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Names of the Book

JONAH EMERGING FROM THE WHALE- Pieter Brueghel

English:  Jonah
Hebrew:  יוֹנה
Transliterated:  Yonah
Other names:   

 

whoWho

Wrote the book:  Jonah
Are the key people:  Jonah, the ship's captain and crew, the Ninevites
Is it written to:  The people of the southern kingdom of Israel

 

whatWhat

Jonah flees from G-d and forsakes his mission (Jonah 1:1-2:10)
Jonah turns to G-d and completes his mission (Jonah 3:1-4:11)

 

whenWhen

Was it written:  c 770-730 BCE
Did the events occur:  c 809-772 BCE
Was it canonized:  c 499-100 BCE
(see the Timeline of the Tanakh)

 

whereWhere

Was it written:  unknown
Did the events occur:  Israel, Joppa, Nineveh

 

whyWhy

Jonah was written to inform us that: 
G-d is sovereign over all mankind.
G-d desires repentance.
G-d extends His mercy to all nations if they repent.
G-d is compassionate.

 

whyIntroduction

Jonah is a unique book of prophecy in Scripture because it focuses on the prophet himself rather than on his message. G-d sends Jonah to Nineveh, the capital city of Israel's archenemy, Assyria, with a call to repentance. Jonah reacts by rebelling, not wishing for the enemy of his people to hear such a message. While fleeing from G-d, Jonah is swallowed by a fish and then repents from his own disobedience. The fish vomits Jonah back onto land and he fulfills his assignment. After Nineveh repents and G-d forgives them, Jonah resents G-d's mercy towards them. The book closes with G-d's lesson to Jonah regarding compassion.

 

 

Torah Portion

unknown

 

 

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Today is

Yom Sh'lishi, 9 Adar II, 5784

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

 

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