Bible Book of Jonah | God's Mercy for All

The story of a reluctant prophet who learns of God's wide-reaching mercy for even his enemies in Nineveh. Jonah chapters with summary and commentary.

Genre: Minor Prophet. Theme: God's Mercy for All

Author: Jonah
Date: c. 760 BC
Read Time: 10 mins
Purpose: To show God's compassion for all nations.
Key Verse: Jon 4:2 - I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.
Christ: The Sign of Jonah.
Audience: Israelites who wanted God's judgment for others and mercy only for themselves
Setting: Nineveh, capital of Assyria.
Prophetic Irony: The only prophet in the Bible who is angry because his preaching was *too* successful.
National Prejudice: Exposes the heart of a religious person who hates the 'enemy' more than they love God's mission.

Jonah is a story *about* a prophet rather than a collection of his words, focusing on God's compassion for all nations.

A perfectly symmetrical narrative: The Fish (Ch. 1-2) and the Fig Tree (Ch. 3-4).

Jesus is the 'Sign of Jonah' (Matt 12:39-41), whose three days in the earth resulted in salvation for the world.

Jonah 1 - Story of Jonah and the Whale

The LORD sent Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah fled by ship. A storm arose and the men threw Jonah into the sea. A great fish swallowed him.

Jonah prayed: "I cried out in my distress. Waters surrounded me. You brought me up from the pit!" The fish vomited him onto dry land.

So Jonah went to Nineveh and said, "Nineveh shall be overthrown!" The people fasted and wore sackcloth. God relented of the disaster.

Jonah was angry and said, "O LORD, take my life." A plant sheltered Jonah but it died. The LORD said, "Should I not pity Nineveh?"