Introduction to Jonah

Name

The book of Jonah is named for its central character, Jonah. Jonah means “dove.”

Author

Authorship of the book of Jonah is a subject of some debate among scholars. Some believe the book was written by an anonymous author reporting in a narrative about Jonah’s life. Their rationale is the book is written in the third person (except for a section in chapter 2, which is first-person). However, this by itself is not a compelling argument for an anonymous author because other books of the Bible were written in third person. Moses often referred to himself in the third person throughout the Pentateuch. Isaiah and Daniel also referred to themselves in the third person.

Technically the book is anonymous, but I do believe Jonah was the author.

Genre

Narrative (the fifth of twelve books commonly referred to as the “Minor Prophets” because Jonah was a prophet, not because it was prophetic). The debate surrounding Jonah’s genre centers around whether it is considered a historical narrative or a parable.

I believe Jonah is a historical narrative because 2 Kings 14:23-25 specifically refers to Jonah, a prophet, the son of Amittai as a real person who lived in Gath-hepher during the reign of Jeroboam. Gath-hepher is a real place, and Jeroboam was king during this time period, so it stretches credulity to think that Jonah is not also a real person.

Also, Jesus referred to Jonah in Matthew 12:39-41 and Luke 11:29-32 as a real person who preached in Nineveh.

Literary Form

Historical Narrative.

Time Frame

The reference to Jonah in 2 Kings 14:25 during the reign of Jeroboam II places the book sometime between 793-753 B.C.

Emphasis

The emphasis of the book of Jonah is on God’s sovereignty but is directed to the nation of Israel. God commanded Jonah to preach repentance to Nineveh. Despite Jonah’s initial reluctance, he did preach a message of repentance. The people of Nineveh responded by turning to the Lord (in contrast to the people of Israel who had rejected the Lord’s prophets and their call for Israel to repent).

Outline

1. Jonah’s call and disobedience to God (1:1-1:17)
2. Jonah’s deliverance from the fish (2:1-2:10)
3. Jonah preaches in Nineveh (3:1-3:10)
4. Jonah’s anger at God’s mercy (4:1-4:11)