References (24)
He restored the borders of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the Lord (Yahweh), the God (Elohim) of Israel, which he spoke through his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher. [See Jonah 1:1]
And the word of the Lord (Yahweh) came to Jonah (Hebr. Jonah), son of Amittai:
Jonah arose to flee to
Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord
(Yahweh).
He went down to
Jaffa,
he found a ship going to
Tarshish, paid for the trip and went down
[into the boat] to go to
Tarshish, away from the face of the Lord
(Yahweh) (God's presence).
[Jaffa (Hebr. Jafo, Gk. Joppe) is a port city just south of present-day Tel Aviv. In this verse, the distant western city of Tarshish is mentioned three times. The verse is structured as a three-level chiasm that reinforces how Jonah flees from God's presence and travels toward Tarshish, in the opposite direction from Nineveh. In the second level of the chiasm, the same verb "down" is used for Jaffa as for "down" in the boat, which also reinforces how Jonah goes further down, away from God's will.] The sailors were afraid and each cried out to his god, and they threw (Hebr. tol) the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down [the same word "down" as in ] into the lower parts of the boat and was lying there fast asleep.
They said to each other, "Let us cast lots to find out for whose sake this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
So they took Jonah and threw (hurled – Hebr. tol) him into the sea, and the sea became calm (the storm ceased as suddenly as it had begun).
Then Jonah prayed from the belly of the fish to the Lord his God (Yahweh Elohim).
He said:
"I cried (shouted) out of my distress to the Lord (Yahweh)
and he answered me.
From the belly of Sheol (the underworld, the grave) [among the dead] I cried for help
and you heard my voice.
The word of the Lord (Yahweh) [prophetic message] came to Jonah a second time:
So Jonah got up and went to Nineveh [about 800 km, more than a month's walk] in accordance with the word of the Lord (Yahweh). [This time he obeys, whereas the last time Jonah got up () it was to flee to Tarshish] Nineveh was a very large city before God (Elohim), it took three days to walk through it.
[The expression "to walk around it or through it" is often perceived as a colorful description of the city's enormous size. However, both archaeological findings and historians such as Strabo describe the city as enormous, significantly larger than Babylon, with an outer circumference of about 80–90 km! This means that it literally took three days to walk around the city. The inner city wall was 12 kilometers long, and archaeologists today estimate that at most, about 200,000 people lived in the city, even more than Jonah states. Jonah visited it a decade or so before the city reached its peak under the rule of King Sennacherib (704-681 BC), see ; ; .]
And Jonah began to enter the city, walking a day's journey, and he proclaimed, saying, "In forty days Nineveh shall be overthrown (transformed – Hebr. hafach)."
[The Hebrew word describes how something is turned upside down and completely changed, as in , where the sea becomes dry land. It is used to describe how the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were overthrown and destroyed, see . The choice of words is interesting, and the meaning varies depending on whether it refers to the city or the people. The same word is used when Samuel prophesies how the Spirit of the Lord will come upon Saul and he will be transformed, see . If the people do not repent, the meaning is that God will judge the city and it will be destroyed, see . If, on the other hand, the people repent, the meaning is that the city will be "turned around" and a reformation will take place, and they will begin to do good instead of evil and experience God's mercy, see .]
But this [that God is good and forgiving] made Jonah very unhappy (for Jonah it was something evil, yes, something very evil), and he became furious.
[Nineveh was the capital of the great Assyrian empire, which was known for its bloodthirstiness and cruelty, see . Archaeological finds and inscriptions from this period describe how enemies were flayed alive. That God would show mercy to these cruel Assyrians, one of Israel's worst enemies of all time, seemed completely wrong and was something evil in Jonah's eyes.]
Jonah left the city [without answering God] and stayed east of it, building himself a sunshade (temporary shelter – Hebr. sukkah) [a hut made of twigs and leaves, see also ; ; ]. There he sat in the shade to see what would happen to the city [Nineveh].
[The Hebrew word for east, kedem, is a rich word that also means to ponder, to take stock of the past, and to have visions for the future. Here it suggests that Jonah not only sat east of the city but also contemplated both what had happened and what was to come.]
The Lord God (Yahweh Elohim) had prepared a small tree (a castor oil plant, Hebr. qiqajon) and caused it to grow up over him, freeing him from his discontent (evil attitude).
