Name means: “A Dove.”
Not to be confused with: The father of Simon Peter (Matt. 16:17).
Home: Gath Hepher (2 Kin. 14:25), a city about 15 miles west of the Sea of Galilee in the tribal territory of Zebulun.
Family: Son of Amittai.
Occupation: Prophet in Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (c. 782–753 B.C.).
Best known as: The prophet who survived being swallowed by a fish before obeying God by prophesying to the corrupt city of Nineveh.
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• Prominent Assyrian city on the east bank of the Tigris River, about 280 miles north of Babylon.
• Founded by Nimrod along with the cities of Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen (Gen. 10:11, 12).
• Rivaled Babylon’s splendor with impressive temples, royal palaces, wide streets, public gardens, and an impressive library containing more than 10,000 volumes, among the largest collections in the ancient world.
• Defended by an outer and inner wall 100 feet high and 50 feet wide.
• Irrigated by the Khasr River, with its flow controlled by a dam built by Sennacherib (c. 705–681 B.C.), and by a large aqueduct that carried water from a second dam 30 miles away.
• Targeted in prophecies by Zephaniah (Zeph. 2:13–15) and Nahum (Nah. 1:1; 3:1), who warned of the city’s destruction.
• Destroyed in 612 B.C. following a siege by the Babylonians, Scythians, and Medes, who penetrated its defenses when sudden floods eroded city walls (compare Nah. 2:6–8).
• Reduced to a mound of ruins largely ignored until about one century ago.
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• A city or region whose exact site or identity remains unknown, though many place it in southern Spain, possibly the same as Tartessus.
• Likely close to the sea, since Old Testament allusions refer to ships and seafaring (2 Chr. 9:21; Is. 23:1). The “ships of Tarshish” were famous in the ancient world (Ps. 48:7) and may have been ocean-going vessels named after their home port.
• Known for trade in metals (Jer. 10:9; Ezek. 27:12).
• Listed among the “coastlands afar off” from which God promised to gather His people (Is. 66:19), a prophecy that looked ahead to the spread of the gospel (see “Isaiah’s Vision and Our Mission” at Is. 66:18–21).
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The prophet Jonah awoke in the midst of a deadly storm, surrounded by pagan sailors crying out to their gods (Jon. 1:4, 5). The captain berated the rebellious prophet for sleeping rather than praying (1:6). Compared to the mariners’ misguided but sincere faith, Jonah’s trust in the Lord came up short. These men lacked Jonah’s experience of the one true God, yet in a moment of crisis they displayed far more spiritual awareness. In the end, they also extended more compassion to Jonah than Jonah showed to Nineveh’s inhabitants.
It is not unusual to find non-Christians who exhibit more faith than Christians, and Jonah’s experience is a humbling reminder that people who hold other beliefs can be more spiritually attuned than God’s people. When we find ourselves lacking, we should follow Jonah’s example of confession (1:9) and repentance (2:1, 9). Our sincere return to God will restore our vital connection to the Lord who governs every moment of our lives.
Jonah | The Sailors |
An Israelite with a rich experience of the Lord’s faithfulness. | Gentiles with no known history with the LORD God. |
A monotheist who believed in the one true God (Jon. 1:9). | Polytheists who worshiped many false gods (Jon. 1:5). |
Related to God as a member of Israel. | Distant from the Lord. |
Spiritually sensitive in their prayers (Jon. 1:5), vows, and sacrifices (1:16). | |
Indifferent toward God’s will despite knowing Him. | Concerned about God in spite of little or no knowledge of Him. |
Showed deep compassion toward Jonah (Jon. 1:11–14). | |
Rebellious and therefore disciplined although not destroyed (Jon. 1:17). | Persuaded to worship and commit themselves to God (Jon. 1:16). |
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Scripture does not explain why Jonah ran from God’s presence (Jon. 1:3, 10), though it does note that he was acutely aware of the Lord’s compassion toward repentant sinners (4:2). Jonah possibly did not want the Assyrians to repent, so he fled perhaps because he wanted nothing to do with helping Nineveh escape God’s judgment. Jonah’s own lack of compassion may have kept him from overcoming his prejudices.
