TRV
Translation
King James Version
Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
Complete Jewish Bible
Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won't perish."
Berean Standard Bible
Who knows? God may turn and relent; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we will not perish.”
American Standard Version
Who knoweth whether God will not turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
World English Bible Messianic
Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we might not perish?”
Geneva Bible (1599)
Who can tell if God will turne, and repent and turne away from his fierce wrath, that we perish not?
Young's Literal Translation
Who knoweth? He doth turn back, and God hath repented, and hath turned back from the heat of His anger, and we do not perish.'
Study This Verse
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
Divine repentance takes in all cases a different form from that of man, in that it is never regarded as the result of improvidence or of fickleness, or of any condemnation of a good or an evil work. For it will have no other meaning than a simple change of a prior purpose; and this is admissible without any blame even in a man, much more in God, whose every purpose is faultless. Now in Greek the word for repentance (METANOIA) is formed, not from the confession of sin, but from a change of mind, which in God we have shown to be regulated by the occurrence of varying circumstances.
John ChrysostomAD 407
HOMILIES ON LAZARUS AND THE RICH MAN 6
Consider, if God had chosen to demolish everything [in a recent earthquake], what we would have suffered. I say this, so that the fear of these events may remain sharp in you and may keep everyone’s resolution firm. He shook us, but he did not destroy us. If he had wished to destroy us, he would not have shaken us. But since he did not wish to destroy us, the earthquake came in advance like a herald, forewarning everyone of the anger of God, in order that we might be improved by fear and prevent the actual retribution.He has done this even for foreign nations. “Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” Why do you not overcome the city? You threaten to destroy it. Why do you not destroy it? “Because I do not wish to destroy, for this very reason I threaten.” So what is the Lord saying? “Lest I enact my impending judgment, let my word go in advance and prevent my acting.” Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. Then the prophet spoke. Today these walls speak. I say this, and I do not cease saying it, both to the poor and to the rich: consider how great is God’s anger. Consider how simple his requirement: let us abstain from evil! In a brief moment of time he shattered the mind and resolution of each one of us. He shook the foundations of our hearts.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Jonah, Chapter 3
"For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?" LXX: 'the message reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, took off his robe and covered himself with sackcloth, and he sat down upon the earth. And by the order of the king and his nobles it was announced throughout Nineveh, saying, it is forbidden for any man or beast or oxen or sheep to eat anything, to drink any water. Men and beasts were covered in sackcloth and cried out to the Lord mightily. Let each one turn away from his wicked practises and from the unfairness that was in his hands, saying, who knows if God will turn and repent, if he will not abandon the fierceness of his wrath so that we might not die?'. I know certain men for whom the king of Nineveh, (who is the last to hear the proclamation and who descends from his throne, and forgoes the ornaments of his former vices and dressed in sackcloth sits on the ground, he is not content with his own conversion, preaches penitence to others with his leaders, saying, "let the men and beasts, big and small of size, be tortured by hunger, let them put on sackcloth, condemn their former sins and betake themselves without reservation to penitence!) is the symbol of the devil, who at the end of the world, (because no spiritual creature that is made reasoning by God will perish), will descend from his pride and do penitence and will be restored to his former position. To support this opinion they use this example of Daniel in which Nebuchadnezzar after seven years of penitence is returned to his former reign. [Dan. 4:24, 29, 33] But because this idea is not in the Holy Scripture and since it completely destroys the fear of God, (for men will slide easily into vices if they believe that even the devil, the creator of wickedness and the source of all sins, can be saved if he does penitence), we must eradicate this from our spirits. Let us remember though that the sinners in the Gospel are sent to the eternal fire [Mt. 25:41], which is prepared for the devil and his angels, about whom is said, "their worm will not die and their fire will not be extinguished" [Is. 66:24]. All the same we know that God is mild, and we sinners do not enjoy his cruelty, but we read, "the Lord is kindly and righteous, and our God will be merciful" [Ps. 114:5]. The justice of God is surrounded by mercy, and it is by this route that he proceeds to judgement: he spares to judge, he judges to be merciful. "Mercy and Truth are to be found in our path; Justice and Peace are to be embraced" [Ps. 