Jonah 3:2

Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

Arise {H6965}, go {H3212} unto Nineveh {H5210}, that great {H1419} city {H5892}, and preach {H7121} unto it the preaching {H7150} that I bid {H1696} thee.

"Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it the message I will give you."

โ€œGet up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message that I give you.โ€

Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.

Commentary

Context of Jonah 3:2

This verse marks a pivotal moment in the Book of Jonah. It is a direct repetition of God's initial command to Jonah found in Jonah 1:2. However, this time, the command comes after Jonah's dramatic experience in the belly of the great fish, a divine intervention that served as both judgment and salvation (Jonah 2:10). Having been delivered from his near-death experience, Jonah is now ready to obey the Lord's instruction to go to Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, a formidable and often cruel empire, yet a city God deeply cared for.

Key Themes in Jonah 3:2

  • God's Persistent Grace and Second Chances: The immediate repetition of the command highlights God's unwavering purpose and His incredible grace, offering Jonah a second opportunity despite his prior disobedience. This demonstrates God's patience with His servants.
  • Unconditional Divine Calling: God's call to Jonah remains unchanged, emphasizing that His plans are not thwarted by human failure. The mission to Nineveh was paramount.
  • Obedience and Divine Authority: The phrase "preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee" underscores the importance of delivering God's exact message, not a diluted or altered version. Jonah's role is to be a faithful messenger of the Lord.
  • God's Universal Concern: Even though Nineveh was a pagan and hostile city, God's compassion extended to its inhabitants, showing His desire for all people to repent and be saved. This foreshadows a broader understanding of God's love beyond Israel.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Arise, go": The Hebrew phrase qum, lek (ืงื•ึผื ืœึตืšึฐ) signifies an urgent, immediate command. It's a call to action, demanding prompt and decisive obedience, contrasting sharply with Jonah's initial flight.
  • "that great city": The Hebrew ha'ir haggedolah (ื”ึธืขึดื™ืจ ื”ึทื’ึฐึผื“ื•ึนืœึธื”) emphasizes Nineveh's immense size, population, and significance, likely reinforcing Jonah's initial reluctance due to its power and wickedness.
  • "preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee": This highlights the divine origin and specific content of the message. Jonah was not to invent his own sermon but to deliver God's precise words. The repetition of "preaching" (qara) emphasizes the authoritative declaration of God's message.

Practical Application and Reflection

Jonah 3:2 offers profound lessons for believers today. Firstly, it reminds us of God's boundless grace and willingness to give us second chances when we stumble in our obedience. His callings and purposes for our lives do not expire because of past failures. Secondly, it underscores the importance of delivering God's message faithfully, without compromise or personal bias, just as Jonah was instructed to "preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." Our task is to be faithful conduits of His truth. Finally, it challenges us to broaden our understanding of God's compassion, recognizing that His desire for repentance and salvation extends to all people, regardless of their background or current state, just as He cared for the inhabitants of Nineveh, leading to their remarkable repentance (Jonah 3:5).

Note: If the commentary doesnโ€™t appear instantly, please allow 2โ€“5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated โ€” the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Ezekiel 2:7

    And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they [are] most rebellious.

  • Jeremiah 1:17

    Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

  • Jonah 1:2

    Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.

  • Zephaniah 2:13

    And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry like a wilderness.

  • Zephaniah 2:15

    This [is] the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.

  • Jeremiah 15:19

    Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them.

  • Jeremiah 15:21

    And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible.
โ† Back