Practical concerns may also have driven Jonah to flee. The Assyrians had long menaced Israel, but in Jonah’s day, internal strife had reduced Assyria’s influence over nations to the west, enabling the Israelites to expand their borders and enjoy a renewed prosperity—an outcome that Jonah had predicted (2 Kin. 14:25). Jonah perhaps recognized that if the Assyrians repented, they would likely reassert their dominance over Israel. So the prophet may have fled to avoid strengthening a potential enemy (or simply to avoid its scorn for a foreign prophet). Alternatively, Jonah may have acted to avoid being shunned by his own people, who would know it was Jonah who had brought their archenemies to repentance. Yet another possibility is that Jonah acted in order to avoid the risk of negating his previously fulfilled prophecy about Israel’s renewed prosperity—he may have been placing his credibility among peers before his responsibility to his Lord.
Yet another factor may have prompted Jonah’s flight. Hosea and Amos were active as prophets during the same period of history. Both denounced the Israelites for widespread idolatry and arrogant rebellion against God. In spite of these pointed challenges, however, the Israelites never repented. Jonah may have run from the Lord out of a sense of shame, dreading that the Assyrians were likely to repent even though his own people were not.
Regardless of Jonah’s motivation for running, one thing is clear: it wasn’t a good enough reason for God. Nothing can stand as an obstacle to God’s grace, which He freely offers to all. We are wise to pray and ask God to help us never become a hindrance to the extension of His mercy to all mankind.
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Old Testament Prophets Mentioned by Jesus
Prophet | What Jesus Said |
Elijah | • Elijah went to the widow of Zarephath (see her profile at 1 Kin. 17:9) rather than to the widows of Israel, an indication that he, like Jesus, found the people of Israel unreceptive to God (Luke 4:24–26). • Elijah (John the Baptist) had already come (probably in fulfillment of a prophecy in Mal. 4:5, 6), but Jewish leaders scorned the prophet just as they would God’s Son (Matt. 17:11, 12). |
Elisha | • Elisha’s choice to heal Naaman (see his profile at 2 Kin. 5:1) rather than the lepers of Israel may imply that the Israelites were relatively unresponsive to God, a fact Jesus also confronted (Luke 4:24, 27). |
Isaiah | • Isaiah prophesied about the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus’ day (Matt. 15:7). |
Jonah | • Jonah’s stay in the belly of the great fish was a symbol of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 12:40, 41; Luke 11:32). |
Zechariah | • Disbelieving Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day shared responsibility for Zechariah’s death (Matt. 23:35). (Jesus may have been referring to a different man from the Zechariah who wrote a book bearing his name.) |
More: For more on the Old Testament prophets, see “Prophetesses” at 2 Kin. 22:14; “The Prophets of Judah” at 2 Chr. 12:15; and “The Prophets of Israel” at 2 Chr. 18:7. Jesus frequently quoted Old Testament prophets. Learn more in “Jesus and the Minor Prophets” at Zech. 13:7.
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Nineveh is called an “exceedingly great city,” with its size underscored by the phrase “a three-day journey.” No one knows, however, exactly what this description means. We do know these facts about the ancient metropolis:
• Nineveh was one of four cities founded by Nimrod (see “The Cities of Nimrod” at Gen. 10:10–12). They formed a massive rectangle sixty miles across—perhaps a “three-day journey.”
• Nineveh was enormous for its day. A reported 120,000 inhabitants lived there (Jon. 4:11). Excavators of city ruins estimate that as many as 175,000 persons could have lived inside its massive wall, which had a circumference of about seven and a half miles.
• Nineveh was roughly twice the size of neighboring Calah, which had a recorded population of 69,574 in 865 B.C.
• Nineveh probably encompassed both a city and an administrative district of outlying settlements. A “three-day journey” may have described a day’s travel from the outer areas into the city, a day for business, and a day for return. This may be suggested by the phrase, “Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk” (3:4). If this is so, then Jonah’s three-day journey into and out of the city may be another symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection.
