The book of Jonah, the story of a reluctant prophet who was sent to prophecy against Nineveh and ended up in the belly of a fish when he tried to flee from the job.
Questions tagged [jonah]
51 questions
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Jonah 2:1-2 - why say "Sheol" to refer to the literal belly of a literal fish?
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, 2 saying,
“I called out to the Lord, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
Verse 1 makes it unambiguous: Jonah was…
Maximus1987
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Did Jonah expect to die when he was thrown overboard?
In Chapter 1 of Jonah there is the familiar scene of him on the boat with the pagan sailors in the midst of a deadly storm. Jonah tells the men, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this…
Soldarnal
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In Jonah 4:11, is the phrase "persons who do not know their right hand from their left" a joke at the Assyrian's expense?
Ten years ago I read a commentary on Jonah, that stated that the phrase "persons who do not know their right hand from their left" (ESV) in Jonah 4:11 was a joke from the Hebrew author exploiting the fact that in the Assyrian language there was no…
Peter
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Why did Jonah need a plant for shade if he'd already built a hut?
The book of Jonah states that after Ninevah was saved, Jonah left the city in irritation, built a hut, waited under its shade, and watched the city in the hopes that it would be razed. God then provided a gourd plant to give him shade. Said plant…
kmiklas
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Is it implied that Jonah related more to the people of Nineveh than what is recorded?
The scriptures record Jonah's sermon to the people of Nineveh this way:
Jonah 3:4-5 (ESV) 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's
journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be
overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh…
Austin
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What does Jonah's huge fish symbolize?
Jonah 1:17
New International Version
Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:
1 From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.
10 And the Lord…
user35953
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4 answers
What was the message of Jonah?
Did God forgive the Ninevites...or did he just grant them temporary respite before destroying them?
This article argues the latter https://www.bsw.org/biblica/vol-87-2006/the-end-of-jonah-is-the-beginning-of-wisdom/103/ and says that the true…
Fomalhaut
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In Jonah 2:5 is Jonah expecting to see God's temple?
Several translations have "yet"... that Jonah, though banished from GOd's presence (in his mind) was expecting to see His temple (live? be restored?)
Jonah 2:5 (NIV) I said, 'I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward…
revjarrett
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What do the words 'fell upon' mean in the story of Jonah?
It's written that the people who traveled with Jonah on the ship, decided to cast lots, and then the lot fell upon Jonah.
And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots,
that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So…
Ubiquitous Student
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Why did the sailors have to pick Jonah up?
Why was it necessary for the sailors to pick Jonah up and throw him into the sea (1:12, 15) instead of him just jumping? It almost sounds like he is handicapped somehow, but then he does other things like going down into the hold of the ship,…
Caleb George
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Was Jonah referring to inside the fish or outside in Jonah 2:5?
Jonah 2:5
New International Version
The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
Here, was Jonah talking about inside the fish or outside?
user35953
1
vote
1 answer
Did the Ninevites believe in Elohim for spiritual salvation?
Jonah 3:5 "The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least,"
When the text said that they believed in Elohim, did they believe in him for salvation or believed only in the message of Jonah that…
Theo
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What role did the animals in Nineveh play in the book of Jonah?
The king of Nineveh decreed on people and animals!
Jonah 3:6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7This is the proclamation he…
user35953
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In Jonah 2:6, what does he mean by 'roots/cuttings/forms of the mountains' and 'about me forever'' when it was only for 3 days?
Jonah 2
6 I descended to the roots of the mountains. The earth with its bars was around me forever, But You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.New American Standard Bible.
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Jonah 2
6 To the cuttings of mountains I have come…
Ted O
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