was a secret to them why
it should be; but it was no other than what he would have done. And therefore, they
hoped no blame would be laid on them.

They really did not want to kill Jonah. They had to do something to save their own
lives, however. They did not want to be guilty of murder either. They begged God to
not hold them responsible for his death. They even remind God, that He brought the
storm up.
Jonah 1:15 "So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea
ceased from her raging."

“The sea ceased”: This was similar to Christ’s quieting the storm on the Sea of Galilee
(Matthew 8:23-27).

The fact that the sea stopped raging suddenly showed them they had done the right
thing by throwing Jonah overboard. They had not thrown him over in anger, but to
save all of them from drowning. The suddenness is like the sea ceasing to roar, when
Jesus spoke and told the sea to be still. God controls the sea and the wind.

Jonah 1:16 "Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice
unto the LORD, and made vows."

"Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly": This was not a natural fear, as before,
but a religious one. And not a servile fear, or a fear of punishment, but a reverential
godly fear. For they feared him, not only because they saw his power in raising and
stilling the tempest, but his goodness to them in saving them.

"And offered a sacrifice unto the Lord": A spiritual sacrifice. The sacrifice of praise
and thanksgiving for a safe deliverance from the storm. For other sorts of sacrifice
they seemed not to have materials for; since they had thrown overboard what they had
in the ship to lighten it, unless there might be anything left fit for this purpose. Rather,
it is to be understood as a ceremonial sacrifice.

"And offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows": They vowed that they would
offer a sacrifice when they arrived in their own country, or should return to Judea, and
come to Jerusalem.

So the Hebrew "vau" is often used as interpretive and explanative; though many
interpreters understand the vows as distinct from the sacrifice. And that they vowed
that the God of the Hebrews should be their God, and that they would for the future
serve and worship him only.

If these men were truly converted, as it seems as if they were, they were great gainers
by this providence. For though they lost their worldly goods, they found what was
infinitely better, God to be their God and portion, and all spiritual good things with
him.

And it may be observed of the wise and wonderful providence of God. That though
Jonah refused to go and preach to the Gentiles at Nineveh, for which he was
corrected; yet God made this dispensation a means of converting other Gentiles.
This is like many conversions in the churches today. They came to the LORD,
because of fear of death. They recognized the supernatural event that had taken place,
and they recognized the power of Jonah's God. They even sacrificed to the LORD to
show their sincerity. They made promises to God, as well.

Jonah 1:17 "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And
Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights."

“Prepared” indicates “to appoint, ordain, prepare, or order.” The idea is one of
commission rather than of creation. The fish was already in existence, but God
commissioned it for a specific mission.

“A great fish” (Hebrew dag gadol): Jesus said that it was a sea monster (Greek ketos,
Matt. 12:40). Our Lord’s citation ought to lay to rest any speculation of the historicity
of the event.

The species of fish is uncertain; the Hebrew for whale is not here used. God
sovereignly prepared (Literally “appointed”), a great fish to rescue Jonah. Apparently,
Jonah sank into the depth of the sea before the fish swallowed him (2:3, 5-6).

“Three days and three nights” (see note on Matthew 12:40).

This fish was not an ordinary fish. God had prepared a special fish, so that Jonah
could live in the fish's belly. This entombment in the belly of the fish is a type and
shadow of the three days Jesus would be in the belly of the earth.

Notice, God did not save Jonah from the fish. He saves him in the fish. There had to
be a continuous prayer coming from that fish, while Jonah was in its belly. This will
give Jonah time to reconsider about running from God.

Jonah Chapter 2
Verses 1-9: Jonah’s prayer is poetic in form and has three movements, each beginning
with a rehearsal of the prophet’s impossible situation, and each culminating in an
expression of his faith in spite of his impossible circumstances. The first movement is
(in verses 2-4). The second movement is (in verses 5-6) and the third movement is (in
verses 7-9).

Jonah acknowledged God’s sovereignty (verses 1-3), and submitted to it (verses 4-9).

