At a glance
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Authorship | Anonymous; about Jonah (~8th c. prophet, 2 Kings 14:25) |
| Date | Composition uncertain; events ~785-750 BC |
| Audience | Israel |
| Genre | Narrative / didactic |
| Purpose | God's mercy on Nineveh and Israel's mission perspective |
| Chapters | 4 |
Outline
| Chapter | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jonah flees from God's call |
| 2 | Jonah's prayer and deliverance from fish |
| 3 | Nineveh repents |
| 4 | Jonah's anger and God's compassion |
Main themes
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| God's mercy | Even on enemy Assyrians |
| Universal scope | God concerns himself with all nations |
| Reluctant prophet | Jonah's heart vs. God's heart |
| Mission | Israel's call to bless the nations |
| God's right to be merciful | Jonah 4:11, God's pity |
Key passages
- Jonah 1:1-3, Jonah's flight
- Jonah 2, Jonah's psalm-prayer
- Jonah 3, Nineveh's repentance
- Jonah 4:11, closing question on God's compassion
NT use
- Matthew 12:39-41 / Luke 11:29-32, Jonah as sign for Christ's resurrection ("three days + three nights")