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Like Saul of Tarsus in the New Testament (Acts 9:1–22), the Ninevites seemed unlikely candidates for abandoning sin and turning to God. Yet when Jonah arrived and began declaring imminent judgment (Jon. 3:4), they believed God’s message and immediately proclaimed a fast to show their sincere sorrow for their wickedness and idolatry (3:5–9).
The fast called by Nineveh’s king was an astonishing display of authentic repentance. An entire nation humbled itself before God. Every man, woman, child, and animal was forbidden to eat or drink (3:7), and all were urged to turn from evil and violence (3:8). The fast was not an external religious show but an expression of heartfelt transformation in attitude and actions.
The Ninevites’ sudden change of heart may have been due to the fact that the Assyrian empire was facing a temporary decline caused by uprisings among vassal states as well as political unrest at home.
While the exact date of Jonah’s visit is unknown, it is believed to have occurred around 759 B.C., following with several important events:
• The death of the young King Shalmaneser IV (c. 773 B.C.), whose passing without a successor created political instability.
• Recurring famine in Nineveh (c. 765 and c. 759 B.C.).
• A military defeat (c. 763 B.C.) that coincided with a total solar eclipse, an event the Assyrians interpreted as a bad omen.
• Floods that followed the eclipse.
• An earthquake that reportedly occurred around the same time.
Like the sailors in the storm who cried out to whatever gods might save them (1:5, 6), the Ninevites were probably ready to try anything to return stability to their land. When they listened to Jonah and heeded God’s warning, He relented from judgment (4:10).
God draws people to Himself in many ways, and He often arranges events so people are more likely to turn to Him. As we take a message of repentance and salvation to our family, friends, and the world beyond, we might find our efforts more effective with people who have been prepared to hear a message of grace. Personal pressures, sickness, social turmoil, natural disasters, and countless other troubles can cause people to reconsider their relationship with God. People who need to hear about the help God provides are often more likely to be open to the full message of salvation in Jesus.
More: God invariably responds with compassion to people who genuinely abandon their sins and turn to Him. See “Confessions That Bring Healing” at 1 Sam. 15:24.
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Repentance and Rescue
Widely regarded as the founder of the English novel, Daniel Defoe (1660–1731) was a man of many professions—merchant, writer, journalist, spy—whose energy and inventiveness led to disaster as often as they led to success. But no matter what calamities he faced—financial crises, political imprisonment, business failures due to his own unscrupulous dealings—he seems always to have found a way to reconcile his shortcomings with his genuine Christian piety. Perhaps, like the prophet Jonah or like Defoe’s own hero in his novel Robinson Crusoe, he found his way to redemption through the arduous yet liberating act of repentance.
The story of Robinson Crusoe begins with the protagonist defying his father’s advice to pursue a modest lifestyle, choosing instead to set sail from his native England in search of extravagant fortune. Though he meets opportunities along the way to settle down and lead the sort of life advocated by his parents and by his own common sense, Crusoe, still unsatisfied, takes to the sea again, to his ultimate regret.
His next ocean voyage is cut short when Crusoe is shipwrecked and the lone survivor on a remote island he names the “Island of Despair.” It is on this desolate place, however, that Crusoe experiences a profound spiritual awakening, begun while reading a Bible he retrieves from the wreck. Never having given any serious thought to religion, he casually flips open the Bible only to find that his eyes immediately fall upon the scripture he most needs in that moment: “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me” (Ps. 50:15 KJV). It is from this verse that Crusoe learns to pray.
Henceforward, the unfortunate castaway spends time daily reading the Scriptures, entering into a fellowship with God that teaches him how very fortunate he actually is: he perceives that God has arranged his life’s calamitous events in order to lead him to repentance and rescue. Crusoe is a Jonah; he fled from God but could not escape Him.
