Jonah 3 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Jonah 3

Jonah Goes to Nineveh

3:1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city,¹ three days’ journey in breadth.² 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 believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

The People of Nineveh Repent

6 The word reached³ the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.

Footnotes

[1] 3:3 Hebrew a great city to God
[2] 3:3 Or a visit was a three days’ journey
[3] 3:6 Or had reached

Commentary

v1: God's mercy to Jonah; his first failure is not final. There are many other examples of those who failed, but who were restored and received back. God's word comes to us the second, and third, and fourth, etc, time.

v2: God's task remains the same, with the same message to be preached, as in 1.2.

Nineveh is "the great city," influential and powerful; later the capital city of Assyria, and its expanding empire.

Jonah has the clear task of proclaiming the message of God; such is God's power that this method changes lives. Indeed, Assyrian history records a 'religious revival' around 760 BC. Further, there was a major earthquake recorded in Amos 1.1, and, we understand a solar eclipse (the Assyrians worshipped Ashur, the sun-god), leading to a period of instability.

v3: Jonah is obedient this time; just as Peter was sent to the Gentiles, Acts 10; see Rom 10.15; these are beautiful feet.

The city is so large that it would take three days to walk through it. Contrast the attack upon Jericho, where the children of Israel were able to walk around it seven times in one day. 4.11 indicates that there are more than 120,000 children. Within the city walls are fields and gardens, providing food for the inhabitants.

v4: Jonah cries out, for he is earnest and passionate; he gives 40 days, for he is urgent, John 4.35. Even here his ministry reflects that of Christ. True spiritual ministry is more than just the statement of certain facts.

v5: The people listen to Jonah, and believe God. Like John Baptist, the preacher points men to God.

v6-9: Widespread and thorough repentance; even the animals wear sackcloth.

There is conviction of sin; as they realise they are guilty before God.
There is concern for pardon, as they fear judgment, and desire to deal with sins.
There is conversion in life, as they change their attitude towards God, and towards sin.

v10: God honours their repentance; Ps 51.17; 2 Chr 33. God does not change; His decree remained, but the sentence changed. His opposition to all that is bad cannot change, for He is unchangeably holy; but He responds to repentance, and judgment is averted.