[Presumably, the leaves of the sunshade Jonah had built himself had withered, and he was exposed to the heat of the sun. The unusual Hebrew word qiqajon describes an unidentified shrub or tree. Suggestions include a carob tree, castor oil plant, grapevine, or an oil plant. The word is only used here in the entire Bible. The root word qir describes a broad surface and indicates thick foliage and that the tree had an umbrella-like shape that worked well as a sunshade. The ending on in qiqajon is a diminutive form that belittles the word, hence the translation "a small tree." The plant itself must have been several meters tall to cover Jonah, so from Jonah's perspective, it was not a small tree but a large tree. The diminutive form is probably used to increase the contrast in verses 10-11. From God's perspective, it was a small tree compared to the large city of Nineveh.]
Jonah was very happy [to have the protection of] the small tree.
When the sun rose, God (Elohim) had prepared a scorching east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head, and he was close to fainting. Then he wished for death and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
[These verses mention the small tree, the worm, the sun, and the east wind. What they have in common is that it was God who sent them, just as he had previously sent the storm and the fish, see ; .]
Then God asked him, "Is it right for you (are you feeling well) to be so upset that the little tree died?" Jonah replied, "I have every right to be angry (angry to death)!"
He replied,
"An evil and unfaithful generation [a generation morally unfaithful to God] demands a sign, but they will receive no sign except the sign of Jonah.
For just as the prophet Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart (inner) of the earth for three days and three nights.
[Jesus' death when he was laid in a tomb, in the heart of the earth, and his resurrection on the third day are foreshadowed by Jonah, who was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights before he was cast ashore, see . It is interesting that Jesus so explicitly states that this is the only sign they will receive. In Jewish terminology, the day always begins in the evening, see , , . Matthew is careful to quote Jonah verbatim with "three days" followed by "three nights." The prophetic shadow image fits nicely if the day Jesus hangs on the cross (from nine o'clock to three o'clock when he dies) is counted as the first of the three days. The expression "three days and three nights" does not necessarily mean exactly 72 hours. The Bible does not give an exact account of when Jesus rose, only that the tomb was empty at dawn on the first day of the week, Sunday, see .
Pesach is always celebrated on the 14th of Nisan and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th of Nisan, see . The third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the 17th of Nisan. The days of the week vary from year to year. However, in the year 30 CE, the 17th of Nisan is a Sunday. That year, Sunday also coincides with the Feast of Firstfruits, bikkurim, see . There are two traditions for the sacrifices surrounding this feast. According to the Pharisees, the firstfruits sacrifice should take place in the evening (at the beginning of the day), while the Sadducees believed it should take place in the morning. Since the latter were in the majority in the Sanhedrin, the wave offering probably took place early on Sunday morning. Imagine if, at the same time as a sheaf was waved in the temple as a firstfruits offering, the news spread that Jesus had risen, see . That would have been a clear sign of Jonah! In the 80s AD, when the rabbinical tradition for this feast was adjusted, it was decided that bikkurim should never fall on a Sunday, precisely so that it could not be linked to Jesus' resurrection.]
Nineveh's people
[the pagan Assyrians] will rise at the judgment together with this generation
[who did not want to believe] and become its judgment. For they repented at
Jonah's proclamation
[], but here is something greater than
Jonah.
An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.
[Matthew has previously explained in how the prophet Jonah's stay in the belly of the fish is a picture of Jesus' death and resurrection on the third day.]
[It is the last winter before the crucifixion, and Jesus is in Judea. Although he has been with the people for several years and they have heard his words and seen all his miracles, they are not satisfied. They have just pretended that they would begin to believe in him if only he performed a supernatural sign from heaven, see .]
As the people flocked to him in greater numbers, he began to speak: "This generation is an evil generation. It wants signs [miracles proving that he was sent by God], but it will receive no sign other than the sign of Jonah.
Just as
Jonah became a sign to the people of
Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation.
[Jesus was referring to his own death and resurrection, which would eventually become a sign for them. Just as Jonah was in the fish for three days, Jesus would rise from the grave after three days, see .]People from
Nineveh will rise at the judgment together with the people of this generation and judge them. They
[the pagans of Nineveh] repented
[without seeing any signs] when
Jonah preached – and here is more
[gracious preaching of repentance] than
Jonah!"
[Here stands Jesus, one who is greater than both Solomon and Jonah, in their midst.]
