Jonah
Old Testament · translated from the Hebrew
God sends Jonah to Nineveh, the enemy’s capital, and he runs the other way. After the great fish, he preaches, Nineveh repents and God spares it; Jonah is angry. The book ends with a question from God about his compassion.
How it is laid out
Key verses
- Jonah 4:2 — I knew that you are El, gracious and merciful
- Jonah 3:10 — Elohim relented concerning the evil
- Jonah 2:9 — Salvation belongs to YHWH
- Jonah 4:11 — And I, should I not have pity on Nineveh?
Who wrote it
The book does not say who wrote it. It tells the story of Jonah son of Amittai (1:1), the prophet from Gath-hepher whom 2 Kings 14:25 places in the days of Jeroboam II.
When it was written
Jonah lived around 780–750 BC (2 Kings 14:25); when the book was written is debated.
For whom, and in what situation
It names no audience. It tells of YHWH’s compassion for Nineveh, capital of Assyria, Israel’s enemy, and ends with a question from YHWH to Jonah that is left unanswered (4:11). Jesus speaks of “the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Matthew 12:39-41).
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