Jonah 3:9

Who can tell [if] God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Who can tell {H3045} if God {H430} will turn {H7725} and repent {H5162}, and turn away {H7725} from his fierce {H2740} anger {H639}, that we perish {H6} not?

Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won't perish."

Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.โ€

Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?

Commentary

Jonah 3:9 captures the desperate, yet hopeful, plea of the Ninevites, articulated in the decree of their king, following Jonah's stark prophecy of impending destruction. It reveals a profound response of faith and humility, clinging to the possibility of divine mercy.

Context of Jonah 3:9

After his dramatic experience in the belly of the great fish, Jonah finally obeyed God's command to preach to the great city of Nineveh. His message was concise and ominous: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" (Jonah 3:4). Surprisingly, the notoriously wicked Ninevites, from the lowest citizen to the king himself, responded with immediate and profound repentance. They proclaimed a fast, put on sackcloth, and turned from their evil ways. This verse is part of the king's official decree, urging his people to cry out to God and turn from their violence, expressing a glimmer of hope that their actions might avert the announced judgment.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Hope in God's Mercy: Despite facing an explicit declaration of judgment, the Ninevites held onto the slim hope that God might relent. This demonstrates a foundational biblical truth: God is merciful and willing to respond to genuine repentance.
  • The Power of Repentance: The Ninevites' radical and immediate turning from their sinsโ€”a national act of repentanceโ€”highlights the profound impact of genuine change on divine action. Their repentance was not merely ritualistic but involved a turning from their "evil way" and "violence."
  • God's Relenting Nature: The phrase "turn and repent" (referring to God) underscores God's attribute of being responsive to human actions. While God is unchanging in His character, He can change His declared course of action in response to human repentance, demonstrating His compassion and flexibility.
  • Divine Warning as Opportunity: Jonah's prophecy served not as an inescapable doom, but as a divine warning, offering an opportunity for the Ninevites to change their destiny through repentance.

Linguistic Insights

The key phrases in this verse are "turn and repent" (referring to God's action). In Hebrew, these are shuv (ืฉึธืื‘ึ™) and nicham (ื ึดื—ึทึ”ื).

  • Shuv (turn): This word means "to turn back," "return," or "repent." When applied to God, it signifies His turning away from a declared judgment. When applied to humans (as in the king's earlier command in Jonah 3:8), it means to turn away from sin and back to God.
  • Nicham (repent): This term, when applied to God, does not imply regret over a mistake, but rather a change in His emotional disposition or planned action in response to new circumstances, specifically human repentance. It is often translated as "relent" or "change His mind," signifying His compassion and willingness to avert calamity (Jeremiah 18:8).

Practical Application

Jonah 3:9 offers enduring lessons for individuals and communities:

  • Hope for Change: It reminds us that no matter how dire the circumstances or how deep the sin, there is always hope for God's mercy when genuine repentance occurs. This applies personally and nationally.
  • The Urgency of Repentance: The Ninevites' swift response underscores the importance of immediate action when confronted with God's word. Delaying repentance can have severe consequences.
  • God's Compassionate Heart: This verse beautifully illustrates God's character as "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love" (Joel 2:13). He desires reconciliation over judgment and offers salvation to those who turn to Him.
  • The Power of Prayer: The Ninevites' collective cry to God, coupled with their change of behavior, demonstrates the power of fervent prayer and repentance in influencing divine action.
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

  • 2 Samuel 12:22

    And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

  • Joel 2:13

    And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he [is] gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

  • Joel 2:14

    Who knoweth [if] he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; [even] a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?

  • Psalms 106:45

    And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.

  • Jonah 1:6

    So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not.

  • Luke 15:18

    I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

  • Luke 15:20

    And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
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