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Introduction to Jonah
Part 1: General Introduction
Outline of the Book of Jonah
- Jonah tries to run away from Yahweh
- Jonah's first call from Yahweh to go to Nineveh and his disobedience (1:1–3)
- Jonah and the Gentile sailors (1:4–16)
- Yahweh provides a large fish to swallow Jonah (1:17)
- Jonah's prayer from inside the large fish and his rescue (2:1–10)
- Jonah's experience in Nineveh
- Jonah is called by God a second time to go to Nineveh, and he begins to proclaim God's message (3:1–4)
- All the people in Nineveh repent (3:5)
- The proclamation of the king of Nineveh (3:6–9)
- Yahweh decides not to destroy Nineveh (3:10)
- Jonah is very angry at Yahweh (4:1–3)
- Yahweh teaches Jonah about grace and mercy (4:4–11)
What is the Book of Jonah about?
The Book of Jonah is a narrative about the prophet. Its purpose is to show that Yahweh wants to include the Gentiles in his mercy and grace. It presents the Ninevites' willingness to repent of their sin and to call out to Yahweh for mercy. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/mercy, rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/grace, rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/repent and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin)
Jonah was given a mission to warn the people of Nineveh and call them to repentance. As a loyal Israelite, Jonah refused the mission and ran away.
In the final part of the book, it becomes clear that Jonah had no wish for the Ninevites to repent, because they were Israel's enemies. As a result, God teaches him a lesson about his love for all human beings, not just the Israelites.
How should the title of this book be translated?
Translators may decide to translate this traditional title "The Book of Jonah" in a way that is more clear to the readers. They may decide to call it, "The Book about Jonah." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names)
Who wrote the Book of Jonah?
The author of the Book of Jonah is unknown. The prophet Jonah lived in the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC, during the reign of King Jeroboam II.
Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts
What was the nation of Assyria?
During the time of Jonah, Assyria was the most powerful kingdom in the ancient Near East. It was known for its cruelty to its enemies. Eventually, God punished Assyria for its sin.
Did Assyria convert to Judaism?
While it is possible that the Assyrians came to worship Yahweh alone, it is likely that they continued to worship other gods. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/falsegod)