Jonah 2:1 "Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,"

"Then Jonah prayed": When he was in the fish's belly.

It may be asked, "How could Jonah either pray or breathe in the stomach of the fish?"
Very easily, if God so willed it. And let the reader keep this constantly in view; the
whole is a miracle, from Jonah's having been swallowed by the fish till he was cast
ashore.

It was God that had prepared the great fish. It was the Lord that spake to the fish, and
caused it to vomit Jonah upon the dry land. All of this is a miracle.

It is such a shame that we like Jonah; wait until we are in dire circumstances, before
we cry out to God. I am sure this is the most urgent prayer that Jonah has ever prayed.
Notice, God is still Jonah's God, even while he is in this peril.

Jonah 2:2 "And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he
heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, [and] thou heardest my voice."

“Out of the belly of hell”: The phrase does not necessarily indicate that Jonah actually
died. “Sheol” frequently has a hyperbolic meaning in contexts where it denotes a
catastrophic condition near death (Psalm 30:3). Later Jonah expressed praise for his
deliverance “from the pit” (verse 6), speaking of his escape from certain death.

I am sure that being in this fish's belly seemed like hell to Jonah. Jesus preached while
He was in hell during the three days. I doubt seriously that Jonah felt so confident that
he would return to the earth. God had to do this to get Jonah in a position to obey His
request.

Notice, the word "cried". This means that the prayer was like a pleading with God to
forgive him, and remove him from this fish. The best statement in the verse above is
"and He heard me". We are never so far down that God will not hear our earnest
prayer. "Hell" is the word "Sheol", which means hades, or the world of the dead.
Jonah thought himself to be as good as dead.
Jonah 2:3 "For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the
floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me."

In describing his watery experience, Jonah acknowledged that his circumstances were
judgment from the Lord.

Jonah describes what happened to him in the sea. In the natural, there would have
been no way to be saved from the angry sea. Jonah does recognize that even the
waves belong to God.

Jonah 2:4 "Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward
thy holy temple."

“I am cast out of thy sight”: (In 1:3), Jonah ran from the Lord’s presence. Here he
realizes that the Lord has temporarily expelled him.

Jonah was very much like many of us. He had looked away from the temple, until he
got into a problem that he could not fix. Then, he cries to God for His help. He was
desperate at this point. When he first was cast into the sea, he thought God had killed
him for his disobedience. Hope sprang up in Jonah, when he looked again to God.

Jonah 2:5 "The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed
me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head."

“Even to the soul”: This describes Jonah’s total person, both physically and spiritually
(verse 7).

This reminds me of an old song that says, "I was sinking deep in sin, far from the
peaceful shore". Jonah, too, was sinking in the sin of his own making. He was
"tangled in weeds", which symbolize the cares of this world. He was a victim of his
own making. There is no way to come out of this, or life's other entanglements,
without God. He is the only hope.

Jonah 2:6 "I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars
[was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O
LORD my God."

"I went down to the bottom of the mountains": Which are in the midst of the sea,
whither the fish carried him, and where the waters are deep. Or the bottom of rocks
and promontories on the shore of the sea. And such vast rocks hanging over the sea,
whose bottoms were in it, it seems are on the shore of Joppa, near to which Jonah was
cast into the sea, as Egesippus relates.
"The earth with her bars was about me for ever": That is, the earth with its cliffs and
rocks on the seashore, which are as bars to the sea, that it cannot overflow it. These
were such bars to Jonah, that could he have got clear of the fish's belly, and attempted
to swim to shore, he could never get to it, or over these bars, the rocks and cliffs,
which were so steep and high.

"Yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God": Notwithstanding
these difficulties, which were insuperable by human power, and these seeming
impossibilities of, deliverance. Yet the Lord brought him out of the fish's belly, as out
of a grave.

The pit of corruption, and where he must otherwise have lain and rotted, and freed his
soul from those terrors which would have destroyed him. And by this also we learn,
that this form of words was composed after he came to dry land. Herein likewise he
was a type of Christ, who, though laid in the grave, was not left there so long as to see
corruption (Psalm 16:10).