Over the course of his stay on the island, Crusoe undergoes the full process of repentance. First he becomes despondent over the “wickedness” of his past life. Filled with remorse and begging God for forgiveness, he opens his Bible to Acts 5:31, which describes Christ’s power to bring a sinner to repentance and pardon his misdeeds. “And now I changed both my sorrows and my joys: my very desires altered, my affections changed their gusts, and my delights were perfectly new from what they were,” Crusoe relates. Having found the repentance and forgiveness he needs, Crusoe learns that not only has his past been wiped clean but his present character has also undergone a reformation.
Although Crusoe’s captivity on the island is not over, he realizes that his new perspective has made his situation more bearable. Now that he has “a true sense of things,” he has found “deliverance from sin a much greater blessing than deliverance from affliction.” He further points out,
It may not be amiss for all people who shall meet my story to make this just observation from it—namely, how frequently in the course of our lives the evil which in itself we seek most to shun, and which, when we are fallen into it, is the most dreadful to us, is oftentimes the very means or door of our deliverance, by which alone we can be raised again from the affliction we are fallen into.
Eventually, Crusoe is rescued from the island. And although Robinson Crusoe can be read simply as a tale of adventure and survival, it is impossible to escape the book’s theme of divine providence and human redemption. Like Crusoe, his creator Defoe, or the prophet Jonah, we may find ourselves in the exact places or situations we most want to avoid. But when we stop running away, choose to let go of our pride, and accept that God is in control, we will be amazed by the power of His grace.
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Hatred makes otherwise kind and compassionate people vicious and vindictive. Unresolved animosity between individuals or nations distorts values, making issues such as honor, wealth, or national or ethnic pride seem more important than human beings.
When God called Jonah to preach hope to the people of Nineveh, Jonah resisted going to these bitter enemies of his people (see “Why Jonah Ran” at Jon. 1:10). Only a near-death experience in the belly of an enormous fish convinced the unwilling prophet to obey (1:17—3:3). But even after his preaching had succeeded and an entire metropolis had been transformed, Jonah’s core values remained unchanged. He was bitter about the Ninevites’ repentance (4:1–3). He would still have preferred to see them die.
God used a shade plant to open the prophet’s eyes to his distorted attitude, explaining that he cared more about a dead plant than the plight of a people God was determined to save:
Jonah and the Plant | God and the People of Nineveh |
Jonah cared about a plant. | God cared about the people of Nineveh. |
Jonah was concerned about himself. | God was concerned about the welfare of others. |
Jonah did not create the plant. | God created all the people, plants, and animals in Nineveh. |
Jonah did nothing for the plant. | God took care of Nineveh. |
The plant had comparatively small value. | Nineveh’s people had far greater spiritual value. |
Jonah’s main concern was his own personal comfort. | God’s main concern was for human life and spiritual reconciliation with Him. |
Jonah’s values displayed selfishness and a corrupted perspective on life. | God’s values displayed His selfless love and a correct perspective on life. |
Our attitudes toward others—especially our enemies—reveal our values. If we have allowed our priorities to become distorted by lingering hatred and animosity, we should step back and think hard about what God holds dear. The Lord wants us to care about what matters to Him and realign our lives with His values.
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Nineveh’s repentance was apparently short-lived. Outside of the Book of Jonah, no other evidence indicates a spiritual awakening among the Assyrians. This suggests that despite sincere remorse and prayers for mercy (Jon. 3:5–9), the nation quickly returned to its old ways.
This fact is clear from the prophecies of Nahum, who predicted God’s judgment on Nineveh about one hundred years after Jonah (Nah. 1:1). Jonah’s visit to the city is believed to have occurred around 759 B.C., during the reign of Ashur-dan III. Within a few decades, the Assyrians had grown powerful once again and began a series of campaigns in Palestine (c. 734 B.C.). They overran Israel (722 B.C.) and made it an Assyrian province (see “The Three Campaigns of the Assyrians” at 2 Kin. 15:29).
Yet even as Assyria was deporting Jews from Palestine and replacing them with citizens of other conquered lands, the Lord was raising up an even more powerful empire. The Babylonians ultimately captured Nineveh (c. 612 B.C.), delivering the judgment that the Ninevites had originally avoided by responding to Jonah’s message.
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