### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
G2495 (Iōnâs) is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew name `{{H3124}}` (Yônâ), which means "dove." As a proper noun, its primary semantic range in the New Testament is limited to identifying specific individuals. While the underlying Hebrew meaning "dove" carries symbolic connotations of purity, peace, or even lament, these are not directly embedded in the New Testament usage of G2495 itself. Rather, the significance arises from the identity and actions of the person bearing the name. In the New Testament, G2495 exclusively refers to the Old Testament prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, and less commonly, to the father of Simon Peter.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
G2495 appears 9 times in the New Testament, with two distinct applications:
* **The Prophet Jonah:** The most prominent usage refers to the Old Testament prophet Jonah, whose narrative is found in the Book of Jonah. Jesus frequently cites Jonah as a significant figure.
* In [[Matthew 12:39-41]], [[Matthew 16:4]], and [[Luke 11:29-30]], Jesus declares that "no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." This refers to Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, which Jesus explicitly connects to His own three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (His death and resurrection). This establishes a crucial typological link between Jonah and Christ.
* [[Matthew 12:41]] and [[Luke 11:32]] further emphasize that the men of Nineveh repented at Jonah's preaching, contrasting their responsiveness with the unresponsiveness of Jesus' generation. This highlights the power of repentance and the greater authority of Christ's message.
* **Father of Simon Peter:** In the Gospel of John, Simon Peter is identified by his patronymic.
* In [[John 1:42]], [[John 21:15]], [[John 21:16]], and [[John 21:17]], Simon Peter is called "Simon, son of John" (or "son of Jonas" in some translations, reflecting the Greek Iōnâs). While the name `{{G2491}}` (Ioannês) is also used for John the Baptist, G2495 here functions specifically as Peter's father's name. This identification, particularly in the post-resurrection dialogues of John 21, serves to ground Peter's identity before his threefold restoration and commissioning by Jesus.
### Related Words & Concepts
* **`{{H3124}}` (Yônâ):** The Hebrew origin of G2495, meaning "dove." Understanding this root provides insight into the prophet's name, though its symbolic meaning is not directly applied to the New Testament usage of G2495.
* **`{{G4561}}` (Símōn):** The given name of Peter, often coupled with G2495 as his patronymic.
* **`{{G4973}}` (Sēmeîon):** "Sign." This term is central to understanding Jesus' declaration of "the sign of Jonah" as a prophetic indicator of His resurrection.
* **`{{G3341}}` (Metánoia):** "Repentance." Directly linked to the Ninevites' response to Jonah's preaching, which serves as a powerful example and rebuke to the unrepentant generation of Jesus' time.
* **Typology:** The theological concept of Jonah serving as a "type" or foreshadowing of Christ's death and resurrection is a fundamental interpretive lens for the New Testament's use of G2495.
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of G2495 is primarily derived from its association with the prophet Jonah:
* **Christological Foreshadowing:** The most profound theological implication of G2495 is its direct connection to Jesus' self-understanding and mission. The "sign of Jonah" is not merely an analogy but a divinely ordained prefigurement of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Jonah was miraculously delivered from the belly of the great fish, so too would Christ be delivered from the realm of death, thereby demonstrating His ultimate authority over life and validating His claims as the Son of God. This typology underscores the Old Testament's prophetic witness to the person and work of Christ.
* **Call to Repentance:** Jesus' invocation of Jonah and the Ninevites serves as a powerful and urgent call to repentance. The contrast between the pagan Ninevites, who repented at the preaching of one reluctant prophet, and the often-unresponsive Jewish leaders and populace who rejected the Son of God Himself, highlights the universal necessity of repentance in response to God's revealed truth. It underscores divine judgment for impenitence and the accessibility of mercy for those who turn.
* **Divine Sovereignty and Mercy:** The broader narrative of Jonah, though often focusing on the prophet's disobedience, ultimately showcases God's absolute sovereignty over creation (controlling the fish, the plant, the worm, the wind) and His boundless mercy, which extends even to a notoriously wicked city like Nineveh. Jesus' reference to Jonah implicitly points to these profound attributes of God.
* **Identity and Commissioning (for Peter):** For Simon Peter, being identified as "son of Jonas" (or John) in the Gospel of John, particularly in the post-resurrection encounters, serves as a reminder of his human identity and perhaps his past failures before his ultimate reaffirmation and commissioning by Christ as the "rock" (`{{G4074}}` Petros) upon whom the church would be built.
### Summary
G2495 (Iōnâs), derived from the Hebrew `{{H3124}}` (Yônâ, "dove"), functions primarily as a proper name in the New Testament, referring to the prophet Jonah and the father of Simon Peter. Its most significant theological weight is carried by the prophet Jonah, whom Jesus uses as a direct **typological foreshadowing** of His own death and resurrection, known as "the sign of Jonah." This connection profoundly illuminates Christ's unique authority and the divine validation of His redemptive work. Furthermore, Jesus' reference to Jonah and the Ninevites serves as a stark **call to repentance**, emphasizing the universal necessity of turning to God. The name also appears as the patronymic for Simon Peter, grounding his identity before his apostolic commissioning. Thus, G2495 serves as a linguistic link to crucial Old Testament narratives that deeply inform New Testament Christology, the urgency of repentance, and the expansive mercy of God.
TRV