Jonah (prophet)

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A prophet in the Book of Jonah famous for being swallowed by a great fish.

According to the book of Jonah

Jonah's call to prophesy

God orders Jonah to prophesy to the city of Nineveh.[1] Jonah attempts to avoid God's command by going to Joppa and sailing to Tarshish.[2] A huge storm arises.[3] The sailors realized this was no ordinary storm, cast lots, and learn that Jonah is to blame.[4] Jonah admits this,[5] and states that if he is thrown overboard, the storm will cease.[6] The sailors eventually throw him overboard, and the seas calmed,[7] and the sailors worshiped the LORD.[8]

Jonah is miraculously swallowed by a large fish, where he survived for three days and nights.[9] While in the great fish, Jonah prays to God and asks forgiveness and thanks God for being so forgiving, and, as a result, God commands the fish to vomit Jonah out.[10]

Jonah's prophesies

Historicity and facticity

The NIV Bible commentary states that the 3 days and 3 nights spent in the great fish was an approximation,[11] although others believe this is an eisegesis.

Jesus on historicity of Jonah's sojourn

According the the Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Jesus completely accepted the facticity of Jonah's sojourn in the belly of a fish.[12] For example, in the book of Matthew and Luke, Jesus stated that he would repeat the miracle of Jonah:


“ MT 12:39 [Jesus] answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here..."[13] ”

Rabbinical Tradition

According to some rabbinical traditions, the great fish that swallowed Jonah had been created in the begining for the purpose of swallowing Jonah.[14] According to other traditions, the crew of the ship threw away their idols, sailed back to Joppa, went to Jerusalem, and submitted to circumcision, and became Jews.[15]

Other Bible Commentators on Jonah

Challenges from secular humanists, atheists, and agnostics

References

  1. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JNH 1:2
  2. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JNH 1:3-4
  3. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JNH 1:4-6
  4. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JHN 1:7
  5. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JNH 1:9-11
  6. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JHN 1:12
  7. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JNH 1:15
  8. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JHN 1:16
  9. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JHN 1:17
  10. ↑ Zondervan 2002, JHN 2
  11. ↑ Barker and Kohlenberger 1999
  12. ↑ Archer 1982
  13. ↑ Zondervan 2002, MT 12:39-41, see also MT 16:4, LK 11:29-32,
  14. ↑ Hirsch, Budde, and Schechter 2002
  15. ↑ Hirsch, Budde, and Schechter 2002

Sources

  • Archer, G. (2006), Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0310435709
  • Barker, Kenneth L. & John R., III Kohlenberger (1999), NIV Bible Commentary, Zondervan Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0310578505
  • Hirsch, Emil G.; Karl Budde & Solomon Schechter (2002), Jonah, JewishEncyclopedia.com Retrieved on 2007-05-11
  • Zondervan (2002), Zondervan NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Publishing Company, ISBN 978-0310929550
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