Jonah

Definition and Meaning

The Book of Jonah is the fifth of the twelve Minor Prophets (the twelve shorter prophetic books) of the Old Testament. It consists of four chapters and forty-eight verses. It tells the story of Jonah the son of Amittai, who is commanded to proclaim judgment against Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, flees from the command, and in the end obeys it. Whereas the other prophetic books center on prophetic oracles, the Book of Jonah centers on a narrative of the prophet's own actions. The name "Jonah" means "dove" in Hebrew.

Biblical and Historical Background

Jonah appears in 2 Kings 14:25 as a prophet active during the reign of Jeroboam II of the northern kingdom of Israel. The story's historical setting is therefore placed in the eighth century BC. The book does not identify its author or date of composition. The traditional view holds that Jonah himself wrote it, while another view holds that it was written after the Babylonian exile.

• Chapter 1: Jonah boards a ship bound for Tarshish, is caught in a storm, is thrown into the sea, and is swallowed by a great fish (Jonah 1:17).
• Chapter 2: Jonah prays from the belly of the fish.
• Chapter 3: Jonah cries out in Nineveh that the city will be overthrown in forty days. The king and the people fast and repent, and God relents from the disaster.
• Chapter 4: When Jonah is displeased, God uses a gourd to teach him His compassion for a Gentile city.

In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the sign of Jonah, comparing Jonah's three days in the belly of the fish to His own death and resurrection (Matthew 12:39–41; Luke 11:29–32).

Interpretations differ. Conservative interpreters in the evangelical and Reformed traditions generally read the Book of Jonah as actual history, pointing out that Jesus referred to Jonah as a real person. Some scholars who adopt historical-critical methods read it as a didactic story meant to challenge Israel's exclusivist attitudes. Both approaches, however, generally agree that the book's central message is that God's mercy extends even to the Gentile nations.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Missions preaching: Many sermons connect the call to "go to Nineveh" with commitment to missions. The passage is frequently used when missionaries are commissioned or when short-term mission teams depart.
• Repentance and fasting: The scene in which the Ninevites, from the king to the common people, fast and turn from their ways serves as a text for sermons and prayer meetings that call for repentance and fasting.
• Children's education: The story of the great fish is a common subject in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School curricula, skits, and craft activities.
• Suffering and resurrection: The passages concerning the sign of Jonah are also used in sermons during Holy Week and on Easter.

There is little difference among denominations in how the text is used. Differences appear mainly in how the historicity of the Book of Jonah is understood, with emphases varying according to the theological orientation of seminaries and denominations. The book is also sometimes read together with Nahum, which deals with the fall of Nineveh.