84:11]. Moreover if all spiritual creatures are equal and if they raise themselves up by their virtues to heaven, or by their vices take themselves to the depths, then after a long circuit and infinite centuries, if all are returned to their original state with the same worthiness to all conflicting, what difference will there be between the virgin and the prostitute? What distinction will there be between the mother of the Lord and (it is wicked to say) the victims of public pleasures? Will Gabriel be like the devil? Will the apostles be as demons? Will the prophets be as pseudoprophets? Martyrs as their persecutors? Imagine all that you will, increase by two-fold the years and the time, take infinite time for torture: if the end for all is the same, all the past is then nothing, for what is of importance to us is not what we are at any given moment, but what we will be forever more. I am not forgetting what is often said to argue against this point, preparing hope for oneself and some kind of safety with the devil. But this is not the appropriate time to write at length against the opinion of the wicked and against the synphragma of the devil from those who teach one thing in private only to deny it in public. It is enough for me to have shown what I believe this passage signifies, and as is appropriate in a commentary, to remark briefly who the king of Nineveh is, he who is the last to hear the word of God. Just how much eloquence and secular knowledge are worth to mankind can be seen in Demosthenes, Cicero, Plato, Xenophon, Theophrastus, Aristotle and the other philosophers and orators who are considered kings and their precepts are not taken as the work of mortals but as oracles of the gods. About which Plato says, happy are those states where philosophers rule, or if kings are philosophers. How difficult it is for such men to believe in God! I am neglecting though those examples from daily life, and pass over the stories of pagans and content myself with the text of the apostle who writes in Corinthians, saying, "look, brothers, to your vocation, among you. For there are not many who are wise about their flesh, nor many powerful, or noble. But there is much madness in the world, and this is what God has chosen to confuse wise men. That which is weak in the world, this is what God has chosen to confuse strength, and that which is in the world without good birth this is what God has chosen…" [1 Cor. 1:26-8] and again he says, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reprove the knowledge of those who know." [Is. 29:14; 1 Cor. 1:19] And: "see that no one robs you, through philosophy, this is a vain seduction" [Col. 2:8]. From this the predication of Christ is clear, the kings of the world hear last; then they put down the clamour of eloquence and the beautiful appearance of words, they abandon themselves completely to all simplicity and rusticity, and return to the ways of peasants, sitting in the dirt and destroying what they had formerly said was good before. Let us take as an example the benevolent Cyprian: who is firstly the champion of idolatry, and had such a reputation of good speaking that he taught the art of rhetoric at Carthage. He finishes by listening to the speech of Jonah, is converted to repent and gains such courage as to preach about Christ in public and lays his neck under the sword for him. For sure we know that the King of Nineveh descended from his throne, exchanged his red gown for sackcloth, his perfumes for mud, and cleanness for uncleanness- not uncleanness of meanings but of his words. In the same way in Jeremiah it is said about Babylon that "Babylon is a golden chalice which makes all the earth drunk" [Jer. 51:7]. Which man has not been made drunk by secular eloquence? Whose spirit has not been shot through by the composition of words and by the brightness of his elegant speech? Those powerful, noble and rich have great difficulty in believing in God; then how much more so for the masters of speech! Their spirit is blinded by riches, wealth, abundance, they are prevented by their sins and cannot see their virtues; they judge the simplicity of the Holy Scripture not on the majesty of its meanings, but out of the baseness of its words. But when they who have previously taught wickedness are converted to repent and start to teach what is good then we will see the people of Nineveh converted with a single proclamation, and the speech that we read in Isaiah will come true: "is a people thus born in one go?". [Is. 66:8. LX] Men and animals are covered with sackcloth, crying out to the Lord, this is to be understood by the same meaning as this: that those who have reason and those who do not, the wise and the simple repent according to that phrase said elsewhere: "You will save men and the animals O Lord" [Ps. 35:7]. It is possible however to interpret differently the animals covered in sackcloth, especially according to those passages in which we read, "the sun and moon will be dressed in sackcloth" [Joel 2:10], and in another passage, "I will cover the heavens with sackcloth". [Is. 50:3] This will be the clothing of mourning, the worry and sadness that are designated metaphorically by sackcloth. And this phrase: "who knows if God will turn and pardon?" places us in uncertainty and doubt. Thus men in hypothetical cleanness repent with more intent and arouse even more God's mercy.
