Names of the Book
| English: | Jonah |
| Hebrew: | יוֹנה |
| Transliterated: | Yonah |
| Other names: |
Who
| 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 |
What
| 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) |
When
| 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) | |
Where
| Was it written: | unknown |
| Did the events occur: | Israel, Joppa, Nineveh |
Why
| 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. |
Introduction
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.
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