Jonah3

The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, commanding him to preach to Nineveh. Jonah obeyed, proclaiming that the city would be overthrown in forty days. The people of Nineveh, including the king, believed God, repented with fasting and sackcloth, and turned from their evil ways. Consequently, God saw their actions and relented from the judgment He had threatened.

Jonah Obeys the Second Command

1
The word of ADONAI came to Yonah a second time: ​
2
"Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it the message I will give you." ​
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So Yonah set out and went to Ninveh, as ADONAI had said. Now Ninveh was such a large city that it took three days just to cross it. ​
4
Yonah began his entry into the city and had finished only his first day of proclaiming, 'In forty days Ninveh will be overthrown,' ​

Nineveh Responds to the Warning

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when the people of Ninveh believed God. They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least. ​
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When the news reached the king of Ninveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. ​
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He then had this proclamation made throughout Ninveh: "By decree of the king and his nobles, no person or animal, herd or flock, is to put anything in his mouth; they are neither to eat nor drink water. ​
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They must be covered with sackcloth, both people and animals; and they are to cry out to God with all their might - let each of them turn from his evil way and from the violence they practice. ​
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Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won't perish." ​

God Shows Compassion

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When God saw by their deeds that they had turned from their evil way, he relented and did not bring on them the punishment he had threatened. ​

Study Notes for Jonah 3

Verse 1

The phrase 'the second time' underscores God’s patience and persistence. Even after Jonah’s rebellion and detour (Ch. 1-2), God renews the original call, demonstrating that His mission of mercy remains unchanged.

Verse 2

God specifies that Jonah must preach the exact message ('the preaching that I bid thee'), preventing Jonah from softening or altering the severe warning Nineveh needed to hear.

Verse 3

Nineveh was the capital of the powerful Assyrian Empire. The description of it being 'three days' journey' refers to the vast size of the metropolitan area or the time needed to fully traverse and address its population.

Verse 4

Jonah’s message is exceptionally brief and lacks any explicit call to repentance; it is a declaration of impending judgment. The forty-day grace period offered a clear window for the Ninevites to respond.

Verse 5

The immediate and widespread faith of the Ninevites is remarkable, demonstrating the sovereign power of God’s word even when delivered by a reluctant prophet. Fasting and sackcloth were traditional signs of genuine communal mourning and penitence.

Verse 6

The king's participation legitimizes the city-wide repentance. His removal of royal robes and sitting in ashes symbolized deep personal humility and identification with his people’s desperate plight.

Verse 7

The decree includes even the animals, making the repentance total and symbolic. This extreme measure emphasizes the gravity of their situation and their desire for comprehensive cleansing before God.

Verse 8

The king identifies their primary sins as 'evil way' and 'violence' (*ḥāmās*), suggesting that the judgment was provoked by social injustice and oppression, which were common features of Assyrian power.

Verse 9

The phrase 'Who can tell' expresses hopeful uncertainty, recognizing that mercy is dependent entirely upon God’s sovereign choice and character, not earned by their actions alone.

Verse 10

God's decision to 'repent' (change course) demonstrates that divine judgment is often conditional upon human response. God responds to genuine repentance by withholding the threatened punishment, affirming His desire for mercy over destruction.

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