This was no small body of water. It appeared to Jonah, that he was locked in this
watery grave with no way he could return to life, or to the earth. He was helpless and
alone in the bottom of the sea. He felt that the fish that swallowed him would be his
grave forever. He was in the stomach of this fish.

This would be corruption to the utmost. Perhaps, he is speaking of the corruption of

his own life. Only God can reach down and bring any of us up from this type of
corruption. He suddenly realizes the omnipotence of the LORD his God.

Jonah 2:7 "When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my
prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple."
“When my soul fainted”: When Jonah had given up all hope of life.

“My prayer came in unto thee”: Here prayer is personified, and is represented as a
messenger going from the distressed, and entering into the temple of God, and
standing before him. This is a very fine and delicate image. This clause is one of those
which I suppose the prophet to have added when he penned this prayer.

At the time this was written, the presence of God dwelled in the temple in Jerusalem
over the mercy seat. When Jonah looked to the temple, he was looking to God. There
was no hope in the natural for Jonah. He fainted from fear of death in the fish. God
brought him hope. His remembering of the LORD caused God to hear his prayer.

Jonah 2:8 "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy."
"They that observe lying vanities": They that trust in idols, follow vain predictions,
permit themselves to be influenced with foolish fears, so as to induce them to leave
the path of obvious duty.

"Forsake their own mercy": In leaving the God who is the Fountain of mercy, they
abandon that measure of mercy which he had treasured up for them.

This is no time for pride. He would humble himself before God at this point. To
observe other gods or idols, will get you no help at all.

Psalms 146:5 "Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is]
in the LORD his God:"

Psalms 33:18 "Behold, the eye of the LORD [is] upon them that fear him, upon them
that hope in his mercy;"

Jonah 2:9 "But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay
[that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD."

“I have vowed”: Jonah found himself in the same position as the mariners: offering
sacrifices and making vows (1:16). In light of 3:1-4, Jonah’s vow could well have
been to carry out God’s ministry will for him by preaching in Nineveh (Psalms 50:14;
66:13-14).

We see in this a repentant heart. Jonah has nothing to sacrifice but his praise.

Hebrews 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God
continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name."

Salvation is of the LORD.

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it
is] the gift of God:"

Jonah knows that his only hope is in God.

Jonah 2:10 "And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon
the dry [land]."
“The LORD spake”: Just as God calls the stars by name (Isa. 40:26; Psalm 147:4), so
He speaks to His creation in the animal world (Num. 22:28-30). Most likely, Jonah
was vomited upon the shore near Joppa.

This is undoubtedly the most humbling experience you could have. God has saved his
life, and in the process taught him obedience. He is saved, because the fish obeyed
God and spit him up.
 Jonah Chapter 3

Jonah 3:1 "And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time,
saying,"

"And the word of the Lord": The same oracle as that before given; and which, from
what he had felt and seen of the justice and mercy of the Lord, he was now prepared
to obey.

God has not removed the call for Jonah to go to Nineveh and carry them a message.
Now that God has Jonah's attention, He speaks to Jonah again.

Jonah 3:2 "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the
preaching that I bid thee."

Gracious in giving Jonah a second chance, God again commissioned him to go to

Nineveh. Jonah is the only prophet actually sent by God to preach repentance in a
foreign land.

This is telling Jonah to get on with the ministry. He has already wasted time. He must
go now and preach to all of these people.

1 Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew
not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

Preaching is for the purpose of saving people. The Words that come from Jonah's
mouth will not be his own. They will be the Words God put there, to cause these
people to repent of their sins and be saved. We mentioned before, that this city has
over 600,000 souls in it.

Jonah 3:3 "So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the
LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey."

“An exceeding great city of three days’ journey”: Literally “a great city to God,” the
text emphasizes not only its size (1:2), but its importance (4:11). A metropolitan city
the size of Nineveh, with a circumference of about 60 miles, would require 3 days just
to get around it. These dimensions are confirmed by historians.

Stopping to preach would only add to the time requirement.

