Amittai

Biblical Record

Amittai was the father of the prophet Jonah. He appears twice in the Bible, and in both places his name serves only to identify his son in the phrase "Jonah the son of Amittai."

• 2 Kings 14:25: This verse records that Jeroboam (Jeroboam II), king of the northern kingdom of Israel, "restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain," according to "the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher."
• Jonah 1:1: The opening verse of the book of Jonah records, "Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying."

The Bible says nothing about Amittai's own deeds, occupation, or faith.

Significance Within Scripture

Amittai's name provides the link identifying the historical prophet Jonah of 2 Kings with the Jonah who is the central figure of the book of Jonah. Gath-hepher, mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, was a town within the territory of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:13). In the original text this place name refers to Jonah's place of origin, so the view that Amittai also lived there is an inference. Although Jonah is mentioned several times in the New Testament, Amittai's name does not appear there.

Interpretation and Discussion

The name is commonly explained as related to the Hebrew word for "truth." Some Jewish traditions reportedly identify Jonah as the son of the widow of Zarephath whom Elijah raised from the dead (1 Kings 17). These traditions connect the word "truth" in the widow's words to Elijah with the name Amittai. This, however, is not what the biblical text states; it is a later interpretation.

In the Korean Church

In Korean Protestant churches, Amittai is seldom treated as a subject in his own right. He is typically mentioned only through the phrase "the son of Amittai" when Jonah is introduced in sermons on the book of Jonah or in Sunday school lessons.