JONAH
Author:
It is not stated anywhere that Jonah wrote this book, but according to tradition he was the author, and the prayer in chapter 2, being in the first person, is evidence that he wrote down at least that. Jonah is mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25. His village, Gath-Hepher was in the territory of Zebulun in the northern part of Israel. His name means “dove”.
Date:
Possibly sometime about 760 BC.
Themes:
God has ways of making His disobedient servants obedient; God’s compassion and love, not only toward Israel, but toward people of other nations; to be spared destruction those people must repent and turn to God; people from Israel were responsible to declare God’s grace to other people and be an instrument to turn them to God.
Contents:
God’s command to Jonah, Jonah’s flight 1:1-3
The storm 1:4-7
Jonah confesses who he is 1:8-12
Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the great fish 2:1-10
Jonah proclaims God’s message in Nineveh 3:1-5
The king repents and tells his people to show
their repentance 3:6-9
God shows His forgiving nature and relents 3:10
Jonah’s anger at God’s show of mercy 4:1-4
The plant and the worm 4:5-8
God rebukes Jonah 4:9-11