Thomas AquinasAD 1274
God is said ‘to change His mind,’ metaphorically, inasmuch as He bears Himself after the manner of one who repents, by ‘changing His sentence, although He does not change His plan.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Jonah 3:9 encapsulates the desperate, yet hopeful, plea of the Ninevite king, reflecting a profound national response to Jonah's prophecy of impending destruction. It articulates a glimmer of faith and humility, clinging to the possibility of divine mercy and a change in God's declared judgment, should their radical repentance prove sincere and effective. This verse highlights the Ninevites' recognition of God's sovereignty and their earnest desire to avert calamity through a turning from their wicked ways.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. The most prominent is the Rhetorical Question ("Who can tell...?"), which serves to emphasize the king's uncertainty and the sovereign freedom of God, rather than seeking a literal answer. It expresses a humble plea based on hope, not presumption. There is also a clear use of Anthropomorphism in the phrases "God will turn and repent" and "turn away from his fierce anger." While God does not "change His mind" in the human sense of regret or error, these phrases describe His compassionate response to human repentance in terms understandable to us, indicating a change in His action or disposition towards the Ninevites. The phrase "fierce anger" also utilizes Hyperbole to convey the intensity of God's wrath, emphasizing the dire consequences of their sin and the magnitude of the judgment they face.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jonah 3:9 offers a profound theological insight into the character of God and the nature of repentance. It reveals a God who, though just and righteous in His judgment against sin, is also abundantly merciful and responsive to genuine human contrition. The Ninevites' desperate hope, rooted in an understanding (however nascent) of God's potential to relent, aligns with the biblical portrayal of God as one who desires reconciliation over destruction. This verse underscores that God's warnings are often opportunities for repentance, not inescapable destinies, demonstrating His patience and long-suffering even towards those who are His enemies. It affirms the transformative power of a collective turning to God, highlighting that no sin is too great, and no people too far gone, for God's mercy to reach them if they humble themselves and turn from their evil ways.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jonah 3:9 serves as a powerful reminder that the door to God's mercy is always open for those who genuinely repent. The Ninevites, a people notorious for their wickedness, found grace because they responded to God's warning with immediate and radical humility. This should inspire us to never despair, regardless of the depth of our past sins or the seeming hopelessness of our circumstances. Just as the Ninevites turned from their "evil way and violence," true repentance involves not just a change of mind or emotion, but a tangible turning away from sinful practices and a turning towards God. This verse challenges us to consider whether our own repentance is merely superficial or if it leads to concrete changes in our behavior and priorities. It also encourages us to live with a hopeful expectation of God's compassion, recognizing that His desire is always for our restoration and not our destruction, provided we humble ourselves before Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Did God truly "repent" or "change His mind" in Jonah 3:9, implying He made a mistake?
Answer: No, the biblical concept of God "repenting" (Hebrew: nâcham') does not imply that God makes mistakes or changes His perfect character. Instead, when applied to God, it signifies a change in His declared course of action in response to human repentance. God is immutable in His nature, but dynamic in His relationship with humanity. His warnings of judgment, like the one delivered by Jonah to Nineveh, are often conditional, serving as opportunities for people to turn from sin. When the Ninevites genuinely repented, God, in His compassion, "relented" from the disaster He had threatened, demonstrating His mercy and faithfulness to His character, which desires salvation over destruction. This is consistent with other passages where God "relents" from judgment, such as Jeremiah 26:13.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Jonah 3:9, with its desperate hope for God to "turn and repent" from His fierce anger, finds its ultimate fulfillment and most profound expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Ninevites, through their repentance, averted temporal judgment, but humanity's deepest need was for deliverance from the eternal "fierce anger" of God against sin. Jesus, the true and greater Jonah, came not merely to warn of judgment, but to bear that judgment Himself. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, absorbing the divine wrath that we deserved, thereby making it possible for God to "turn away" His anger from all who believe. Through Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross, God's justice was satisfied, and His mercy was perfectly extended. Now, instead of a hopeful "who can tell," we have the certain promise that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). The Ninevites' turning from their evil way foreshadows the call to repentance and faith in Christ, through whom we receive not just a temporary reprieve, but eternal life and reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:21).