Jonah has learned his lesson well. He obeys God this time, and goes to Nineveh.
Jonah did exactly as the Word of the LORD commanded him to do.
Jonah 3:4 "And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried,
and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

“Yet forty days”: The time frame may harken back to Moses’ supplication for 40 days
and nights at Sinai (Deut. 9:18, 25). Jonah’s message, while short, accomplishes
God’s intended purpose.

The number 40 is a time of testing. He preached as he went across the city. It appears;
he preached more than once across the city.

These Assyrians had no trouble understanding what Jonah was saying to them. There
was a short time to repent, or their city would be totally destroyed. Jonah probably
wandered around the city giving this warning at every place he could speak to a
crowd.

Jonah 3:5 “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and
put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."

“The people … believed God”: Jonah’s experience with the fish (2:1-10), in light of
the Ninevites’ pagan beliefs (see note on 1:2), certainly gained him an instant hearing.

From the divine side, this wholesale repentance was a miraculous work of God. Pagan
sailors and a pagan city responded to the reluctant prophet, showing the power of God
in spite of the weakness of His servant.

Jonah's preaching was accepted by the people. They all believed Jonah's message,
from the king to the poorest person in the community. There was a massive
repentance. They showed the seriousness of their repentance by fasting and wearing
sackcloth. The whole city repented. The most important thing in the verse above, is
they believed God.

Jonah 3:6 "For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his
throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered [him] with sackcloth, and sat
in ashes."

The king of Nineveh, thought to be either Adad-nirari III (810-783), or Assurdan III
(772 – 755), exchanged his royal robes for sackcloth and ashes (Job 42:6; Isa. 58:5).
Reports of Jonah’s miraculous fish experience may have preceded him to Nineveh,
accounting for the swift and widespread receptivity of his message (1:2).

It is generally believed that acid from the fish’s stomach would have bleached Jonah’s
face, thus validating the experience.
The king set the example for all the rest. He humbled himself before God (removed
his kingly robe). He covered himself with sackcloth, and poured ashes upon his head,
which was a sign of great sorrow and mourning.

Verses 7-9: “Man … beast”: It was a Persian custom to use animals in mourning
ceremonies.

Jonah 3:7 "And he caused [it] to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh
by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd
nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:"

"And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh": By a herald or

heralds, sent into different parts of the city.

"By the decree of the king and his nobles": With whom he consulted, and whose
advice he took. And who were equally concerned at this news, and very probably
were present when word was brought to the king concerning it.

"Saying, let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing": A very strict and
general fast was this. Abstinence from all food was enjoined; not only men of every
rank and age, but the cattle likewise, horses and camels, they used either for their
pleasure or business. Their oxen, cows, and calves, of their herd; their sheep, goats,
lambs, and kids, of their flocks.

"Let them not feed, nor drink water": no food was to be put into their mangers or
folds: or were they to be allowed to graze in their pastures, or to be allowed the least
quantity of food or drink. This was ordered, to make the mourning the greater. Thus,
Virgil describes the mourning for the death of Caesar by the oxen not coming to the
rivers to drink, nor touching the grass of the field.

And to afflict their minds the more, and for their greater mortification, since these
creatures were for their use and pleasure, fasting was used by the Heathens; as well as
the Jews, in some cases. Particularly the Egyptians, as Herodotus observes, from
whom the Assyrians might take it.

This was a total fast. They even made the animals fast as well. This fast did not even
allow the drinking of water. They believed the message Jonah brought and repented.

Jonah 3:8 "But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily
unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence
that [is] in their hands."
"But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth": As the king was, and so the people
also were. This order included the beasts, horses, and camels, whose rich trappings
were to be taken off, and sackcloth put upon them, for the greater seriousness of the
mourning.

As at this day, at the funerals of great persons, not only the horses which draw the
hearse and mourning, coaches are covered with black velvet, to make the seriousness
even more awful. But others are led, clothed in like manner.

