Jonah 1:17

“And YHWH appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the inner parts of the fish three days and three nights.”
Jonah 1:17 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

And YHWHוַ יְהוָהappointedיְמַןa greatגָּדוֹלfishדָּגto swallowלִבְלֹעַJonah,אֶת יוֹנָהand Jonahוַ יוֹנָהwasיְהִיin the inner partsבִּמְעֵיof the fishהַדָּגthreeשְׁלֹשָׁהdaysיָמִיםand threeוּשְׁלֹשָׁהnights.לֵילוֹת

Explicit type · Matthew 12:40

Go to Matthew 12:40

Jesus compares his time in the heart of the earth with Jonah’s three days and three nights in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17).

The biblical author himself makes the connection, in these words:

ὥσπερ γὰρ ἦν Ἰωνᾶς ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τοῦ κήτους τρεῖς ἡμέρας καὶ τρεῖς νύκτας “just as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40)

יוֹנָהyonaH3124ἸωνᾶςIōnasG2495“Jonah”
מְעֵיmeeH4578κοιλίᾳkoiliaiG2836“insides, belly”
דָּגdagH1709κήτουςkētousG2785“fish”

Jonah 1:17, word by word

And YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

appointedיְמַןyeman

assign

To appoint or assign something to someone: God appointed a fish, or the king assigned the food.

Where else “yeman” appears

a greatגָּדוֹלgadol

great

Of great size, amount or importance: a river, a city, a king.

Where else “gadol” appears

fishדָּגdag

fish

Fish; fish as a whole.

Where else “dag” appears

to swallowבְלֹעַveloa

swallow

Swallow, swallow up; hence, destroy.

Where else “veloa” appears

Jonahיוֹנָהyona

Jonah

Jonah. A personal name meaning "dove." Prophet, son of Amittai, from Gath-hepher, in the time of Jeroboam son of Joash (2 Kings 14:25); the same as in the book of Jonah.

Where else “yona” appears

wasיְהִיyehi

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “yehi” appears

in the inner partsמְעֵיmee

inward parts

The inward parts, the inside of the body; hence the child who comes out of them.

Where else “mee” appears

threeשְׁלֹשָׁהshelosha

three

A quantity of three: three persons or things together.

Where else “shelosha” appears

daysיָמִיםyamim

day

The day, the hours of light, or a whole day.

Where else “yamim” appears

nightsלֵילוֹתlelot

night

Night.

Where else “lelot” appears

Translation note

In Hebrew, 1:17 is 2:1, and 2:1-10 are 2:2-11. Jesus speaks of this sign in Matthew 12:40.

The context

16Then the men feared YHWH with great fear, and they offered a sacrifice to YHWH and made vows.

17 · This verse (above)

Read all of Jonah 1

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