"And cry mightily unto God": Which clause stands so closely connected with the
former, as if it respected beasts as well as men, who sometimes are said to cry for
food in times of drought and distress (Joel 1:20). And who here might purposely be
kept from food and drink, that they might cry, and so the more affect the minds of the
Ninevites, in their humiliation and abasement.

But men are principally meant, at least who were to cry unto God intensely and
earnestly, with great passion, fervency, and desire or need. Not only aloud, and with a
strong voice, but with their whole heart. As Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it;
heartily, sincerely, and devoutly, for the averting divine wrath, and the pardon of their
sins, and the sparing of their city.

"Yea, let them turn everyone from his evil way": As well knowing that fasting and
prayer would be of no avail, without leaving everyone their sinful courses, and
reforming their life and manners.

"And from the violence that is in their hands": Their violent seizure and oppression,
their thefts and robberies, and preying upon the substance of others. Which seem to be
the reigning vices of this city, in doing which many murders were committed also (see
Nahum 3:1).

The Jewish writers interpret this of making restitution for plunder and violence, which
is a genuine fruit of repentance (see Luke 19:8). The Septuagint version understands
this, not as a direction from the king to the men of Nineveh what they should do, but
as a narrative of what they did.

No doubt but they did these things, put on sackcloth, fast, pray, and turn from their
evil ways. Yet they are the instructions of the king unto them and the orders he gave
them.

Not only did they repent, but they changed their lifestyle. They became new creatures.
Their old lifestyle is gone. Now, they live to please God. Crying mightily unto God
shows the sincerity of their prayers.
Jonah 3:9 "Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his
fierce anger, that we perish not?"

"Who can tell": The Septuagint and Arabic versions prefix to this the word "saying",
and take them to be, not the words of the king, but of the Ninevites. Though very
wrongly: or "who is he that knows"; which some connect with the next word, "he will
return". That is, that knows the ways of repentance, he will return as Kimchi and Ben
Melech.

Or that knows that he has sinned, as Aben Ezra: or that knows the transgressions he is
guilty of, will return, as Jarchi. "Whosoever knows that sins are in his hands, he will
return”, or let him return, from them.

But they are the words of the king, with respect to God, encouraging his subjects to
the above things, from the consideration of the probability. Or at least possibility of
God's being merciful to them.

"If God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?"
He speaks here not as or as absolutely doubting, but as between hope and fear. For, by
the light of nature, it is not certain that God will pardon men upon repentance; it is
only probable or possible he may.

Neither the light of nature nor the Law of Moses connect repentance and remission of
sins, it is the Gospel that does this. And it is only by the Gospel revelation that any
can be assured that God will forgive, even penitent sinners.

However, this Heathen prince encourages his subjects not to despair of, but to hope
for, the mercy of God, though they could not be sure of it. It may be observed, that he
does not put their hope of not perishing, or of salvation, upon their fasting, praying,
and reformation, but upon the will, mercy, and goodness of God.

Their prayers are so God will see that they have sincerely changed, and perhaps, He
will not destroy them. Of course, that is why God sent them the message by Jonah. He
did not want to destroy them. He wanted them to repent.

Jonah 3:10 "And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and
God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he
did [it] not."
“God saw … God repented” (see notes on 2 Sam. 24:16; Jer. 42:10; 18:7-8). The
Ninevites truly repented.

God did not change in His ultimate intention toward the Ninevites: rather, they
changed in their attitude toward Him. On the basis of that change, God could deal
with them in grace, rather than in judgment as their failure to repent would have
necessitated.

Praise God! He saw the sincerity of their repentance, and He changed His mind about
destroying them. He forgave them, instead of destroying them. One of the strong
lessons in this is that Jew and Gentile are loved of God and can be saved, if they
repent and live Godly lives. God loves us all, one at a time.

He is quick to forgive and to set us up in right standing with Him. We must be truly
sorry for our sins, and believe that Jesus is our Savior. It is really important to confess
with our mouths the belief that is in our hearts. If we do all of this, then we will want
to be baptized, to show the world we have been buried in the watery grave with Jesus,
and have risen to new life in Him.

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